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February 6, 2007

Final phase of Mission Initiative campaign gets off to promising start

New leadership, focus on large congregations opens new doors

by Emily Enders Odom
Mission Initiative communications officer

LOUISVILLE — In order to ensure the success of the five-year, $40 million Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts & Hands (MIJHH) fundraising campaign, members of the national steering committee and MIJHH director David York are taking their lead from Jesus’ own instruction, “Knock, and the door will be opened for you.”

     Because of the renewed zeal of both the steering committee and the national staff, many new doors have already opened since the New Year has begun:

• Following the strong lead of General Assembly Council (GAC) Executive Director Linda Valentine, her newly named deputy executive director for mission, the Rev. Tom Taylor, has affirmed his interest in working with Joining Hearts & Hands to be a “door-opener” for the campaign in PC(USA) congregations;
  
• For the first time, staff members from MIJHH were invited to share their expertise during the biannual orientation of PC(USA) mission workers in January;
• For the first time, a comprehensive document has been created by MIJHH and the GAC’s World Mission program area listing in priority order MIJHH mission positions along with accurate, projected costs for each position and progress to date on their funding through the campaign;
• Former Princeton Theological Seminary president and MIJHH national steering committee member Tom Gillespie was named honorary campaign chair in November 2006.

     Of Gillespie’s appointment, MIJHH steering committee member the Rev. John Huffman, pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, CA, said, “Tom knows how important it is to finish a campaign like this.  His added gravitas to this effort will be very important at this time.”

     Since December, the following gifts have been made:

• Morningside Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, pastored by MIJHH steering committee co-chair the Rev. Joanna M.  Adams: $25,000 gift designated in support of the Education Officer in Sudan (Ingrid Reneau, mission co-worker);
• First Presbyterian Church, East Brady, PA: a $10,000 unrestricted gift, cultivated by MIJHH steering committee member the Rev. Erin Cox-Holmes, Kiskiminetas Presbytery associate executive; 
• Village Presbyterian Church, Prairie Village, KS: $15,000 for a Sudan Education Officer and for an assistant to the director for Israel/Palestine, cultivated by MIJHH steering committee member the Rev. John Williams, synod executive for the Synod of Mid-America