wfn.org | Board of Church Extension refocuses

["Disciples Off. of Communication"<wshuffit@oc.disciples.org>]

mission
Date: July 7, 1999
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Clifford L. Willis
E-mail: CWillis@oc.disciples.org
on the Web: http://www.disciples.org

99b-46

     Raleigh, N.C. (DNS)   In a bold move with
potential for long-term growth of the Christian 
Church
(Disciples of Christ), Board of Church Extension 
directors
have refocused its mission upon fulfilling the 
Great
Commission with renewed emphasis on establishing 
new
congregations. 
     
     BCE directors approved, during their June 
25-28
meeting, a revised direction to "provide 
resources that
channel the energy of the Great Commission into 
physical
form, including facilities and new 
congregations."
     
     "What this means," stated directors' 
chairperson,
the Rev. Marvin K. Eckfeldt, senior pastor, First 
Christian
Church, Kent, Wash., "is that BCE is reaching 
back to the
very motivation of its beginning 116 years ago as 
it moves
into the new millennium. Church Extension 
recommitted
itself to an even stronger use of staff, time and 
resources to
work with partners to help new churches get 
started and to
help strengthen existing churches toward new 
health and
growth."
     
     At the urging of Marian Hamlett, CPA, 
Flower
Mound, Texas, directors and staff agreed to 
biblical
discernment and prayer as the Board takes the 
next steps
toward developing action plans. "There are so 
many hurting
souls needing the love and nurture of the church, 
that we
need to commit ourselves not only on paper, but 
in our
hearts, our actions and through our prayers, if 
BCE is to
make this new direction effective," Hamlett said. 

     
     "The actions by the directors means," 
explained
Rev. James L. Powell, BCE president, "we will 
become
more centered upon fulfilling the Great 
Commission as we
seek to energize new congregations and strengthen 
existing
congregations with growing participation, even as 
we deal
with their building needs. We will discover how 
best to
carry out this mandate in the months ahead."
     
     BCE's ministry planning process will 
continue
through the end of the year as the unit develops 
long- and
short-range goals. The first phase was led by 
Cyrus N.
(Russ) White, president, Christian Board of 
Publication, St.
Louis. 
     
     The meeting theme of "Shared Roots, Shared
Future" was brought to life as Board of Church 
Extension
directors and staff visited several Church of 
Christ
(Disciples of Christ) congregations in the 
Raleigh area
during its meeting. 
     
     The predominantly African-American 
churches,
which were commissioned to form their own 
organization
shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation, were 
a part of
the development of the Christian Church in North 
Carolina
and have been partners with BCE for several 
decades.
     
     "BCE never closed its hands to the Church 
of
Christ," said Senior Bishop J. L. Melvin, who 
spoke Friday
evening.
     
     The fruits of BCE's ministry with the 
Churches of
Christ were experienced first-hand Sunday as two 
groups of
directors and staff journeyed to Wilson, Newton 
Grove,
Greenville and Goldsboro, N.C., worshiping in and 
visiting
three congregations and two area Church of 
Christ
(Disciples of Christ) headquarters. The genuine 
hospitality
and Spirit-filled worship experience gave BCE 
visitors a
taste of the rich history and blessed future of 
the churches.
     
     The directors and staff also heard from 
Church of
Christ leader, Bishop Charles Williams, who spoke 
of the
Church of Christ's history in North Carolina and 
BCE's
role in that development. His comments were best 
summed
up by Senior Bishop Melvin on Friday night, when 
he
passionately said, "If it wasn't for BCE, there 
are churches
that would not be in existence right now."   

     In other action, Board of Church Extension 
directors
confirmed nearly $9 million in loan requests to 
underwrite
48 capital improvement projects in 21 states plus 
Puerto
Rico. Combined costs for the projects, varying 
from
remodeling and new construction to debt 
refinancing,
totaled $13 million. Loan requests ranged in size 
from
$10,000 to $995,000.
     
     Directors also confirmed three interest-free 
loan
requests totaling $110,000 for congregations in 
Puerto
Rico, Texas, and Colorado. Four congregations now 
have
outstanding commitments for interest-free loans 
totaling
$127,500, awaiting the availability of 
interest-free loan
funds.
     
     As of May 31, reports showed loan balances 
of
$93.3 million while the Board's assets stood at 
$114.5
million. Investments placed with the Board, a 
primary
source of loan funds, totaled $90.2 million.
     
     Church Extension directors also received 
reports
showing 203 field visits by BCE staff members 
during
February, March and April, which was an increase 
of more
than 25 percent over the same period one year 
ago. During
the same three-month period, staff directed 12 
fund raising
campaigns that achieved pledges of nearly $2.1 
million.

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