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07594 September 20, 2007
'Full-court press' on for successful finish to MIJHH
High potential donors strong focus of final phase
by Evan Silverstein Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE - A "full-court press" is on as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s five-year Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts & Hands (MIJHH) fundraising campaign enters its final phase.
Joining Hearts & Hands is the denomination's national campaign to raise $40 million for new overseas mission personnel and church growth in this country, particularly racial ethnic and immigrant congregations.
MIJHH, which has raised more than $27.5 million so far, is scheduled to bring its final report to next summer's 218th General Assembly in San Jose, CA.
The Rev. Tom Gillespie, retired president of Princeton Theological Seminary and honorary chair of the campaign, provided an update on the campaign to the General Assembly Council here Wednesday (Sept. 19).
"Our objective remains to raise the final $12.5 million toward the $40 million goal for mission and church development and report a success to the 2008 General Assembly," Gillespie said. "This gives us about eight months and we are committed to a full-court press."
He said the final phase of the Mission Initiative was launched in August with a plan "to approach our strong churches and high potential individual prospects for their support."
The MIJHH recently put together a new leadership task force composed of steering committee members and other volunteers, Gillespie said. A new staff team of six consultants has been assembled to work with the task force and provide immediate follow-up after an initial contact.
Gillespie said that a new "comprehensive list of potential church prospects" has been circulated to the leadership task force along with the plan for approaching them.
"As assignments are made the primary task force contact and the staff person assigned will be listed and progress will be tracked on each individual approach," he said.
He said MIJHH officials are reasonably certain that at least one more presbytery will adopt the Mission Initiative objectives and make a fundraising commitment.
"These presbyteries would campaign to secure contributions toward their goals and toward the Mission Initiative campaign," Gillespie said. "So in a word we are organized, we are working hard, and we do by God's grace hope to bring you a very successful completion to this campaign."
Gillespie said the PC(USA) could use a success story as the funds campaign, like racehorses in Kentucky, is "rounding the far turn and heading for home."
"We need to lift up something that we can say 'We have done this together in the midst of all our tribulations, all of our changes, all of our infighting, we have raised $40 million for the mission of Christ's church,'" Gillespie said. "I think that would go a long way to providing energy in our denomination."
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