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November 14, 2008

Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide

Bill Lancaster
Special to Presbyterian News Service

STONY POINT, NY — When the “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” consultation began, leaders hoped that it would result in an evangelism movement. When it ended, they sensed that the seeds for that movement had been planted.

The two-year grass roots-based evangelism emphasis was adopted by the recent 218th General Assembly in San Jose, CA, and seeks to grow the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in four areas: membership, discipleship, servanthood and diversity

The Rev. Eric Hoey, director of evangelism and church growth for the PC(USA), addressed the consultation on the last morning, speaking on 2 Timothy 1.6, which includes the phrase, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God.”

Hoey said, “I had never dreamed that this [consultation] would come out the way it did. I think each and every one of you can testify that we have seen the Spirit of God in our midst. You couldn’t program this, especially with this kind of outcome.

Hoey said, “It has been my heart’s desire ever since I took my position that somehow God would raise up a movement of people passionate about evangelism across this country. And it’s here. And I know that passion is in each and every one of your hearts, and I pray that God will continue to fan that flame so that we can move this across the country and change our denomination."

After thanking invited participants for attending, Hoey said, “When the Spirit of God shows up and calls us to move forward and gives us marching orders, we can’t stop that. Thanks for ministering to me, and blessing my heart. Let’s fan the flame.”

The group embraced several “next steps,” including continuing the conversation on a “wiki” — a web site on which anyone may add or edit material — created by Neal Locke, a student at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Other next steps include:

• a smaller group to give direction going forward;
• a covenant to sign;
• a second gathering, perhaps in six months at Church of All Nations in the Twin Cities area;
• holding PC(USA) institutions accountable to use their resources wisely in evangelism;
• a commitment to stay in touch and pray for each other;
• develop more PC(USA) evangelism resources; and
• more PC(USA) seminary evangelism courses.

John Nelson, a ministerial intern at Church of All Nations, agreed to coordinate the writing of the covenant.

Rick Ufford-Chase, former moderator of the PC(USA) General Assembly and outgoing chair of the General Assembly Council evangelism committee, who spearheaded the consultation, told the group, “We need to be responsible for taking on the work of this ourselves” and not overwhelm the evangelism staff.

Ufford-Chase said he did not want to be part of an effort to simply get people to say they believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He said he wanted to see profession of faith result in a discipleship that brought about changes in the world as well.