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Joe Kutter has asked me, “What difference will the new structure make in the relationship between OGS or the General Secretary and local ministerial leaders and congregations — and more generally, how might the new structure impact congregational life?” Let me begin by responding to the more specific portion of the question. The Board of General Ministries will be able to focus more sharply than could the General Board on the core functions that the Office of the General Secretary is charged to fulfill. Predominant among those |
functions is a focus on ministerial leadership of the denomination, because OGS has lodged with it several of the ministries and functions that relate directly to the health of clergy and congregations.
Among them are:
| 1. | The task force that succeeded the Ministerial Leadership Commission, which brings together representatives from churches, seminaries, centers for ministry, regions and national ministries to discuss denomination-wide concerns for ministerial leadership; |
| 2. | Women in Ministry; The database for the professional registry and congregational statistics in American Baptist Churches Information System; |
| 3. | Stewardship development; |
| 4. | Regional ministries; and |
| 5. | The relationship with Administrative Ministry Organizations, which include the Ministers Council and Interim Ministries. |
As the Office of the General Secretary looks to the future, we are already discussing how to more sharply focus on the equipping of ministers to be servant-leaders of communities of disciples who serve as the hands and feet of Christ. We see this as consistent with the pastoral nature of the ministry of the General Secretary and the charge of OGS to provide professional leadership within the denomination.
OGS’s goal, in cooperation with ABC mission partners, will be to connect with and provide resources for ministerial leaders in their call to lead and serve the dynamic entities we call congregations or, for those in specialized ministry, to be the expression of their mission in the world. To that end we are at work to launch one pilot effort with a region later this year.
In preparation we have asked the question of each ministry area in OGS, “Out of your area of responsibility, what can you offer that would enhance ministerial leadership?” Regional Ministries staff has been integrally involved in much of the Lilly-sponsored research concerning life in US congregations. And through various ecumenical stewardship resource groups, we have at our disposal many resources for growing faithful, generous disciples.
We want those learnings and resources to be widely known among our clergy. But we have not stopped there. The Treasurer’s Office and Human Resources have been asked that question, too, as we strive to share learnings and practices from several different disciplines. We know that ministerial leadership today requires competence in a wide variety of areas.
The ongoing formation of disciples (including ministerial leaders) is critical to the life of the church, and in contemporary America, to the renewal of congregations and effective witness in ministry and mission. Discipling is broader than Christian education, though that is an important part. It is life formation which is shaped not only in the learning environment but also in the practices of the church and the individual.
As Brian McClaren has noted, discipleship is not only about practicing our faith but also “faithing” our practices. It is the outgrowth of living according to our “alternative script” – Bruggeman’s characterization of scripture. So, we hope that our focus will be broader than techniques alone – though sharing of best practices of ministry is important to us all. We will also touch on the heart of our life in Christ as we seek to foster robust spirituality that is the fruit of being centered in Christ.
Partnership with the Ministers Council is critical to our efforts. That partnership has already produced the biennial minister’s conferences that we began in 2004 and that will continue with “Together in the Lord” in January 2010. But I look forward to our collaboration expanding beyond that effort.
I want us to build upon the Lilly and ecumenical resources we have and the track record of the Ministers Council in innovative efforts such as Together In Ministry. I want us to utilize a collaborative, interactive model in which ministers are not seen as passive recipients of formulas or prescriptions that will magically cure our problems. The life of the world, the church and the minister are far too complex to be accommodated by neat and tidy recipes for success in ministry and mission. Any efforts on our part must also include deep and sensitive listening and mutual learning as respected partners in ministry.
My personal commitment to being present with and among our ministry leaders, congregations and institutions continues. I value the opportunity to be present with our churches, pastors, chaplains, seminary professors, pastoral counselors and missionaries as we each fulfill the call to ministry entrusted to us. It keeps me in touch with the realities of ministry, the needs of the church, and the national and world contexts in which we are involved in mission.
The prayer summits I led several years ago across the country were rich experiences of connection. My preaching and speaking engagements with local churches or regions are important to me and those will continue. We have also created a blog that I regularly send out as a more informal means of communication, and I continue to look for other methods that keep me connected with ministerial leaders. For example, I was grateful for the invitation to serve as a “chaplain” at the 2008 Ministers Council Senate.
Now let me speak more to the general part of the question. One of the most promising aspects of the proposed new structure is the introduction of the Mission Table. This places a missional engine at the heart of ABC life.
Using input from the Biennial Mission Summit and its participating groups, those who gather there — and local churches have a key voice at the table — will help identify mission priorities and create networks among the mission partners for achieving those priorities. Mission partners will include the Ministers Council, American Baptist Women’s Ministries, and the seminaries and colleges, as well as the national boards and regions.
The charge to this table is to be a missional “think tank” for the denomination. This will be one of the most experimental parts of the new structure and, as such, I believe it holds much promise for us. It captures the tremendous energy for mission resident in ABC life. It makes the question, “How shall we be the hands and feet of Christ in the world?” the driving force of our life.
In just the past couple of weeks I was reminded of the vibrant pulse of mission that has run through the ABC as I visited Christian Centers in Pittsburgh and Chicago. There I reflected on the role of the Baptist Missionary Training School, mused about the theological institutions we have created, thought about the thousands of congregations we have planted across America, and considered the countless cultures overseas with whom we have shared the gospel. How I pray for a loosing of that Spirit again among us, and I believe the Mission Table will be an important instrument in that effort.
To prevent the Mission Table from being hijacked by the latest and hottest issue within the denomination as the General Board often was, it was not designed to be a governance body. It is a forward looking, learning, networking, evaluating body whose sole purpose and mandate is the life and mission of the church. It will not speak for anyone; instead it will be a table where we can speak with every one of our mission partners.
The Ministers Council will also be represented in other key arenas, including the National Leadership Council and the National Nominating Committee. The new structure is committed to enhancing the voices of churches and local leaders in our denominational life.
The program boards will achieve a somewhat greater amount of autonomy and the ability to focus on their charter purposes in this structure. One key to that is the ability to recruit board members with the particular skills that their board might need at any given time.
This is in line with their nature as modalities —mission agencies of the church — whereas the Board of General Ministries will have members nominated by every region as an expression of its function as a modality representing and acting for the life of the denomination as a whole. This will be the first time since the ‘70s that any of the national boards have had directors who focused primarily on the functions of that board, including General Ministries.
We are clear that what we are presenting to the Pasadena Biennial delegates is a living document that will continue to morph and mature. It will require adjustments, additions, and even, in some instances, the recognition that something is not working. What I hope all will see is that there is no change in our commitment to the mission statement adopted by the General Board in June 2005, and summarized in our focus statement:
American Baptist Churches are Healthy Missional Churches that Nurture Devoted Disciples of Jesus Christ who Live their Lives in Mission and Ministry for the Healing of the World through the Love of God.