wfn.org | AMERICAN BAPTIST UPDATE FOR NOV. 21, 1999

[LEAH_MCCARTER.parti@ecunet.org (LEAH MCCARTER)]

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AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS SERVICE 
Office of Communication  
American Baptist Churches USA 
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851 
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320 
Web: www.abc-usa.org
Richard W. Schramm, Director 
 E-mail: richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

American Baptist General Board News

AMERICAN BAPTIST GENERAL BOARD AMENDS EARLIER VOTES, 
POSTPONING DATE OF DENOMINATIONAL SEVERANCE WITH FOUR 
CALIFORNIA CHURCHES PREVIOUSLY DISMISSED BY REGION; 
ADJUDICATION PROCEEDINGS BY EIGHT REGIONS STAYED
 CHERRY HILL, N.J.--The American Baptist Churches USA 
General Board, meeting here in semiannual sessions, has 
voted to amend its actions taken last June that denied the 
appeal of four California churches, which had been dismissed 
from their region, to remain cooperating churches of 
American Baptist Churches USA.
 The amendment changes only the timeline for the 
effectiveness of those actions voted in June.  It affirmed 
with a vote of 97 yes, 48 no, and 6 abstentions, 
postponement of the date of termination of denominational 
status for each church until June 30, 2001, effectively 
allowing a significant period of time for each to seek 
membership in one of the other 33 regional bodies that are 
part of the denomination. (The 5,800 congregations that 
comprise American Baptist Churches USA are members both of 
regions and the national denomination; the General Board 
action provides time for the regionally dismissed churches, 
through new regional affiliations, to avoid any questions of 
their status within the denomination.)
 The churches filing appeals all formerly were members 
of American Baptist Churches of the West:  First Baptist 
Church, Berkeley; Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, Oakland; 
New Community of Faith, San Jose; and San Leandro Community 
Church, San Leandro.  All the churches are members of the 
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, an 
organization dedicated to incorporating gay, lesbian and 
bisexual persons into full church participation.
 The General Board action provided agreement to stay, 
until June 30, 2001, the call for adjudication brought by 
eight American Baptist regions in response to the General 
Board votes to dismiss the churches in June. Regions that 
requested adjudication are American Baptist Churches of 
Metro Chicago, American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New 
York, American Baptist Churches of Connecticut, Philadelphia 
Baptist Association, American Baptist Churches of 
Massachusetts, American Baptist Churches of the 
Rochester/Genesee Region, the American Baptist Churches of 
Wisconsin and the American Baptist Churches of the South.  
 In written requests for adjudication (signed by region 
presidents and/or other representatives and executives) to 
General Secretary Daniel E. Weiss, the regions had alleged 
the General Board actions lacked  procedural due process and 
violated local church autonomy, and had failed to prove that 
the churches had violated the common criteria (Standing Rule 
5.1) to which all cooperating churches subscribe.
 The regions agreed to stay the call for adjudication 
upon adoption of the abovementioned change in the timeline 
for dismissal and upon commitment of the General Board and 
the General Executive Council to participate in the "Common 
Ground" process of discussion and understanding regarding 
the issue of the churches' denominational status.  The 
regions agreed that adjudication proceedings will be 
dismissed without prejudice as soon as each of the four 
churches has either (a) had a new regional relationship 
recognized by the General Board or (b) failed by June 30, 
2001 to establish a new regional relationship.
 The motion to amend the Board action was brought by 
representative William Apel of Oregon.  The motion read: "In 
order to help resolve certain pending issues including eight 
adjudications between regions and the General Board, and in 
order to minimize conflicts which divide us and distract us 
from doing the work of the Lord to which we are called, I 
move that the General Board amend each of its votes of June 
20 and 21, 1999 concerning appeals of the First Baptist 
Church of Berkeley, Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, the New 
Community of Faith, and the San Leandro Community Church to 
read as follows: 'The appeal is denied, such denial to take 
effect as of June 30, 2001.'"

NEW STRATEGIC PLAN AFFIRMED BY BOARD 
OF INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES
 CHERRY HILL, N.J.--A new strategic plan to guide 
international mission work in the first decade of the new 
millennium has been approved by the American Baptist 
Churches USA Board of International Ministries, meeting here 
in semiannual sessions.
 The document, whose drafts have been responded to over 
the past year by Board members, staff, missionaries and 
others, is the product of "the most inclusive process 
imaginable," according to Executive Director John Sundquist.   
He quoted an African proverb that well described the process 
and its product: "We sit on an old mat to weave our new 
mat."  More than 1,200 people in the U.S. and worldwide were 
consulted during the process.
 The work of International Ministries and its Planning 
Task Force, the plan identifies six main mission priorities 
and strategies and goals to meet them:   "Evangelism and 
Discipleship," "Christ-like Mission," "Equipping Leaders," 
"Mission Education," "Urban Mission" and "Mission 
Explosion." 
 "Evangelism and Discipleship": International 
Ministries will pursue "crossing cultural barriers to 
proclaim the Gospel in word and deed"; the joining with 
overseas partners to work among at least one unreached group 
in every country in which International Ministries has 
missionaries; and supporting missionary-in-residence 
opportunities for overseas leaders in each American Baptist 
Churches region.  
 "Christ-like Mission": International Ministries will 
continue its focus of serving the whole person and the whole 
community, especially ministry to and with the "least of 
these" in concert with overseas partners.   Strategies 
include ministries specifically dedicated to work with and 
for women, youth and children, and the establishment of an 
office to enable participation in job-creating development 
projects around the world.  
 "Equipping Leaders": International Ministries will 
continue to train lay and pastoral church leaders and 
develop both internet-based and low-technology based models 
for in-service training.  
 "Mission Education": International Ministries will 
"promote meaningful, direct and personal involvement in 
mission by the greatest possible number of American Baptist 
persons and congregations."  Goals include the support of 
100 short-term mission groups per year from U.S. churches; 
the production of 12 mission-related worship resources for 
U. S. churches per year; and the training and deployment of 
mission education instructors for mission training events in 
regions.
 "Urban Mission": International Ministries will form a 
team of expert urban ministry advisors to guide it in global 
and local urban strategies, models, funding and 
opportunities.  International Ministries also would also 
develop centers for the practice and study of cross-cultural 
urban ministry in at least five strategic cities worldwide.
    "Mission Explosion": International Ministries will 
pursue innovative mission initiatives to the extent that it 
will redesign itself to promote flexibility, creativity and 
responsiveness.  Results would include new models of mission 
service (e.g., a sister-church or -region relationship 
between an American Baptist local church or region and a 
like body overseas). While encouraging such relationships, 
International Ministries would continue to send traditional 
long-term missionaries.
 The plan reflects a deliberate "attempt to listen to 
God's people" as International Ministries prepares to meet 
the ongoing and new challenges of mission, according to Dr. 
Stanley Slade, associate director of the Overseas Division 
and director of Planning for International Ministries.

FOUR MISSION INITIATIVES SUPPORTING NEW LIFE 2010 EMPHASIS 
ANNOUNCED
 CHERRY HILL, N.J.--Four mission initiatives designed 
to address the goals of the denominational emphasis NEW LIFE 
2010 were detailed here by Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III 
and national leaders during semiannual sessions of the 
American Baptist Churches USA Board of National Ministries.
 New Life Florida, Congregational Transformation, 
Mission Mobilization and Church in Community will serve to 
support NEW LIFE 2010, which seeks to plant 1,010 new 
churches, reach 1,000,010 new believers and vitalize a 
multitude of caring ministries by the year 2010.
 New Life Florida will exemplify "ministry in a new and 
different way," according to Initiative Coordinator Hector 
Cortez.  This five-year joint commitment between National 
Ministries and the American Baptist Churches of the South 
will aim to accelerate new church planting, expand 
evangelism strategies, provide ministries of caring, and 
offer a model "in diversity [that] can make the Good News 
real and active," Cortez said.
 Congregational Transformation builds on the belief 
that "healthy, alive, growing American Baptist churches" are 
essential if the NEW LIFE 2010 goals are to be reached, 
according to Initiative Coordinator David Laubach.  The 
focus includes development of a "virtual institute" that 
will deal with, among other areas, leadership change skills, 
organizational systems understandings, worship renewal and 
healthy church models. 
 Mission Mobilization will include Home Mission Action, 
a short-term mission opportunity in group spiritual 
formation and home mission work.  It will be "fueled by our 
commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ" and a 
determination to offer "love and compassion to others," 
noted Initiative Coordinator Laura Miraz.
 Church in Community will give American Baptists an 
opportunity to "celebrate and learn from [existing] 
ministries within the urban landscape" as well as "support 
the possibilities of new church plants" there, according to 
Initiative Coordinator Dwight Lundgren.   It will include 
dialog with American Baptist-related seminaries, regions and 
International Ministries in order to gain wide-ranging and 
essential input for effective urban ministry.  

11/22/99
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