wfn.org | Top Assembly Evangelism Concerns

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20-June-1997 
GA97109 
 
              Church Growth and Racial Ethnic Ministries 
                  Top Assembly Evangelism Concerns 
 
                         by Joanne Hines 
 
 
SYRACUSE--The recommendations of the Evangelism Committee to the General 
Assembly on June 19 met  with the Assembly's approval as they voted to urge 
congregations to be open to nesting opportunities with emerging racial 
ethnic congregations, encouraged special evangelistic efforts with Sudanese 
Christians and called upon presbyteries to commit themselves to undertake a 
new church development probe for every church closure within their 
boundaries. 
 
    The Assembly viewed a video introducing the new National Cooperative 
Media Campaign and voted to explore television advertisement for both 
national and local markets.  The campaign materials are available and are 
receiving very positive comments according to evangelism associate, Doug 
Wilson. 
 
    Other action included a referral to the General Assembly Council of an 
overture from the Presbytery of Yukon which would declare evangelism a top 
priority of the church and set goals to be a growing church by 2005. The 
overture would be included in the work of an existing task force which will 
report back to the G.A. in 1998. 
Motions for revisions to the Presbyterian Church Investment and Loan 
Program (PILP) were approved along with the election of a Board of 
Directors and confirmation of Kenneth Grant, president, Mark Blayne, 
treasurer and Eric Graninger, secretary for PILP. 
 
    The Assembly also voted approval of the minutes which the committee had 
reviewed. The National Ministries Division was commended for its research 
in evangelism, asked to continue the good work and urged to consolidate 
information at hand and to generate new research in order to implement the 
training and selecting of ministers to serve in new church development and 
church redevelopment. 
 
    Racial ethnic church development was commended as a priority of the 
church and  the National Ministries Division was asked to bring 
recommendations for implementation of this priority to the 210th (1998) 
General Assembly. 
 
    Commissioners also extended the Urban Strategy Task Force for an 
additional year to implement a national study of Presbyterian seminaries 
and their preparation for leadership in urban ministries. 
 
    Agreeing with the committee's recommendation, the Assembly disapproved 
a resolution to hold conversations and focus meetings with youth and young 
adults and conduct research that would test the impact of Amendment B on 
the future of the Presbyterian Church. 
 
    Finally an overture from Hanmi Presbytery of the Synod of Southern 
California and Hawaii was approved which would establish a coordinating 
committee for Korean American Presbyteries and an allocation of funds for 
conferences and networking. 

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