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17-June-1998 
GA98068 
 
    Presbyterians Called to a New Era in Evangelism 
 
    by Joanne Hines 
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-With an extremely full agenda of opportunities and 
challenges for the spread of the good news into the 21st Century, the 
Assembly Committee on Evangelism proved to be one of the hardest working 
this year. 
    Items clarifying procedures to form new churches and reach out to a 
multitude of racial ethnic opportunities for ministry were the backdrop of 
much thoughtful discussion and many recommendations. 
    The Committee encouraged ways to permit new churches to form community 
and reach out in innovative ways thus affording them flexibility rather 
than a prescriptive set of procedures from the Book of Order. 
Recommendations will be made to authorize presbytery commissions for new 
church developments to assume any or all powers and responsibilities of a 
session for the benefit and ministry of the new congregation.  In so doing, 
their task will be to train and empower the leadership of the emerging 
congregation. Looking at new models of church development, the committee 
will also recommend that presbyteries may utilize commissioned lay pastors 
to serve as pastor to a group of people wanting to become a new church. 
    The Racial Ethnic Church Growth Strategy Report was the focus of 
detailed discussion.  The Committee was distressed at the seeming lack of 
funds to implement the recommendations.  They directed the Church Growth 
Strategy Team to report annually the process of implementation and 
coordination of this plan. 
    It was voted to recommend acceptance of the Racial Ethnic Church Growth 
Strategy Report, adding Immigrant Evangelism to the title and calling for 
specific strategies for Native American peoples, Hispanic populations and 
New Church Development. They were concerned that substantial funding levels 
be explored with the identification of new sources of funding to be given a 
high priority.  In addition, they felt that specific programs, such as 
multi-cultural youth programs, needed to be implemented and they encouraged 
the whole church to be enthusiastically engaged in strategies for 
evangelism. 
    Urban Ministry was tied closely to evangelism strategies also.  The 
committee urged the Council on Theological Education and the Urban 
Strategies Work Group to work together to equip pastors for a "contextual" 
understanding of ministry in the urban settings.  Further, they encouraged 
the addition of Presbyteries Cooperative Committee on Examinations for 
Candidates be a part of the consultation. 
    Recommendations for implementation of urban ministry were referred to 
the Urban Strategy Work Group to convene a theological "round table" and to 
create a pilot program at one of the seminaries for a post M.Div. program 
for ministers serving urban churches.  Financial implications were also 
referred to the Work Group. 
    And last, but foremost, they approved  a commissioners' resolution to 
urge each congregation to pray for neighbors, community, children, youth 
and schools, and to bring one person to Christ this coming year. 
    Elder Paul Park was moderator of the committee.  Rev. Mary Currie was 
vice moderator. 

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