Of the 8000 residents in Edgewater Village, more than a quarter are children, and two-thirds live on incomes near or below the poverty level, amid rampant crime, substance abuse, and violence. During one week last May, Wilson led his 12-member core group on a nightly "Jericho Walk" through the community—a witness to the participants' faith in preparation for an upcoming tent revival. Quietly carrying banners and flags, they came upon a crime scene where a murder victim's body had just been discovered by police. At their urging, stunned onlookers came forward and joined them in public prayer, kneeling on the ground as Wilson fervently invoked God's presence in the midst of a community in turmoil.

During the course of the seven-day walk, Wilson turned and saw about 40 more people, mostly children, marching with them. Other residents shouted from their doorways: "Praise the Lord! Thank you for praying for us!" On the seventh night, at the blowing of the shofar (ram's-horn trumpet), those who had gathered made a joyful noise to the Lord—just as the Israelites did at Jericho to signal the Lord's victory over enemy strongholds. During the following week, the sheriff leading the investigation at the murder scene came to the tent revival to worship with the New Hope Christian Fellowship.

Mission in an Open Field

There are no schools, few stores, and no other churches in this fenced-in community. Using a sound system to draw attention, the fellowship holds worship services in the only convenient gathering place available: an open field. Wilson and others hold Bible studies in homes and offer Christian education, counseling, mentoring, and other outreach ministries. The growing acceptance they find inspires them.

"Whenever I come into this community," said Wilson, who lives minutes away, "I expect to be different when I come out, and I always am."

Pursuing Mission Initiatives

Indeed, after decades of sporadic efforts, the conference has increased its annual budget for new-church development from $30,000 to $1.5 million and is clearly on a mission in this area. Working closely with district superintendents and district boards of church location and building, the Board of Congregational Life each year examines demographics, population trends, and other factors to identify "hot spots." Then it does feasibility studies and focus-group interviews in those areas.

The conference cabinet selects about four "hot spots" to pursue as mission initiatives in the coming year, with some emphasis on reaching people in poor and marginalized communities and in racial-ethnic neighborhoods. Then it appoints staff and commits to five years of funding support.

This year's mission initiatives are in urban, rural, and suburban areas of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. At least 14 of the 22 are new-church starts and faith communities, planted and growing fast in areas whose residents are of African, East Indian, European, Hispanic, Korean, or Russian descent.

Two mission initiatives involve community developers. One is helping to revitalize a Washington, DC, inner-city Shalom Zone. The other—in Urbana, Maryland—is exploring opportunities for developing a new congregation amid the construction of 3500 homes, a school, and a shopping center. In several other churches, new ministerial staff have been deployed.

Also important is the material and moral support that the pastors working in mission initiatives receive from one another. For example, Wilson—whose salary is paid by the conference but who is responsible for raising program dollars—relies on a supportive network of pastors and laity from other churches for advice, fundraising assistance, and volunteers.

Leadership Development

John W. Coleman is a freelance writer and communications consultant to the Evangelization and Church Growth program area of the General Board of Global Ministries.

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