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19-August-1998 
98270 
 
          Church Growth Strategy Team Visits Upstate New York 
 
                           by Betty L. Meadows 
                          and Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
SYRACUSE, N.Y.-Continuing the fact-finding phase of its work, the General 
Assembly Council's Church Growth Strategy Team met here July 29-Aug. 1, 
visiting four churches in upstate New York. 
 
    The team also heard from the executives in the presbyteries of Northern 
New York and Susquehanna Valley, the Synod of the Northeast and other staff 
persons and pastors in the region.  In addition, it heard presentations on 
the characteristics of young adults between the ages of 19 and 36 from 
Rodger Nishioka, coordinator for youth and young adult ministries in the 
Congregational Ministries Division in Louisville, and on models of "doing 
church" from renowned church development consultant Robert Linthicum of Los 
Angeles. 
 
    The Church Growth Strategy Team was created by the Council a year ago 
to devise a strategy for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to reverse three 
decades of membership decline in the 2.6-million member denomination.  Its 
report to the Council is due next spring. 
 
        Redevelopment is focus in Susquehanna Valley Presbytery 
 
    The team visited four churches in Susquehanna Valley Presbytery, a 
presbytery of mainly rural and small-town churches.  Executive presbyter 
the Rev. Barbara Renton noted that only one church in the entire presbytery 
is growing, so the presbytery's focus is on church redevelopment. 
 
    At Bainbridge Presbyterian Church, founded in 1793 - where a 163-member 
congregation serves the town of 900 - redevelopment and growth are being 
pursued through a strong youth program that has been instigated by the 
church's pastor, the Rev. Susan Zink.  Young people prepare and serve 
dinners in the community, make May baskets for homebound residents and sing 
in a youth choir.  Zink told the team new members are usually relatives of 
church members, which is typical of farming communities like Bainbridge. 
 
    Zink also serves as pastor of nearby Guilford Presbyterian Church, a 
church of 46 members, most of whom come from three generations of three 
families - again, typical of farming communities.  Family ties are the glue 
that holds churches like Guilford together, Zink said. 
 
    Ninevah Presbyterian Church, pastored by the Rev. Doug Horn, holds on 
because of strong lay leadership.  Situated at a crossroads, the 
100-member, 135-year-old church recently completed a $173,000 capital 
campaign that will enable the church to enhance its role as a community 
center for its area. 
 
    The 200-year-old Conklin Presbyterian Church is Susquehanna Valley 
Presbytery's only growing church, with 320 members and average Sunday 
school attendance at 230.  The church, served by the Rev. Steve Starzer, 
also focuses its outreach on young people, with an after-school program 
during the year and a day-care program during the summer.  Contemporary 
worship seems to be a drawing card for young people, Starzer told the team, 
and the church sponsors three youth choirs and is beginning a youth 
orchestra. 
 
    Lay pastors, cluster ministry are keys in Northern New York Presbytery 
 
    The Rev. Clinton A. McCoy Jr., executive presbyter for Northern New 
York Presbytery, outlined for the team the demographics of his presbytery: 
40 churches, 28 of them with fewer than 100 members and 16 without 
installed pastors. 
 
    In this part of New York, which seems to be under perpetual economic 
stress, McCoy noted, these small churches struggle to overcome not only the 
problems of economics, but also a survival mentality. 
 
    Lay pastors are a very important part of the presbytery's ministry. 
And to do ministry in rural upstate New York, many churches and groups 
cluster together: 
 
   *   The Ontario PEG (Presbytery Enhancement Group) is a group of 
churches that meet together for worship, a mass choir and workshops on 
preaching and faith sharing. 
   *   The Adirondack Canoe Expedition is a ministry of the presbytery that 
offers wilderness trips to help adults and young people appreciate God's 
world.  Skills in water safety, hammock hanging, camp cuisine and animal 
protection are taught. 
   *   Rural Rehab is a work group of local residents and volunteers from 
outside the state who help repair homes of people who are unable to do the 
work themselves 
   *   Ministry in North Country (MINC) is a cluster of 16 churches that 
band together for Christian education, youth ministry, farming and cottage 
industry.  The farming and cottage industry cooperatives provide economic 
livelihood and financial opportunities for people within the cluster. 
 
      Church leaders advocate local rather than national strategy 
 
    The Rev. Robert White, executive for the Synod of the Northeast, 
outlined other redevelopment projects within the synod.  White urged the 
team not to develop a national strategy, but to develop a strategy in which 
each presbytery and each church would be challenged to make a commitment to 
mission in its local area. 
 
    The Rev. N. Scott Cupp, the synod's associate executive for mission and 
leadership development, concurred.  "We need to do redevelopment in every 
possible way, to take risks, to try anything, and to encourage every level 
of the church to get on board." 
 
    Linthicum addressed the team about the value of community organization. 
He outlined three models: small, mission-focused groups; clusters of 
congregations and mission agencies; and congregation-based community 
organizing. 
 
    The Church Growth Strategy Team travels next to Chicago, in October, 
and then to Santa Fe, N.M., in November, to meet with presbytery executives 
at their annual Association of Presbytery Executives meeting.  While in 
Santa Fe, the team will begin work on its report to the General Assembly 
Council. 
 
    According to Jinny Miller of Mishiwaka, Ind., chair of the Church 
Growth Strategy Team, the group is still seeking information about growing 
churches from throughout the denomination electronically through a survey 
on the PC(USA) Web page and a PresbyNet meeting called "CHURCH GROWTH 
STRATEGIES".  Those having stories about growing churches may send them 
electronically or write to Doug Wilson, Associate for Presbyterian 
Evangelism, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202, or to Jinny 
Miller, 15400 Carriage Lane, Mishawaka, IN 46545. 
 
(The Rev. Betty L. Meadows is executive presbyter for Louisville Presbytery 
and is a member of the Church Growth Strategy Team.) 

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