By Neil Earle
“Not a wealthy church but a healthy church” seemed to summarize the feelings of the 830 ministers and wives gathered in Indian Wells, CA, for our 2007 General Conference of Elders from July 25-29, 2007.
The attitude and camaraderie was outstanding as we got to interact with each other – old-timers and new elders, the retired and the newly hired, international staff and members from Beaumont down the road. That famous Spirit of friendship and fellowship was much in evidence. Mark Vincent, a nationally-known expert on Stewardship kicked things off by praising WCG as “one of the sanest denominations I know.” Jim Roberts of the Center for Church-Based Training in Richardson, Texas – coordinator of the Discovery Lessons many of us are using, remarked how he always comes away from WCG conferences feeling exhilarated.
Nice notes to begin with as these people travel around and know American Christianity very well.
Dan Rogers, our US Superintendent of Ministers, picked up on that positive theme by showing how the new Generations Ministry is building on the success of the SEP program of old. We have come a long way in that effort, from 1 camp in Orr, Minnesota in 1997 to 16 GenMin Camps reaching 1200 campers in ten years. “We do SEP well,“ Dan reminded us.
Dan showed that we now have 20,000 members registered with WCG/USA and 11,000 attending any given weekend. We have 352 churches pastored by 302 elders in churches whose average size is 38. I’d like to add that perhaps the most underreported positive trend since 2004 is the smooth and efficient shift of WCG/USA from a strictly regulated centralized accounting and operational fellowship to a locally based effort. Then too the HQ budget of $12m does not include monies held locally in our 352 US churches. In 2007 our local congregations support, sponsor and partner with missions agencies overseas and in the United States (e.g., in Glendora we support Bengali Evangelical Association, Amigos Sin Frontera to the poor of Mexico, ORM, the American Red Cross, Autism Drives, the Pomona Valley Shelter and countless other efforts).
This trend truly bodes well for our future as a mission-oriented/church planting fellowship committed to the Great Commission with a Great Commandment heart.
Church planter Randy Bloom talks about “new kinds of churches for all kinds of people in all kinds of places” and in Glendora we recently added a new Seniors Church in West Covina which gives us now 4 churches – 3 on Sunday, 1 on Saturday and two in senior’s homes where our elders get to offer Communion and personal visitation and prayer.
Another important trend – we now have 35,401 members outside the United States – an interesting development, as the International areas outlined in a very inspiring set of reports from our Mission Developers around the world. In regions such as South America, Hector Berriga reported, we are bouncing back rather strongly.
Still, WCG/USA is a major part of every equation. Our Glendora headquarters allocates special funds such as plus $100,000 for Disaster Relief, for example, that can include members in affected areas. And our budget is balanced for the next ten years. HQ still provides limited assistance to overseas areas even though International churches now are largely self-supporting.
Our expenditures out of USHQ break down thus:
48% to pastor’s salaries, benefits, training
16% for Human Resources/Multitudinous Insurance, etc.
9% CAD expenses (conferences, training, education, GenMin, ACCM)
6% for Accounting
5% Media (Odyssey – 16,000 circulation, webcasts)
4% Information Tech
2% Facilities Management
Etc.
Most of that outgo is supplied by Apportionments from the Local Congregations (10-15% of the allottement from each church), 12% in return on investments and 11% in Mail Income (Mr. Tkach’s letters, etc.).
Overall, there is a never-say-die spirit in tangible evidence whenever WCG elders congregate in such numbers. The ties of friendship and unity go back across the decades. Ultimately it is the Spirit that wins out and we look forward to being here as a local congregation doing the Work given to us as we have opportunity in the years ahead. “Jesus did an awful lot with five barley loaves and two small fishes, and he is doing the same today,” Dan Rogers reminded us at the last session.
Theologian Baxter Krueger inspired the audience with his talks on how Jesus Christ through his relationship with the Father makes us “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). “God decided from the before the foundation of the world to include us in his life, in his world,” said Dr. Krueger, “Here’s the Gospel: God has given us access. The word Paul used for all this is ‘adoption,’ adopted into the Family of God.”
“We were dead in Christ. Then through the resurrection we were made alive in Christ. This is the basis of our new birth and our living hope, all decided on before the foundation of the world.” This, says Baxter Krueger, is a lot better than leading with Sin as the spear-tip of the Christian message. “We’re included in the trinitarian work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the trinitarian presence of God in us. His anointing in us is seeking to come to expression in you.”
There’s a lot more that can be said about all this but it will have to wait till next time.
To Be Continued