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May 9, 2007
Grim News Pushed Back by Spirit, Enthusiasm
Nearly 200 people gather to listen and share at May 5 Mission Strategy Convocation
by Lindsay Hardin Freeman
They came from as far away as the Canadian border and the “corn curtain” — better known as the border between Minnesota and Iowa. They came from small towns, suburbs and cities throughout the Diocese.
On Saturday, May 5, nearly 200 lay and clergy members of the Diocese of Minnesota gathered at St. John’s Church in St. Cloud to hear the findings to date of the BCMS (the Bishop’s Commission on Mission Strategy) and, perhaps more importantly, to be part of the emerging process.
Handed a 16-page document hot off the BCMS press, the statistics seemed bleak: Over the past forty years there has been a 55% decline in the number of yearly baptisms; confirmations are down 85% from their peak in the mid-60s; and the number of persons pledging continues to decrease, etc.
“Previous efforts to address this systemic decline have failed,” said the report, referring to several abortive attempts in recent diocesan history to ‘grow the church.’ We stand at a critical juncture in our history.”
But the mood in the room refused to match the grim news on paper.
“It’s a good thing to have clarity on things so that we can have success in the future,” said the Rev. Michael Hanley, rector of St. Christopher’s, Roseville, and a member of the BCMS steering committee.
“Every person here is responsible for the mission of the church,” added Malcolm McDonald from St. John the Evangelist in St. Paul. “How do we best reach out? In short, we’re excited about what we can become!”
And with that, those present went to work: meeting in small groups, answering detailed questions, reporting back to the larger group, and praying together. Using the document drawn up by the BCMS, “Rethinking, Reframing and Reclaiming our Identity and Purpose,” three main areas were covered:
1) Identity
2) Purpose
3) Mission and Ministry
From the report and the conversations, several themes emerged: there is sadness and grief for the ways the church has not grown in recent decades; implications of the emerging long-range plan will likely be wide-ranging and may include financial and programmatic changes throughout the diocese; a primary commitment would be to develop healthy and vital congregations; and those congregations would be about cultivating “mature Christian disciples” so as to be Christ’s heart, hands and voice in the world.
Some of the thirty-three questions at the end of the BCMS document under discussion include:
“What do we need to do to address the disparity of so few congregations presently ministering in the most rapidly-growing communities in the state?“
“What changes may be required in the present mortgage and apportionment policies to insure the development of healthy, vibrant congregations?”
“How can we build a financial system where mission drives the budget?”
“What organizational structure would most helpfully support the emphasis of congregations being the primary focus of our shared purpose?”
Over the summer, using feedback from Diocesan Council, the May 5 convocation, and the May 7-9 clergy conference, specific strategies for addressing organizational issues will be developed by the BCMS, submitted for further refinement and then brought to Diocesan Convention in October for review and approval.
The Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman is Priest Associate
of St. Martin’s by the Lake in Minnetonka Beach,
and a member of the Communication Action Team for BCMS.
Convocation photos: Susan Barksdale Last Published: May 9, 2007 5:50 PM
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