| LOUISVILLE—When Hurricane Charley hit southwestern Florida, devastating Punta Gorda and other towns, Bill Saul thought Peace River Presbytery would postpone their Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts and Hands capital campaign.
Saul, from Long Beach, California, chair of the Mission Initiative Committee, told the General Assembly Council (GAC) meeting here Friday that the presbytery has a very ambitious campaign plan, and they were expecting to postpone their meeting with them. But he said he got a call from Bob Rea, interim associate executive, who said, “Don’t take us off your calendar. We’re eager for you to get here.”
Saul said they did go to Florida and saw much of the hurricane’s destruction. In spite of that, the Peace River Presbyterians were very enthusiastic about the campaign.
“The spirit we saw there was one of the most uplifting things I have experienced,” Saul said. “Here was a group of people who had seen so much devastation, with the Punta Gorda church destroyed. The atmosphere in the room was almost electric. One of the ladies came up and asked when they should start asking for money. We have a lot of conversations, but we don’t get too many people asking for that,” Saul said.
The presbytery council unanimously passed a motion to move forward with the campaign.
They will use part of the funds for new church development and redevelopment in the presbytery, and part will go to the General Assembly.
The Mission Initiative goal is to raise $40 million, half of which is to go to support missionaries and half to go to new church developments, particularly racial-ethnic ones. The campaign has begun allowing donors to designate part of the funds raised in order to increase giving levels.
Jan Opdyke, director of the Mission Initiative, reported that in October David York, currently development officer at Johnson C. Smith Seminary in Atlanta, will join the staff covering the southeast.
She said in past several months they have approached about 700 individuals nationally. The campaign has partnered with two presbyteries about campaigns and are in dialogue with three others. Its staff is also in dialogue with numerous congregations to include the Mission Initiative in capital campaignsor make multi-year gifts from mission funds.
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