wfn.org | New director named for congregational development

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2001-206

New director named for congregational development

by Jerry Hames
(Photo available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ens/2001-206.html)

     (Episcopal Life) The Rev. Charles N. Fulton, III, president of the Episcopal 
Church Building Fund, has been named director of congregational development at 
the Episcopal Church Center, in a move that offers new support for the 
development of healthy and thriving congregations and prepares the church to 
receive recommendations from a special task force of Executive Council.

     The 20/20 task force, which is expected to make its report public this 
month, will make several major proposals to help transform congregations to a 
mission mindset, deepen the commitment of Episcopalians across the church and 
double the worshiping community by the year 2020.

     Fulton will have oversight of missioners for rural and small communities, 
stewardship and evangelism, according to Sonia Francis, assistant to the 
presiding bishop for program. He appointment is effective immediately.

     Francis will assume responsibility for the remainder of staff in the 
Congregational Ministries Cluster-missioners working for people with special 
needs, women's ministries and ethnic ministries. The Rev. Winston Ching, who 
since 1995 has been head of the cluster, will return to his primary 
responsibility as missioner for Asian ministries, Francis said.

     Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold said he has asked Fulton to organize and 
coordinate the work of the presiding bishop's staff in implementing whatever 
action Executive Council takes in October in response to the 20/20 task force 
initiative.

     "I am tremendously excited about this opportunity to expand the capacity of 
congregations in our church for mission and evangelism," Griswold said.

     Fulton, who will continue as president of the Church Building Fund, said his 
new position would complement the old. "I have never not been involved in 
congregational development," he said, noting that the "Start Up, Start Over," 
conference-the church's major congregational development event-was partially 
funded by the Church Building Fund for years.

     Fulton, who has worked as a contract staff with the Congregational 
Ministries Cluster for the past two years, has said the appointment formalizes 
what has been an informal one.

     "I have some new directions I want to take the work in," he said. "One of 
the big things is to coordinate the church center's response to the 20/20 
initiative. Some of it will be directly related to congregational development, 
how we recruit and train leaders. Part of the job is to make sure that [every 
department] knows their part subject to the report's approval by Executive 
Council."

     The development of new print and Internet resources for congregations is 
also high on Fulton's list. "I want to turn our [Internet] page into a resource 
site, take something we hear about and make it available to others. We also need 
resources to help people articulate their personal faith journey."

--Jerry Hames is editor of Episcopal Life, the official newspaper of the 
Episcopal Church.