wfn.org | Assembly Approves Church Growth Strategy Report

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

GA99086 
25-June-1999 
 
                 Assembly Approves Church Growth 
                         Strategy Report 
 
FORT WORTH-By voice vote Wednesday the 211th General Assembly approved the 
report of  the Church Growth Strategy Team.  Team chair, Jinny Miller 
presented the report and its  themes of mission, diversity and spiritual 
enrichment and encouragement for presbyteries and congregations to 
strategize for growth. 
     For 39 years, she said, the Presbyterian Church has been losing 
members.  The Church Growth Strategy Report provides four challenges to 
churches asking if they want to be well (grow), if they are willing to 
change, if they dare take risks and will they take responsibility for 
themselves, rather than blaming their losses on other factors.  This report 
will free churches from unnecessary structure and enable them to engage in 
mission and strategies which will provide growth spiritually and 
numerically. 
     Recommendations were approved by the Assembly to declare the U.S.A. 
and Puerto Rico to be mission fields with the congregations as the basis 
for local mission supported by the presbyteries and other governing bodies 
(20.099-.100), to challenge sessions and other governing agencies of the 
church to review their commitment and plans for reaching communities, to 
invite sessions and other governing bodies of the church to share their 
plans with the Church Growth Strategy Team and, to challenge our churches 
to focus on discipleship by setting minimum goals of 2 percent annual 
growth in worship attendance and starting two new Christian Education 
initiatives annually. (20.101-103) Recommendation 20.104 was amended to ask 
sessions to do two "new things" focused on identifying and meeting the 
needs of our changing world and to identify and celebrate the number of 
people who are programmatically engaged in mission beyond the membership of 
the local congregation.  They asked the Strategy Team and churches to make 
available the research of the numerous strategies for evangelism, church 
growth and redevelopment as they develop plans for reaching their 
communities.   
     The Assembly concurred in the recommendation that the Racial 
Ethnic/New Immigrant Church Growth Plan approved by the 210th G.A. be 
reaffirmed (20.105) as well as provide for new immigrant fellowships and 
congregations of the presbyteries.  This amended recommendation 
(20.107-108) gives more leeway to presbyteries to enroll new immigrant 
ministers to serve these congregations.  It would require a three-fourths 
majority vote of the presbytery and would leave the process of 
implementation up to the presbyteries so that they are able to respond to 
specific needs and opportunities in a timely manner.   
     The commissioners also approved a recommendation to challenge the 
PC(USA) to identify and eliminate any discrimination or injustice against 
persons affecting church growth, including sexism, racism, classism, 
disability and ageism.  (20.106). 
     Commissioners' Resolution 99-3, which supports the development of the 
Presbyterian Welcome Center at the Community Presbyterian Church in 
Celebration, Fla. (Disneyworld), was also endorsed.   
     The only recommendation that had financial implications was to approve 
that  the Church Growth Strategy Report be commended and distributed to all 
the churches, presbyteries and synods. The amount would be $2,736.   
     The Committee closed its report with the announcement of six Walton 
Grant Recipients reflecting outstanding New Church Developments. 
Recipients of the 1999 awards are Alpine Community Presbyterian Church, 
Alpine, Ariz. (Grand Canyon), Belair Presbyterian Church, Evans, Ga. 
(Northeast Georgia), Grace Presbyterian Church, Fort Mill, S.C. 
(Providence), Lakeside Presbyterian Church, Tarpon Springs, Fla. (Tampa 
Bay), New Life Community Presbyterian Church, Memphis, Tenn. (Memphis) and 
Peace Presbyterian Church, Elk Grove, Calif. (Sacramento).  
 
Joanne Hines 

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