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| Spiritual Leadership Essential for Congregational Development | ||||||||||||
By Elliott Wright First Article in a Series San Diego, CA, August 3, 2006—The 2006 United Methodist School of Congregational Development got underway on August 3 with worship, sermons, and addresses focused on the spiritual leadership required for effective Christian ministry in the contemporary world. Some 630 clergy and laity gathered for six days of intensive prayer and study around new church development, the revitalization of existing congregations, and community-based ministries. The tasks under consideration were framed in an opening worship service that combined the joy of Christian mission and discipleship with an awareness of the pain and broken relationships in the world today. It also highlighted the diversity of cultures both within the church and to which the church seeks to speak through evangelism and service. Bishop Mary Ann Swenson of the Southern California-Pacific Annual Conference explored the importance of the “spiritual life of the leader” in an opening address. “Spiritual life comes first,” she said in speaking to those who lead the church in developing and revitalizing congregations. “Everything else comes after that.” She challenged the modern church to live toward the future and to focus on the priorities of Jesus, which she said were summed up in the commandment to love God and neighbor. “The kingdom of God is found in loving neighbors,” she said. The annual School of Congregational Development, which has steadily grown in attendance in recent years, is sponsored by the Joint Committee for Congregational Development of two United Methodist program agencies - the General Board of Global Ministries and the General Board of Discipleship. The California Pacific Annual Conference was this year’s host. The theme of the call to ministry and mission was continued later on the first day by the Rev. Rudy Rasmus, co-pastor of a large inner-city congregation in Houston, Texas. He spoke of the difficulties pastors encounter in regard to the financing of congregations. He also enumerated some of the other “trials” that church leaders encounter, using “time” itself as one example. Rev. Rasmus said that “the devil does not control the calendar” because God in Jesus Christ renews, redeems, and fulfills time. The diversity of the church and the world in which the church ministered was dramatized by a group of United Methodists dancers and singers of Tongan background. The ensemble presented traditional Tongan dances at an outdoor dinner and sang for evening worship on the first day of the school. A hush came over the assembly as the group sang, “Come into my heart Lord Jesus, come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart Lord Jesus.” While global in perspective, the School of Congregational Development primarily serves the church in the United States, which is itself increasingly international in composition and also increasingly concerned about membership decline. The importance of immigrant communities in The United Methodist Church in the US was obvious in both the program and the attendance roster at the 2006 event. The core curricula of the school are tracks that deal with such topics as new church starts, existing congregational “turn arounds,” and the relation of congregations to their communities. Most of the registrants are pastors and district superintendents but there are also lay men and women who take part, and one track includes bishops. There were tracks this year for African American, Hispanic, Korean, and multi-ethnic congregational development. The teachers and speakers are pastors and superintendents with successful experience in their subject areas.
Date posted: Aug 03, 2006 |
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