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07215 April 11, 2007
New York's Madison Avenue church pledges $1 million to MIJHH
Endowment will send recent seminary graduates to 'global South'
by Emily Enders Odom MIJHH communications officer
PRINCETON, NJ * Long recognized for its historic commitment to international mission, the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City has pledged $1 million to the Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts & Hands (MIJHH) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The gift * announced at the April 11-12 meeting of the MIJHH steering committee here * will establish the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church Global Ministry Fellowship, a permanent, endowed fund to provide outstanding recent seminary graduates with an immersion experience in the dynamics of the Christian Church in the "Global South."
According to the church's newly adopted policy document, the Global Ministry Fellowship will "help ensure that the emerging leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) understand the dynamics and opportunities for ministry and partnership in a globalized context."
MIJHH is a five-year campaign of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to raise $40 million for new overseas missionaries and church growth in this country, particularly racial ethnic and immigrant congregations.
The $1 million gift is part of the Madison Avenue's tithe to outreach ministry from its ongoing $20 million capital campaign for renovating its Church House, the main programmatic facility of the congregation.
"This remarkable, visionary, and enduring gift will enable our ministry partners in the Global South to expand upon their present ability to train and equip leadership in a church which is exploding with vitality and growth," said the Revs. Joanna Adams and Dave Peterson, co-chairs of Joining Hearts & Hands, in a joint statement. "We are profoundly grateful for Madison Avenue's deep commitment not only to international mission, but to the formation of pastors and students. This gift has the potential to change the paradigm for mission in the Presbyterian Church (USA)."
Global Ministry Fellows will be chosen from among seminary students with outstanding potential for pastoral leadership. The two-year fellowship will begin on June 1 in the year of graduation from seminary with a three-month pastoral residency on the staff of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. The Fellow will then report to his or her fellowship site in the Global South for a twelve-month internship beginning in September. At the end of the internship year, the fellow will then have three months for independent travel, followed by a second pastoral residency of at least three but no more than six months at Madison Avenue to transition back into the United States and provide interpretation and itineration in New York and across the Presbyterian Church (USA).
The first, approved fellowship site for the Global Ministry Fellowship program is Theological Education by Extension Zambia (TEEZ), based in Kitwe, Zambia. TEEZ is a highly regarded, joint ecumenical project, which was organized to help answer the church leadership shortage in Zambia by training tutors who can lead classes on Scripture, theology, and skills for ministry in local churches throughout Zambia.
Because TEEZ desires that an intern begin immediately, Madison Avenue will begin to promote the award, solicit applications, and select a recipient within three months. For the sake of expediency in the first year only, the 2007 Global Ministry Fellowship intern will be chosen from among Princeton Theological Seminary students. Future awards will be on the basis of a fully open and national competition.
As honorary MIJHH campaign chair, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Gillespie, president emeritus of Princeton Seminary, welcomed the opportunity for connection among these ministry partners. "I've been impressed from the start with what Joining Hearts & Hands has accomplished, both in how much has been raised and in how it unites us as a denomination," said Gillespie. "I look forward to seeing the wonderful result as the Madison Avenue Church, Joining Hearts & Hands, and Princeton Seminary cooperate together in furthering Christ's mission in the world."
The Madison Avenue Church hopes that, as the endowment grows and more funds become available, additional fellowship sites will eventually be identified in other areas of the Global South, such as Asia and Latin America. "This is a new concept of ministry with churches in the Global South, designed to foster reciprocity," said the churches pastor, the Rev. Dr. Fred R. Anderson. "Beyond that, the Global Ministry Fellowship will be the standing legacy of this congregation's commitment to international mission, just as the Church House is our legacy for local ministry."
Madison Avenue's ties with southeast Africa, which reach back many years, are also deeply personal. The Rev. J. C. Austin, one of the church's two, current associate pastors, spent a year in the region on a seminary fellowship following his graduation from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Austin sees his own immersion experience in southeast Africa as "so foundational" to his ministry, that he can scarcely imagine his vocational path and spiritual life without it. Anderson added that Austin's experience has in turn been transformational for the entire congregation.
"We have so much to learn about how the church in the Global South is doing what it is doing, with such amazing vibrancy, dynamism, and growth," Austin said. "The Global Ministry Fellowship program will not only help to shape the individual ministries of these interns, it will also build up the Presbyterian Church (USA) by engaging congregations in mission at a qualitatively different level."
Doug Welch, Africa area coordinator for World Mission of the PC(USA), provided invaluable assistance to the church's staff and committees in shaping the groundbreaking program. "I have been excited about the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church's new Global Ministry Fellowship as it responds to two very real needs with one program," he said. "Our church partners in Africa consistently rate leadership development as their top priority. These interns will encourage our partners as they see us walking with them and will provide some needed help.
"This will also highlight the importance of theological education for our churches. As these interns take positions across our denomination they will come with some very good international mission experience that will facilitate more PC(USA) involvement in international mission work." Welch said.
Because international mission is one of the two foci of Joining Hearts & Hands, David York, the campaign's director, also became involved with Madison Avenue early on in its exploration process as a ministry colleague as well as a sounding board for ideas and possibilities of mutual interest.
"Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church has long been a denominational leader in its support of mission," York said. "This unique gift ensures that its missional support will live on in perpetuity. Not only will there be a seminary student chosen for this experience forever, but those chosen for the program will impact their congregations' commitment to mission for generations to come. It has been a privilege to partner with Madison Avenue in the establishment of such a creative and long-lasting gift. Truly the church will be transformed in mission thanks to the seeds that this new program will sow."
By partnering with MIJHH, Madison Avenue also affirmed its strong support of the connectional church, according to Austin.
"On behalf of the entire General Assembly Council, we give thanks to God for the commitment of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church," said Linda Valentine, executive director of the PC(USA)'s General Assembly Council. "As we work together toward the reformation of our whole church, may we be inspired by their bold witness."
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