wfn.org | Assembly Committee on Evangelism and Church Development concludes

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Note #6622 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

business
12-June-2001
GA01064

Assembly Committee on Evangelism and Church Development concludes business

Staff presentations meet with affirmation and applause

by Emily Enders Odom

LOUISVILLE, June 12 - Several productive hours were spent by the Assembly
Committee on Evangelism and Church Development listening and responding to a
comprehensive Church Growth Strategy report presented by General Assembly
staff members.

	Rosalie Potter, associate director for Evangelism and Church Development,
and Douglas Wilson, associate for Presbyterian Evangelism, launched part one
of the report in Monday's session, and concluded their presentation with the
assistance of staff colleagues Rita Dixon and Amal Marks.  Among the
highlights in part one of the report entitled Church Growth for the 21st
Century, were sections on new forms of new church development,
congregational redevelopment, rural church growth, and current statistics on
the Mustard Seed Fund.

In that unique funding program, the General Assembly Council provided $1
million last year for research and development in church growth.  Of the 43
grants awarded, ten were for presbytery strategy development, ten for racial
ethnic/immigrant programs, eight for new worship forms, seven for community
outreach, six for youth and children, and two for leadership development.

	Part two of the report focused specifically on racial/ethnic, immigrant and
multicultural church growth.  Wilson said, "This is what the church looks
like, no single dominant population at the table but a real mix of who we
are as God's children around the world."

	The optimism of the report was undercut by what was deemed "the biggest
barrier of all" to church growth, specifically racism.  Among strategies for
racial ethnic growth, according to a November 2000 Presbyterian Panel
report, the least preferred is "encouraging white congregations to make
greater efforts to reach out to racial ethnic persons."

	In spirited dialogue following the presentation, committee member Rev. T.
William Filbern, a minister commissioner from Heartland Presbytery, rose to
speak of how the Sudanese community in his church is teaching him how to be
a Christian more than anyone else.  "We've got to recognize these pastors
from other countries," he said.  "It's a leadership issue, a language issue,
a racism issue.  Praise God for our session that says, 'Come on.'"

	The committee also heard a report on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Investment and Loan Program (PILP) by the Rev. Kenneth G. Y. Grant,
president and CEO, and Richard B. Lohrer, chair, Board of Directors.  After
learning of the innovative ways in which PILP assists congregations,
committee members urged more interpretation of the program on the
congregational level.

	In related business items, the committee moved to confirm individuals as
members of the Board of Directors of PILP, to confirm the election of Grant
as president of PILP for a new four-year term, and to approve the
deliverance and articles of incorporation of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) Mortgage Corporation.  The PILP minutes, also referred to the
committee for action, were found in good order and approved.

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