ABHMS Board Hears Plan For Moving Home Mission Into 21st Century

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ABHMS Board Hears Plan For Moving Home Mission Into 21st Century

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (ABNS 6/29/11)?At the June
28-29 meeting of the Board of American Baptist
Home Mission Societies (ABHMS), Executive
Director Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III and
leadership team members introduced a strategic
plan?developed through a process that involved
feedback from constituents and partners?that will
move the mission organization into the coming decade and beyond.

A major component of the plan focuses on revenue
generation to support mission and ministry.
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Michaele
Birdsall reported that, while ABHMS is strong
financially, the plan proactively addresses a
current over reliance on unrestricted reserve
funds to balance the budget. The challenge,
Birdsall said, is: ?How do we live within our
means and how do we adjust our ministry
accordingly?? Ultimately though, she continued,
?ABHMS needs to refrain from looking at ministry
through a lens of scarcity, because we know that God will open up the way. ?

In his introduction to the plan, which emphasizes
development of sustainable funding sources,
Wright-Riggins pointed out that after the Civil
War, 80 percent of the organization?s resources
were devoted to educating newly freed slaves,
resulting in the establishment of Morehouse and
Spelman colleges and Virginia Union and  Shaw
universities, among other educational institutions.

> This was the clarion call in 1832 when The
> American Baptist Home Mission Society was
> founded, Wright-Riggins said. Today ABHMS faces
> different issues, Wright-Riggins said, asking:
> ?How do we extend hope to children in poverty?
> How do we extend hope to those living without
> health care? How do we extend hope to those
> limited by the stained glass ceiling??

ABHMS needs to ?dare to do great things for God,
because God has done great things for us,? said
Wright-Riggins, and he challenged the board:
?Would you help me offer hope to those who feel
their lives are coming up a little short??

Board members voted unanimously to affirm a

resolution from the Baptist Churches of Puerto
Rico to join efforts to address needs of the
growing Latino population in the United States,
estimated at 45 million people in the last census.

Wright-Riggins along with board Vice President
Lois Chiles recognized leaders among board
members for America for Christ giving. Beryl
Hornberger received a certificate on behalf of
First Baptist Church of Freemont, Kan., the
highest giving church of board members?
congregations. For highest per capita giving, the
Rev. David Gregg accepted a certificate on behalf
of Grace Baptist Church, Chicago, Ill., and the
Rev. James Calloway accepted a certificate on
behalf of First Baptist Church, Junction City,
Kan., for the largest year to year giving
increase. During the meeting, Birdsall reported
an upward trend in America for Christ giving, which was noted with gratitud e.

Associate Executive Director for Missional Life
and Leadership the Rev. Marilyn Turner, who
presented an overview of ABHMS ministries,
reported final results of the NEW LIFE 2010
initiative: The decade of commitment to this
initiative realized close to 650,000 new
disciples for Christ and more than 500 new church
plants (which were viable for at least two years).

Turner announced a year-long discipleship study
initiative that will be launched with publication
of the 2012 Discipleship Planning Guide in November.

Also, Turner addressed the location change of the
American Baptist National Gathering of Youth in
2012. Next year?s conference, IMMERSE
(www.abhms-immerse2012.org), will be held in
Washington, D.C., where youth will have
opportunities to get involved in mission as well
as advocacy in an election year.

American Baptist Home Mission Societies?the
domestic mission arm of American Baptist Churches
USA?ministers as the caring heart and serving
hands of Jesus Christ across the United States
and Puerto Rico through a multitude of
initiatives that focus on discipleship, community and justice.

American Baptist Churches is one of the most
diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500
local congregations comprised of 1.3 million
members, across the United States and Puerto
Rico, all engaged in God?s mission around the world.

posted @ Wednesday, June 29, 2011 4:21 PM by webmaster