tennessee conference reponds : terminating successful ministry

this is the first official response to the terminations of the children's and youth director positions. prior thoughts to think-tank,  what focus on, listening, white boy asks why, reminded of, hearing voices, letter too, the timeline, petition

Beyond the Walls-Restructuring of the Conference Council on Connectional Ministries (CCOCM)

By Loyd Mabry,
Director of Connectional Ministries

Our theme for the 2008 Session of the Tennessee Annual Conference is Beyond the Walls.  This concept is taken from Adam Hamilton's book entitled, Leading Beyond the Walls.  He will be a guest speaker and presenter on Tuesday of Annual Conference.  The emphasis in his book is developing congregations with a heart for the unchurched.   It is my hope that this theme and emphasis, Beyond the Walls, will become a driving force for us in the Tennessee Conference. 

In 2007 the Annual Conference approved the report of the CCOCM Task Force.  The Task Force presented a change in the way the CCOCM functions.  The new model is based in four words-Engage, Receive, Equip, and Send.  We are called to engage the community around us.  We are called to offer them Christ and receive them into our midst.  Our calling continues as we equip persons for the ongoing ministry of the church and theses equipped persons are sent out to engage their communities.  The cycle is to continue.

To pursue this direction, a restructuring of the CCOCM staff resulted.  For the conference to change direction, to reach different people, to minister in different ways, to reach out beyond the walls changes in job descriptions became evident.  The result is restructuring of the CCOCM staff and the way it functions.  These changes in staff are not related to job performance.  The CCOCM program staff fulfills their present job descriptions.  With a changing job description and direction, it was felt that staff changes were necessary.  The infusion of new ideas, methods, and styles of ministry is needed for us to fully engage the world around us.  Again, let me say that the change in staffing is a result of changes in job descriptions not job performance.

Our calling as God's people is to make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  Connectional Ministries is charged with the responsibility to empower, equip, and enable local churches, districts, and the annual conference in fulfilling this calling.

To accomplish this calling we must go beyond the walls and reach out to the people around us.  Jesus said "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with your always to the end of the age."    

what do you think?

my thoughts. it at least keeps some credibility of beth & susan's work. still, it never approaches the way that this vision never took into account to talk to the people who are invested in the ministry or the whole change of jobs was never properly communicated.

a few sentences that are interesting. "With a changing job description and direction, it was felt that staff changes were necessary. The infusion of new ideas, methods, and styles of ministry is needed for us to fully engage the world around us."

i ask who is supposed to come up with these new ideas? and who is supposed to facilitate them? why new ideas had to result in stifling current effective ministries? i have the bishop in spoken record and email, that he doesn't know how to reach these unchurched youth and children, so then why don't you talk to those who might have an idea? to his credit, the bishop has been speaking with me and others and has been apologetic and assuming responsibility for the changes, but as we know, the bishop works on assumptions that others are doing their work to communicate for his office and communicate to his office thorough information.

we still need to know why those who are invested in these ministries, and know those who are "unchurched" were never included in conversations. i think too, it needs to be brought to attention that if we are to reach "unchurched" does that forgo "making disciples of all people" that i thought our church was working under for many years.

do we need to ask that much of any church growth comes at the loss of members of another church? most churches are not reaching new converts in any statistical mass, only recycling people who have left another church body. maybe our adult ministries over the conference needs new ideas and all that. we eliminated our associate position as well, no one seems up in arms about that one because the position holder was pretty much known to say "i don't do anything" but we have a new description and the person who is waiting in the wings to be hired for it, a former DS. it is pretty much accepted that she is going to take over that position. i have that on good account from  a not so secret rumor and confirmation with a friend in the personnel committee. does she have new ideas? i don't see these new ideas expressly reflected in her job posting. 

we have two meetings scheduled for conversation and planning. one by our ccym & core design team members, the other with our cabinet, personnel committee, director of connection ministries, our bishop, youth council, children's council, camping committee, and young adult council as well. how do i expect that to go?