Insights to Action Steps

The headings (in bold) identify the issues raised in the discussion at Emerge ’05. Issue by issue, moderator Warren Hoffman speaks for the Leadership Council to give an update on these outcomes and challenges.

Outcomes

BIC as a movement. The BIC are the product of three renewal movements. It is our desire to sustain the dynamic energy of an emerging “movement” for the church. We have articulated the Impact 2010 statements of mission, vision and values to give focus to this shared aspiration. With preliminary work in 2006–2008 and comprehensive attention in 2008–2010 we will facilitate church-wide conversation about our next vision projections.

Focus on congregations. At the 2006 General Conference we will present a seven-point “Church Health Initiative” that calls every congregation—and offers the opportunity—to realize the Spirit-empowered functioning of church life as God intends it to be: alive, dynamic, fruitful, and passionate. To empower church leaders to effectively “come alongside” congregations, this initiative is supplemented by two listings:

practices of proven effectiveness in assisting congregations
action steps to focus the work of church-wide ministry teams on producing an environment conducive to church health.

A scorecard of expectations. The Church Health Initiative includes seven “Vital Signs” of church health. An assessment tool will be made available to accompany the “Vital Signs” listing as a readily usable way for pastors and congregations with their bishops to monitor qualitative aspects of congregational life.

Church planting strategy. Bishop Ken Letner has compiled a 25-year statistical survey of Brethren in Christ church planting. He reports that we have spent $20 million over the past 25 years to start 166 congregations (a third in the past five years) with around 11,000 attendees. Our success rate since the start of the decade has been 70–80%. Ken’s analysis will assist us in identifying strategies of proven effectiveness—and in setting strategic direction for the years ahead.

Multicultural, multiethnic. This General Conference in Miami, FL is historic and symbolic for many reasons, not the least of which is the installation of Eduardo Llanes as the first resident bishop of the Southeast Conference. Eduardo leads a cluster of 38 Spanish-language congregations in South Florida. We celebrate the dynamic expansion of the BIC in the Latin culture even as we work with other cultural and ethnic groups, currently with initiatives in the Greater Toronto Area, Philadelphia, Montréal, and New York City.

Global connections. Over the past four years our ministry to the “whole person” has increased by about 100%—much of this to assist children at risk in both South Asia and Southern Africa. Up to 2,500 children benefited from SPICE and HIV/AIDS abatement projects in 2005. A multi-partner pilot project with the Messiah College Collaboratory for Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research is targeted toward the establishment of a micro-enterprise for the production of hand-made paper by persons recovering from HIV infection and orphans of parents who died of AIDS in Choma, Zambia. Since this assistance is given in partnership with overseas BIC churches, we are actively working to strengthen our global infrastructure for collaboration—the International Brethren in Christ Association (IBICA)—with national BIC churches around the world.

Peace/reconciling value. Over the past year Equipping for Ministry offered a one-day Impact seminar “Preaching Peace in a World at War,” featuring three spokespersons for our peacemaking conviction—Bruxy Cavey, Woody Dalton, and Eric Seibert. Despite the prevailing myth that “politically incorrect” preaching is harmful to outreach and growth, both Harrisburg BIC and The Meeting House, which were represented at the seminar, are experiencing health and growth. The “Preaching Peace” seminar is one of an expanding number of relevant, affordable and accessible Impact courses/seminars offered through EfM to strengthen our common convictions as Brethren in Christ.

Congregations transforming communities. In the “Vital Signs” assessment tool pastors and congregations are asked to indicate whether their “Mission Development Plan” includes local community needs. If the common adage, “you get what you measure” proves true, we are working to position congregations for transformational impact on their communities.

Challenges

Effective communication of the gospel. At the denominational level, we redesigned the website, launched a new magazine (primarily as a discipleship resource) and recalibrated the Momentum newsletter. Locally, communicators across the church are working at this intentionally and actively week by week. Recently Bruxy Cavey agreed to write two books for NavPress—another “platform” for dissemination of his “irreligious” message. In September 2005 Christianity Today cited the Circle of Hope congregations in Philadelphia as a seedbed for “The New Monasticism.” While we have a ways to go in this area, in a number of encouraging venues our “voice” is speaking to our culture!

Clarity in expectations. Though it is a stiff challenge to develop serviceable metrics for qualitative aspects of congregational life and mission, it is our hope that the soon-to-be-released “Vital Signs” listing and the accompanying assessment tool will provide some useful measurable indicators in a holistic manner. As this tool is used we anticipate greater clarity in expectations—and fresh insights to refine the metrics in the tool.

Leading change. As you know, caring well for a community of believers requires both “heart” and skill. The demands of ministry have not changed over the centuries. The psalmist stated the requisite qualifications: “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” (Ps. 78:72) As Reggie McNeal writes in A Work of Heart, God shapes spiritual leaders in both heart and catalytic skill to become interactive partners with him in changing persons, communities, and peoples.

Administrative responsibilities. Over the past 10 years the church has quietly recalibrated leadership assignments on the basis of a “functional structures” memorandum (approved by GCB in 2001). This resulted in a bishop for the Allegheny Conference. In the Southeast Conference, this led initially to the appointment of two associate bishops, one for Spanish-language congregations and another for English-language congregations. Now the appointment of a resident, bi-lingual bishop seems to be a natural progression for leadership of the Southeast Conference. The church is also shifting from boards to more flexible ministry teams—with action pending at the upcoming General Conference. We recognize that administration, like the skeletal system of the body, is essential for the health and mission of the church. We work continually to fine tune the balance between this work and other essential systems of a missional church.

Understanding cultures/generations. To better understand different cultures and generations, the Leadership Council and General Conference Board have begun meeting at key locations across the church. Last spring the Council met in Southern California, one of the most cosmopolitan areas of North America. This past fall the Council and GCB met in Miami in the midst of a Latin culture. In September these teams will gather in the Greater Toronto Area, another of the most multi-cultural areas on the continent. In recent years we have been able to start several “20-something” churches (Circle of Hope, Koinos, Revolution). To be sure, these initiatives only “scratch the surface.” But thanks to some pace-setting ministries among us, we have the “itch.”

Resource Generation. As we stretch to generate the resources, both human and financial, that are needed to attain our 2010 vision, we are blessed by the outstanding contributions of Rebekah Basinger and Gene Blessing. Both bring a high level of expertise and “fresh eyes” to ongoing Leadership Council conversations about Cooperative Ministries funding streams —congregational giving, designated giving, planned giving, endowment earnings, and more.

BIC name. Up to this point alternatives to the Brethren in Christ name are most actively proposed by our stand-up comedians (and wannabes). Their tongue-in-cheek proposals include: SIC (Siblings in Christ), BASIC (Brother and Sisters in Christ), TRAGIC (The Real Authentic Gathering in Christ) and CANUC (Carnal Anabaptists Now Under Christ). The humor helps to diffuse the “heavy duty” implications of name change as it relates to identity—and to the ramifications for BIC churches around the world.

Structure. Many would acknowledge that Manual of Doctrine of Government material on congregational life is based on church models in the 60s and 70s. At some point we need to revisit these MDG polity statements. The priority of this significant project—and the potential draw on staff time away from other strategic priorities—is a consideration in relation to timing. As a whole church we need to discern if and when to proactively address this issue.

Training for congregational leadership. The rollout of the Church Health Initiative at General Conference in Miami includes supplemental memorandums for bishops and other church leaders. The memo that lists “best practices” of proven effectiveness in assisting congregations includes training and coaching initiatives. Bishops will be meeting at least once a year to confer on “best practices” in an effort to learn and sharpen their effectiveness in the attainment of healthy congregations.

In summary, these are some of the outcomes of the insights and viewpoints expressed in the cluster discussions, report-back times, and full group interaction at Emerge ’05. The church leaders who compose the Leadership Council feel that this event has been significant in sharpening their focus over this past year.

As they reflect on the action steps that can result from stimulating interchange like that of Emerge ’05, church leaders are excited about the immense potential, both in the short- and long-term, of their partnership with pastors and lay leaders, both current and emerging, in strengthening the life and mission of the Brethren in Christ.

Warren L. Hoffman

for the Leadership Council

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