October 4, 2007

Peace River Presbytery Council recommends concluding its Joining Hearts & Hands campaign by year-end

Presbytery to vote November 15 on bringing its current fundraising activities to a close by December 31, 2007

NORTHPORT, Fla. — At the recommendation of the Peace River Presbytery’s Board of Trustees, the Presbytery Council voted October 4 to bring a motion to the presbytery to conclude the Peace River Joining Hearts & Hands (MIJHH) campaign effective December 31, 2007.

The council’s recommendation — which also includes forming a subcommittee to frame the end of the presbytery campaign, continuing a presbytery-wide conversation about how best to support the mission projects to which the presbytery committed itself and sending a letter of thanks to the national MIJHH steering committee — will go to the presbytery for its vote on November 15.

The mission projects identified for funding by the presbytery include critical new church developments, mission to farm workers and support of new international mission personnel, cornerstones of the national MIJHH campaign. MIJHH is a five-year campaign of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to raise $40 million for new overseas missionaries and church growth in this country, particularly racial ethnic and immigrant congregations.

If the presbytery votes to revise its $6.3 million pledge to $.3 million to the national campaign, which is itself scheduled to conclude at the 218th General Assembly (2008), the total amount of gifts and pledges to date will be adjusted from $27.6 million to approximately $21.6 million. The presbytery has raised $270,000 in gifts and pledges.

In its October 4 action, the presbytery council recognized that the needs are still great and will reopen the conversation about funding for its key mission projects in 2008.