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This story located at: http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2006/06536.htm
06536 October 20, 2006
October 2007 mission emphasis will promote support for overseas personnel
by Pat Cole Overseas mission communications officer
LOUISVILLE * Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) international mission workers will visit as many as 120 presbyteries during October 2007 to better acquaint Presbyterians with the church's overseas mission and build support for mission personnel.
Called "Mission Challenge '07," the emphasis will be "the most intensive period of itineration by PC(USA) mission personnel since reunion of the church's Northern and Southern streams in 1983," said Lora Whearty, a missionary-in-residence at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville and chair of the team planning the special challenge.
Thirty mission workers will fan out across the country during the four-week effort with the goal of each mission worker visiting a different presbytery each week. Planning team members recently began calling all 173 presbyteries inviting participation.
"We want to build new relationships so that the church's worldwide mission is lifted up," said Whearty, who, along with her husband, Bruce, spent five years as a mission worker in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. "We want to increase understanding of the needs of the mission field and enhance support for our mission workers."
The traveling mission personnel will urge congregations to support and build a relationship with at least one PC(USA) mission worker. Whearty said that would include praying for the mission worker, communicating with him or her, providing financial assistance, and building awareness in the congregation about the mission worker's ministry and the ministry of his or her international partners.
Each congregation will be able to choose the mission worker(s) to support and determine the level of its financial contribution. "We hope some presbyteries will attempt to have every church within its bounds support a missionary," said Whearty. "Some presbyteries already have committed to do this."
Congregations do not have to wait until next October to choose a mission worker to support. They can receive information about supporting mission workers by calling Wes Wilkinson, a PC(USA) funds development coordinator, at (888) 728-7228, ext. 5349 or e-mailing him. [http://www.pcusa.org/form2mail/form2mail.jsp?f2name=Wes+Wilkinson&subjec t=Mission+Challenge]
Budget cuts last spring caused the PC(USA) to eliminate 40 mission positions that are being phased out through attrition. However, no mission workers are ending service for financial reasons alone.
Prior to the budget cuts the denomination employed 275 fully compensated international mission personnel. Currently there are 251 fully compensated mission workers. There are also 38 long-term volunteers and 38 Young Adult Volunteers serving overseas under PC(USA) appointment.
"We believe Presbyterians care about the denomination's ministry to the world and want to see our mission personnel supported," Whearty said. "Our missionaries make a difference through education, evangelism, health care, community development, reconciliation and other ministries. As congregations become better acquainted with the work of our mission personnel, we are confident they will respond with more prayers and more funding for mission workers."
For information on "Mission Challenge '07," call Whearty at (888) 728-7228, ext. 5916 or email her. [http://www.pcusa.org/form2mail/form2mail.jsp?f2name=Lora+Whearty&subject =Mission+Challenge]
In addition to Mission Challenge '07's attempt to increase support for current mission personnel, the Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts & Hands campaign [http://www.pcusa.org/joiningheartsandhands/] is continuing its five-year, $40 million effort to fund new PC(USA) mission positions overseas and domestic church growth.
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