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Introduction by
Cynthia M. Campbell
President, McCormick Theological Seminary
The fourth Book of Moses is known in English as "Numbers,"
so named because it begins with a census, the counting of God's people and
identifying them by clan groups. Among other things, such lists remind us
that people count. To Israel and to God, it mattered who was born and who
gave birth, and that someone kept track of all of that.
Each year, congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
labor over statistical report forms. Like most such endeavors, this is a tedious
job. One is tempted to wonder what difference it can make, why we should bother.
Why, after all, does it matter if the church school enrollment figures aren't
all that accurate? Or if we don't have all the giving totals in quite the
right columns? Surely, church secretaries, clerks of sessions, and stated
clerks of presbyteries wonder about these things. And yet, like the Book of
Numbers, this is a way of saying "people count." It matters that
we keep track of people as they come and go, as they gather and as they give,
as they answer God's call to ministry, because in the sight of God, all people
matter.
These statistics come to us each year as a way to take a snapshot
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for a given year in comparison to years
past. We are invited to ponder trends and directions. We are challenged to
make decisions and plan for the future given what we see of the present. This
can make us wise stewards of the gifts entrusted to us.
There is a challenge, however, in the ways in which we make
use of this important information. For example, the statistics will show us
that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) continues to experience a net loss of
membership, but it does not tell us why. It is tempting to draw conclusions
even if we do not have enough or the right kind of information. Some will
look at membership loss and say that it is a sign that the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) is failing its mission to make disciples or straying from the truth
of the faith. Others will say that the type of faith community and style of
worship that we think is important is out of step with contemporary culture.
Others will say that our birth rate is simply not keeping up with losses due
to death.
Statistics by themselves won't tell us who is correct. They
will help us see what is happening in terms of people's habits, but they won't
help us much on motives. The information here indicates church health or lack
of it through those things that can be counted. The task of pastors and church
leaders is to link these data with other indications as we attempt to follow
God faithfully.
Another way to read this information is to use it to ask: What are we as
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) doing with the resources entrusted to our
care? These charts and tables represent human lives, personal capital, deployed
across the United States.
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What are we doing with the gifts of all these faithful
people who attend worship week after week?
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What are we doing with the immense talents of those who
are ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament?
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How could we be using those gifts more effectively?
The charts on financial stewardship likewise paint a picture
of vast resources very well managed. Congregations encourage members to share
their resources for the work of God through the church. Those gifts in turn
support the mission of the church regionally, nationally, and globally.
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How effective is our giving at accomplishing our mission?
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What impact are we having - - and do we want to haveBon
the world through these gifts?
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What are we to do with the treasure given to us?
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How will we ultimately make account to God for faithful
stewardship?
Once again, the statistics won't answer those questions. What
they will do is force us to ask, to probe, to look more deeply.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been forced to confront
a number of challenges in recent decades. These statistics reflect the impact
of some of these changes. Other changes in culture cause us to re-think who
we want to be and what we are about. Christianity is no longer the de-facto
religion of American culture, at least to the extent that it was in the last
century. The so-called "mainstream Protestant" denominations are
no longer the defining standard of American Christianity. Religious diversity
is a fact of life for most Americans living in most towns and cities.
These changes, however, do not negate the real resources that
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has, nor do these changes mean we have any
less responsibility for our own mission and the welfare of the nation than
we had in years past. We remain a significant voice for the values, ideals,
and dreams embedded in the foundations of American culture. We continue to
witness to a Reformed way of being Christian that engages the world in service
to others in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ.
These reports, carefully assembled and prepared
by people across the denomination, invite us to an exercise
in creative discipleship. They invite us to use our imaginations
under the guidance of God to make use of the vast resources
entrusted to our care. Statistics like these are important,
because people and what they do in the life of the church
count.
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