wfn.org | Racial/Ethnic Caucuses Outline Growth-Strategy Reports

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

28-July-1999 
99246 
 
    Racial/Ethnic Caucuses Outline 
    Growth-Strategy Reports 
 
    More Than 1,000 Presbyterians Attend Convocation 
 
    by Evan Silverstein 
 
ORLANDO, Fla. - Representatives of the five racial/ethnic caucuses of the 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recently unveiled their visions for new-church 
development in the next millennium. 
 
    Each of the groups presented a report to the denomination's fourth 
Racial Ethnic Convocation, a five-day meeting here that began on July 21. 
Groups of Asian-, African-, Hispanic- and Middle Eastern-Americans and 
Native Americans disclosed their plans for implementing the racial/ethnic 
elements of the PC(USA)'s Church Growth Strategy. 
 
    That strategy, approved by the 211th General Assembly last month in 
Fort Worth, Texas, seeks to knit all of the denomination's church-growth 
goals into a unified plan and create a process through which the church's 
racial/ethnic communities will be empowered to make their churches a vital 
"organism ... of the body of Christ," in the words of one convocation 
planner. 
 
    "This issue of growth is one that cuts to the quick, and it hurts," 
said the Rev. Curtis Jones, the chairperson of the National Black 
Presbyterian Caucus and the pastor of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in 
Baltimore, Md. "It takes a large commitment to grow Presbyterian churches 
the way we presently structure the paradigm. However, if we are real about 
church growth, we need not wait on the denomination to provide us with 
resources and funds. If we are serious about church growth, we need not 
rely on strategies and techniques and programs." 
 
    After three convocations that focused on racial and social justice - 
in 1990, 1993 and 1996 - the most recent program concentrated instead on 
the proclamation of the gospel. Its theme: "From Membership to 
Discipleship." 
 
    The program objectives were to celebrate 2,000 years of Christian 
witness; to have "an earth-shaking new spiritual awakening, so that 
racial/ethnic people will passionately proclaim the love of God"; and to 
equip racial/ethnic Presbyterians to "proclaim the liberating gospel of 
Jesus Christ for justice and reconciliation in their communities." 
 
    The convocation included joint worship sessions, about 45 workshops, 
plenary speeches, exhibits from PC(USA) entities and even a letter from 
President Bill Clinton extending warm wishes to the more than 1,000 people 
in attendance. 
 
    "You can take pride in knowing that your determination to work within 
your faith for racial justice and reconciliation sets a powerful example 
for people across our nation," Clinton wrote. "Working together, I am 
confident that we can enter the 21st century as one America." 
 
    At the convocation's heart were cultural events celebrating the native 
heritage and customs of caucus members through music, song and dance. There 
also were Bible study sessions, caucus banquets, greetings from church 
leaders and gatherings for youth and young adults, a segment of the church 
that was emphasized during this year's event. 
 
    With the PC(USA) continuing to lose members at an alarming rate each 
year, church-growth efforts are commanding significant attention, 
particularly outreach to racial/ethnic communities. 
 
    Plans presented during the 1997 General Assembly were intended to meet 
a goal set by the 1996 Assembly - to increase the racial/ethnic membership 
of the PC(USA) by 10 percent by the year 2005 and by 20 percent by the year 
2010. Racial/ethnic membership is now about seven percent. 
 
    In 1996, the Assembly approved an overture declaring evangelism a 
denominational priority and "setting a goal for the Presbyterian Church 
(U.S.A.) to be a growing church by 2005." 
 
    The 1996 Assembly also officially recognized a national caucus of 
Middle Eastern Presbyterians, a small but increasingly active ethnic 
constituency. Significant Assembly initiatives have also been adopted for 
the growth of Hispanic, Asian, Native American and urban churches. 
 
    Proclaiming its belief that "a great new awakening is happening in the 
Presbyterian Church," the General Assembly Council (GAC) appointed its 
Church Growth Strategy Team in 1997 and charged it with devising a 
comprehensive growth strategy for the Presbyterian Church for at least the 
next decade. 
 
    Plans for implementing the racial/ethnic parts of the church growth 
strategy include: 
 
             National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus (NMEPC) 
 
    This caucus already has brought several distinct Middle Eastern groups 
together under one caucus: Armenians, Egyptians, Sudanese, Pakistanis, 
Iranians, Palestinians, Lebanese and Jordanians. Organizers have also 
established the Arabic Communication Center in Los Angeles, Calif., and a 
social services center in Allentown, Pa., to help immigrants from the 
Middle East become acclimated. The caucus has also established a center in 
Buffalo, N.Y., that promotes greater understanding between Christians, 
Muslims and Jews. 
 
    The NMEPC has been successful in reaching new "fellowships" of Middle 
East natives each year. Besides focusing on growth in the United States, 
the caucus plays a role in formulating public opinion, according to the 
Rev. Fuad Bahnan, the chair of the NMEPC, the denomination's newest caucus 
and one of its most diverse. 
 
    "We are to interpret the Middle East to the American public because we 
have some very negative stereotypes and the media is persistent in painting 
(the) Middle Easterner as either the terrorist or the extremist 
fundamentalist," Bahnan said. "We are neither. We are dedicated people with 
a culture who are going to be ambassadors of the Middle East to the 
Americans." 
 
    During the coming year the caucus hopes to have one chartered 
congregation, two new-church developments and five fellowships - groups of 
people from the same cultural background joining in congregations expected 
to become new-church developments. 
 
               National Hispanic Presbyterian Caucus (NHPC) 
 
    The NHPC will focus on the concept of spinning off smaller churches 
from centralized "mother" churches - a concept also being explored by other 
groups, such as the National Asian Presbyterian Council. 
 
    "One big church giving birth to another, small church - we want to 
explore that possibility," said the Rev. Martin Anorga, who presented the 
NHPC's report. "There are millions of Spanish-speaking people in our 
country, and we need to present those people the gospel of Jesus Christ." 
 
                 National Black Presbyterians Caucus (NBPC) 
 
    This caucus has contracted with a Chapter and Region Developer to help 
identify chapters and presbyteries that are interested in working together 
on church growth. The caucus is also interested in youth development and in 
working with young people. 
 
    The caucus also acknowledges the need for overseas relationships and a 
global consciousness. 
 
    "We are happy to celebrate a new covenant that we have established with 
Worldwide Ministries (and the National Ministries Division) in which we are 
trying to identify members from the Baby Buster (area) and Generation X and 
give them a global and international experience in the early days of their 
church leadership life," Jones said. 
 
                   Native American Consulting Committee (NACC) 
 
    The NACC will target Native Americans residing in urban areas and 
pinpoint ways to strengthen the model of ministry within Native American 
traditions, according to Randel Bohanon of the Native American Consulting 
Committee. 
 
    A strategy of this kind is a must, because many Native Americans are 
turning away from the church and returning to traditional native 
ceremonies. The NACC wants to work more closely with its racial/ethnic 
caucus counterparts, and has implemented a "vision quest" to identify 
funding for church growth. 
 
     "We're looking at this to grow," Bohanon said, "and in the future it 
will be applied to the leadership and the future needs of our people." 
 
         National Asian Presbyterian Council (NAPC) and Sub-Groups 
 
    * Chinese caucus - With funding support from the General Assembly or 
from its own coffers, this group intends to study new-church strategies and 
may send retired Presbyterian ministers to various cities where there are 
no Chinese Presbyterian churches, in an effort to split off or "hive" 
congregations from mother churches. 
 
    * Filipino caucus - This group believes that church growth must start 
with grass-roots congregational leadership training that will require 
General Assembly support. 
 
    * Indonesian caucus - This caucus believes nurturing existing local 
congregations is a key to growth. 
 
    * Japanese caucus - Believes growth must begin with the revitalization 
of local congregations, which are stagnating now. 
 
    * Korean caucus - Has adopted a plan to grow by 200 churches by the 
year 2006, with the establishment of a national New Church Development 
committee consisting of 14 synod representatives. 
 
    * Laotian caucus - This caucus believes church growth can result from 
close cooperation between governing bodies and Laotian churches. 
 
    * Taiwanese caucus - Group thinks church growth will come about when it 
implements resolutions from its 1996 mission consultation; plans to grow to 
70 congregations by the year 2010. It also believes in the concept of 
"hiving" off from mother churches. 
 
    * Thai caucus - Hopes to use a full-time staff member to organize, 
nurture and coordinate the nationwide church-growth effort. 
 
    * Vietnamese caucus - This group is planning to train commissioned lay 
pastors for church development; establish one new church or fellowship each 
year; translate basic Presbyterian material and educational curriculum into 
Vietnamese; and appoint a full-time national coordinator to conduct a study 
of new-church potential and mission needs. 

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