“Holy discoveries and new visions”:

Presbytery of West Jersey partners with Joining Hearts & Hands on $1.5 million campaign

The Presbytery of West Jersey, in seeking to extend the Good News of God’s love to God’s people both locally and globally, has voted to launch a $1.5 million campaign in partnership with the Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts & Hands.

The Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts & Hands is a five-year funds development campaign to support international mission personnel and church growth, particularly racial ethnic church growth.  To date, $25 million has been pledged to the campaign from individual Presbyterians, congregations, and presbyteries.

According to the approved West Jersey Presbytery proposal, the three-pronged emphasis for the presbytery’s Joining Hearts & Hands campaign would “build new congregations, support key transformational church growth opportunities within the presbytery, and join in the support of the General Assembly’s Worldwide Ministries challenge to place new mission personnel on the international field.”  $1 million of the total pledge is designated toward new church development and church growth within the presbytery, while $500,000 is directed toward new international mission personnel.

“This campaign really has the potential to pull the presbytery together,” said the Rev. John Nurnberger, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Millville, N.J., and chairperson of the presbytery’s Mission Interpretation and Stewardship Committee.  “That’s what excites me about Joining Hearts & Hands.”

“Even though we are a presbytery in transition,” Nurnberger continued, emphasizing the strong, interim leadership of the Rev. Dr. Ray Trout, “we have already caught the vision to realize the goals of this exciting initiative.”  The Presbytery of West Jersey reports 65 congregations and 13,854 members.

"It is exciting to be in ministry with the pastors and churches of the Presbytery of West Jersey in a time of transition into holy discoveries and new visions,” said Trout, the presbytery’s transitional executive presbyter.  “In joining our hearts and hands in a campaign to fund new church development, to encourage renewal in existing congregations, and to help ensure a Presbyterian Christian witness abroad, I believe the Spirit of God is at work among southern New Jersey Presbyterians to bring about vital ministry locally and beyond for generations to come.”

“This, I believe, is God's work,” he added, “and with God in our hearts and hands, we will realize the vision of $1.5 million, which, in God's economy, is only the beginning of the future.  Stay tuned!"

For further information on the mission and programs of West Jersey Presbytery, visit their Web site.