Overture 04-74. On Directing the National Ministries Division (NMD) to Develop a Plan for Resourcing and Funding Evangelism with Racial Ethnic Persons and Persons of Limited Economic Resources—From the Presbytery of Miami.

The Presbytery of Miami (Synod of the Covenant) overtures the 216th General Assembly to direct the National Ministries Division to develop a comprehensive plan for resourcing and funding evangelism with racial ethnic persons and persons of limited economic resources, including but not limited to coordination between Racial Ethnic Ministries and Evangelism and Church Development for funding and resources.

Rationale

As a denomination, we have set a goal to increase our racial ethnic membership by 10 percent by the year 2010. Yet, we do not have a comprehensive plan for developing the resources and the funding for reaching this goal. We realize that funds are limited, and want our church to make the most effective use of funding.

Dependence on traditional and other models that are largely Euro-American for new church development and evangelism has too often limited racial ethnic persons and those who are not typically middle class from achieving full participation in the worship, work, and the life of our denomination. The largest and fastest growing minority population in the United States is the Hispanic population. They constitute approximately 13 percent of the population, while being only 1.2 percent of the active membership of the PC(USA) church. Many racial ethnic Christians are looking for a place to worship but have little or no experience in the Presbyterian church.

Currently, there is a systemic approach in the National Ministries Division where funds are distributed through Evangelism and Church Development or Racial Ethnic Ministries, without sufficient communication and coordination of the funds. Presbyteries working particularly with immigrants express frustration in trying to maneuver through the system. Some presbyteries and congregations report that funds for such models as Bible fellowships, cell groups, and other creative ways of carrying out evangelism with non-white, non-middle class persons are often not available. Prior to any new church development, these models are the initial steps that are most often needed to begin and are much less expensive than our more traditional ways of carrying out evangelism.

We need coordination not only for resourcing and funding, but also for expediting our response to our neighbors. Too often, many of us who are doing outreach with groups not traditionally Presbyterian, observe that by the time we are able to obtain needed resources, other denominations have already begun and become entrenched in the community.

The development of a comprehensive plan for resources and funding for evangelism and outreach is urgent and essential in order to more effectively reach out to those that reflect the diversity of our nation, offering the gospel message, affirmed by our tradition, that the love of Jesus Christ is for people of all races, cultures, and economic backgrounds.