Mission Challenge ’07
Q & A

Why support Presbyterian World Mission?
The PC(USA)’s mission sending program is marked by excellence. Our mission personnel are called by God into mission service. They are highly skilled individuals whose work by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ transforms lives every day around the world. Our mission workers receive ongoing support and counsel from a staff experienced in cross-cultural, international missions and on call 24 hours a day to deal with emergencies and security concerns anywhere in the world.

What makes PC(USA) mission distinctive from other mission sending agencies?
We have relationships around the world that open doors for ministry.  For over 170 years, we Presbyterians have engaged in mission around the world, cultivating relationships of trust and a solid reputation as an effective mission partner. We do mission in partnership with international churches and institutions, believing the church in each place should discern God’s desire for mission in that place. Many of these partnerships now serve as a platform for short-term mission endeavors, providing rich first-hand experiences for Presbyterians in the context of a “big picture” sustainable relationship.

Where do we have missionaries today?
With mission personnel in more than 60 countries, PC(USA) mission is an expansive endeavor. The majority of our missionaries work in education, evangelism or health ministries. They continue a heritage that gave birth to hundreds of churches, schools and hospitals around the world. They serve at the invitation of a partner church except in areas where there is not yet a church. In those places, where many people have little or no knowledge of the gospel, they help emerging congregations. By God’s grace, one day churches will form in these countries and we will work together as full partners in mission.

What is the goal of Mission Challenge ’07?
We want to connect Presbyterians to God’s vibrant work of international mission, in ways that take advantage of the Presbyterian legacy of mission. Mission Challenge is a response to the call from the church to maintain and even grow Presbyterian mission, and connect our international mission work with the church here at home. Mission Challenge is designed to make a first-hand connection with mission personnel through prayers, correspondence and giving.

What about congregations who send missionaries through other agencies?
We believe the whole church should be involved in the sending of mission personnel. We celebrate any church that is able to send people in Christian mission. While some individual congregations send their own missionaries, we believe value is added when the whole church sends and supports mission personnel. PC(USA) missionaries benefit from the financial and prayer support of millions of Presbyterians. The whole church is strengthened when mission personnel share their stories of transformed lives with us. As Presbyterians, every day in your name wells are dug, lives are saved and the hope of the gospel is proclaimed to a world in need.

How are missionaries funded?
We believe the whole church should be involved in funding the work of all missionaries. Therefore, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) offers a variety of means for funding the work of mission personnel. A large portion of financial support comes through unified giving (called Basic Mission Support). Congregations also designate giving through Directed Mission Support and individuals and churches support missionaries through Extra Commitment Opportunity funds. The need is urgent. Our partner churches currently have requests for approximately 40 new mission positions. We have qualified Presbyterians committed to serving who are waiting in the wings, but we do not have the funding. We have fewer missionaries than we did in past years. Due to inflation and the devaluation of the U.S. dollar, the same budget that would support 333 mission co-workers in 1999 can only support 252 in 2006. What is more, we were facing a projected budget shortfall of $3.5 million for the 2009-2010 budget. This is a shortfall that would force us to pull active mission personnel off the field if we did not find a means to address the challenge. It was unthinkable to ignore the needs of our partner churches and the commitment of faithful missionaries all because we did not have the imagination nor resolve to do something about it. To just do nothing or continue on a path we knew was not working would have been unfaithful on our part.

Can a person or church support a particular missionary or family, still gaining the benefits of our PC(USA) international networks, PC(USA) facilities and our pension and medical plans?
Yes. While we still believe strongly in the value of giving undesignated resources to support Presbyterian World Mission, we also know that giving patterns have changed. Many givers want to know the faces and specific ministries of the people to whom they give. Because of this, we provide ways for some congregations and individuals who want to designate their mission dollars toward certain regions, particular mission positions, new mission positions (Mission Initiative Joining Hearts and Hands) or specific missionaries. We honor those preferences, appreciating all gifts that support Presbyterian mission around the world.

Do the new patterns of funding, including direct mail, interfere with traditional Presbyterian stewardship?
This is unlikely. The 2005 Presbyterian Panel revealed that the majority of otherwise financially faithful Presbyterians (84%) would give if they were asked, but simply do not feel that they have been informed about Presbyterian mission. The last thing that we want to do is in any way undermine the ministries of our local churches and middle governing bodies. We do not expect that Mission Challenge ’07 will detract from those. Some mistakenly believe that Presbyterians are not as generous as they once were. Data does not support this. Presbyterians are giving generously, but they are making choices outside our denomination’s mission and ministry. In 1970 para-church organizations (e.g., Bread for the World, Habitat for Humanity, World Vision) received a total of $20 billion from members of U.S. Christian churches. By mid-2005, para-church organizations received $210 billion in mission benevolence dollars. We believe this method of direct mail response, when interpreted well and properly, will increase overall giving without diminishing funding to and through congregations and presbyteries. Prior to launching Mission Challenge ’07, we made efforts by means of email, letters and word of mouth to inform synod and presbytery leaders about this initiative inviting their comment, input and questions. In this initial process, we have learned that more contact earlier in the process would have been helpful. One executive presbyter wrote to the GAC staff: “I was confused and frustrated by the initiative at first, but I love the fact that you boldly initiated an exciting new move for mission, that you are sincerely open to receiving feedback, and that together in partnership we will all keep learning new ways to do mission better. Thank you for your leadership!”