Seeking Proactive Strategies

posted on January 1, 2009 in News | Be the First to Comment | Print

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It was a common message at the Life and Mission Agency's November meeting: The national church must change how it thinks about mission, or risk losing touch with congregations.
People today desire more hands-on involvement, and tend to be suspicious of larger organizations and structures, said Ron Wallace, associate secretary of International Ministries. They prefer an immediate sense of connection with their mission work, and direct influence over when and how their funds are used – a desire which is not being fulfilled by the current model.
In the 'centralized' model, major Presbyterian Church missions are conducted at the national level through organizations like Presbyterian World Service and Development and Presbyterians Sharing. . . Congregations support national mission work through donations, and national offices work directly with partner organizations across the globe. This can help ensure accountability from partners, and transparency from the office through published financial reports and mission updates. But it can also distance congregations from the missions. Personal involvement is limited, intermediaries are necessary, and funds are often used at the discretion of the office.
The balance of accountability appears to be tipped in the institution's favour, suggested Rev. Dr. Terry Hastings, minister at Knox, Stratford, Ont. Although people are constantly told they must pay dues and be accountable to institutional bodies, they do not feel like these institutions are accountable to them. This divides not only congregations and national church offices like Canada Ministries, but also congregations and presbyteries – the cornerstones of the Presbyterian system.
For this reason, many congregations are engaging in missions developed from a personal involvement or interest, and conducted without the consultation or support of the national church infrastructure. According to Ken Kim, director of PWS&D, many churches have done great work, but sometimes their missions do not follow the Church's guidelines. This can lead to problems if the congregation cannot sustain the mission long-term, has no pullout strategy, or seeks national support later on.
Wallace urged the national church to “embrace a more collaborative model” which incorporates the strengths of the current centralized model, but is more flexible and allows engagement by congregational missions. He also stressed the need for an expedient plan for the future.
If trends continue, within the next five to 10 years the Church may find itself in a predicament similar to those suffered by the Church of Scotland and the Presbyterian Church (USA); both reached points of crisis and were forced to restructure their mission models, he said.
“I think we desperately need a national vision. We need to dream the church forward. I think that's what people are hungry for,” said Herb Gale, associate secretary of Planned Giving.
However, a desire to maintain what is currently in place underpins any desire to change. Most congregations are plagued by a survival mentality which encourages reactive rather than proactive responses, said Hastings. This makes it difficult – if not impossible – to plan strategically, he said.
The national church may be in a similar predicament, said Lee Ellis, an elder from Comox, Ont.
In subsequent discussion, mutual accountability, communication and theology were isolated as integral parts of any change, and several agency members suggested that visioning should be a component of General Assembly.
The issue of communication emerged repeatedly throughout the meeting, setting a high bar for Colin Carmichael, the new associate secretary of Communication and Resource Production. His work with the website seeks “not to define the Presbyterian Church in Canada but to describe it,” and to shift focus away from the national offices and toward the church as a whole, he said. A redesigned website homepage hit the net in October, and the Canada Youth 2009 planning team is currently testing a new online collaboration tool, which may improve communication between meetings.
A number of conferences and networking events are in the works throughout the agency's departments, including a conference on stewarship in June and a national visioning event to take place before the summer of 2010.
Among other business, LMA approved a set of revised mandates that more accurately reflect its current work and focus. These will be brought before General Assembly in June.
A formal appointment process for Canada Ministries' missionaries was also approved, as were three new funds: the Creative Children and Youth Ministry Fund, Mission Outreach Fund, and New Church Development Assistance Fund.
On the Truth and Reconciliation front, 10 volunteer leaders have been trained to help meet demands for activities and speakers across Canada. Lori Ransom, healing and reconciliation animator, has been involved with a number of initiatives related to Aboriginal culture, and in November was beginning work with the ecumenical King's University College, Edmonton, which chose Truth and Reconciliation as the theme of its 2009 conference. Plans are underway for follow-up leaders' tours.
After eight months in operation, The Vine is gearing up for a mid-point review to be presented at the March meeting. Despite some challenges, team leader Dorothy Henderson reported that the resource network receives about 60 requests a month, and 14 conferences have used money from the conference fund. Henderson also announced that she will be resigning in October, 2009.
The Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association also approached national offices seeking official partnership status, to which the LMA had no objection.
The Atlantic Mission Society reported that despite declining membership, gifting and enthusiasm were on the rise.” We're at a point where we're in an attitude shift,” said president Ann Taylor.” Come to the annual meeting next year, bring friends, and have a good time.” This year's annual meeting included dancing and local folk music.
The Women's Missionary Society continues the visioning process it began in March, and has held consultations with similar ecumenical groups.
The Korean Translations Working Group, which was charged with the translation of Living Faith, the Book of Forms, and the General Assembly Acts and Proceedings has discovered a need for a translation of the Leading with Care policies, and is currently pursuing funding for the project. – Connie Purvis is the staff reporter for the Record.