Principles for Mission Alignment (PDF)

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Charge from the General Board

The 2008 General Board recommends:

That a Mission Alignment Coordinating Council (MACC) be named by the General Minister and President and the Moderator of the Assembly;

That the Principles for a Plan for Mission Alignment be considered as foundational for the work of the Mission Alignment Coordinating Council and the Desired Outcomes be its goal;

That the Council will present a full report of its work including a plan for mission alignment and next steps in pursing the 2020 Vision to the 2009 General Board including required action by the 2009 Indianapolis General Assembly.

Text for Reflection

Ephesians 4: 1-7, 11-16

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

11The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Identity Statement

We are the Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us.

Vision

To be a faithful, growing church that demonstrates true community, deep Christian spirituality, and a passion for justice.

Mission

To be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and serving from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth.

Four Priorities

• Leadership Development
• 1,000 New Churches
• 1,000 Congregations Transformed for Mission
• To become a Pro-Reconciliation / Anti-Racism Church

Principles for Mission Alignment

• Mission Driven and Priority-Focused
• Design Guided
• Future Leaning
• Promotes True Community by Embracing Diversity
• Practices Good Stewardship
• Empowers and Enhances Networks of the Church
• Encourages Partnerships

Desired Outcomes of a Plan for Mission Alignment

• Clarity about the General Board’s Responsibility for the Mission of the Church
• One Church Embracing Diversity
• Congregations Resourced for Ministry:
  A Focus on Mission Priorities
  Networking and Partnership
  Streamlined General Church Administration
  Attention to Ongoing Ministries

An Invitation to a Conversation on Mission Alignment for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Our Vision: To be a faithful and growing church that demonstrates true community, deep Christian spirituality, and a passion for justice.

Our Mission: To be and share the good news of Jesus Christ from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth.

Mission Alignment Coordinating Council
Narrative Analysis

****WORKING DRAFT*****

INTRODUCTION:

At its April 2008 meeting, in response to calls from congregations for greater transparency in how Disciples coordinate our mission, the General Board initiated a process of mission alignment. The Board called into being a Mission Alignment Coordinating Council (MACC) to lead us in imagining a church organized around our 2020 Vision mission priorities. In order to engage the Mission Alignment conversation with the larger church, the MACC offers the following examples of how Disciples in the early 21st Century might be organized to accomplish our priorities of 1,000 new congregations, 1,000 transformed congregations, leadership development to serve these congregations, and our pro-reconciliation/anti-racism initiative, all by the year 2020.

The suggestions contained in these pages are working drafts intended to generate conversation. This material is organized around three desired outcomes identified by the General Board: 1. Clarity about the General Board’s responsibility for the mission of the church, 2. One church embracing diversity, 3. Congregations resourced for ministry through a focus on mission priorities, networking and partnership, streamlined general church administration, attention to ongoing ministries. There is basically one model proposed here to start conversation; however, starting on page 4 of the diagrams, you will see three suggested options for organizing general ministries more effectively for mission.

In September, the MACC will convene again to process information gained during this comment period.  At that time, the MACC will draft an initial proposal for further comment before it is considered by the General Board at its 2009 meeting.

Your comments, questions, suggestions, and ideas are requested. Please submit them to Newell Williams, Chair of the MACC and Moderator of the General Assembly at macc@ogmp.disciples.org.

BACKGROUND:

Charge from the 2008 General Board To the Mission Alignment Coordinating Council

• That a Mission Alignment Coordinating Council (MACC) be named by the General Minister and President and the Moderator of the Assembly;
• That the Principles for a Plan for Mission Alignment be considered as foundational for the work of the Mission Alignment Coordinating Council and the Desired Outcomes be its goal.
• That the Council will present a full report of their work including a plan for mission alignment and next steps in pursing the 2020 Vision to the 2009 General Board including required action by the 2009 Indianapolis General Assembly.

The work of the MACC and this summer’s conversation about mission alignment continues an ongoing process of transformation for mission that started with the adoption of 2020 Vision by the General Assembly and continued with the adoption of the 2005 changes to the Design, including the smaller General Board.  From there, the church took a step toward streamlining ministries through the 2007 merger of Church Finance Council into the General Assembly. The current work seeks to define the next steps in transforming for mission.

To guide our worshipful work, the MACC reflected on Ephesians 4: 1-7, 11-16 especially verses 15-16:

15) But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”
- NRSV

In addition to the mission, vision, and mission priorities of 2020 Vision, and the General Board’s principles and desired outcomes for mission alignment (which can be found at: www.disciples.org/macc). The work of the MACC was informed by the newly adopted Identity Statement which served as our “so that” – a statement of the reality from which we grow and toward which we are working. 

We are the Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.
As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us. 

REPORT

The Mission Alignment Coordinating Council considered the three desired outcomes of the mission alignment process and offers the following for discussion:

Outcome 1: Clarity about the General Board’s Responsibility for the mission of
the church

Relates to Principle(s) of Mission Alignment: Design-guided, Mission-driven, and Priority-focused

In 1968, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) adopted a document grounded in an emerging covenantal theology of church. This document, The (Provisional) Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) provided for a loosely connected structure that would receive direction and insight from a General Assembly through a General Board. Through the General Board, lay and clergy leaders would gather for dialogue, mutual accountability, certification of ministries for the work of the gospel, and strategic planning. The challenge the general board faced and continues to face is the nature of its responsibility and of the accountability of ministries to each other and to the larger church.

A goal of the mission alignment process is to help the General Board live into its intended responsibility for mission oversight on behalf of the whole church – not only in discerning the church’s mission but also in setting out the broad plan for achieving that mission. Such a plan will include delegating responsibility with funding to particular ministries to coordinate the work of the church in achieving its mission. Ministry assignments and subsequent organizational adjustments in the life of the church (including both structure and funding) will connect to the church’s stated mission priorities.

The vision is of a board to board accountability where the General Board (on behalf of the General Assembly) has governance responsibility for defining the broad outline of the church’s mission. The boards of the various ministries oversee the actual operational work and report back to the General Board about the mission outcomes.

To achieve greater transparency and to live more fully into its responsibility designated by the Design, the General Board, under the MACC model, develops several new governance mechanisms. First, is an accreditation system by which general and other DMF recipient ministries would be certified as official ministries of the church in light of the church’s current mission priorities as well as its ongoing identity and purpose. This certification process would review strategic mission plans, financial reports, and adherence to other governance documents and policies of the church. The process would also assess the work of particular ministries that have been assigned primary oversight and funding for a priority of the church.

Second, the general board will reclaim its own governance work through committees and commissions of the board. Committee membership will normally come from the board itself. (Currently, non-general board members comprise the membership of most General Board committees.) This change would raise the involvement level of board members, and heighten their awareness of information, work, and decisions of the board.

A sub-group of the MACC on governance will work closely with the Standing Committee on Renewal and Structural Reform to propose specific changes in General Board Standing Rules.

Governance and Accountability Relationships, see diagram, page 2, www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/macc/MACC_Diagram_p2.pdf.

Outcome 2: One Church Embracing Diversity

Relates to Principle(s) of Mission Alignment: Promotes True Community while Embracing Diversity; Priority-Focused; Future-leaning; Empowers and enhances networks in the church

This desired outcome represents a call to strengthen the racial / ethnic ministries of the church by bringing such ministries closer to the center of leadership, while respecting the spirit and history of each ministry’s relationship with the larger church (including the 1968 Principles for Merger of the National Christian Missionary Convention and The International Convention of the Christian Churches Disciples of Christ). The model seeks to respect each ministry’s accountability to a particular community as well as its role within the whole community. Central to strengthening the ministries in this model is the proposal to provide more adequate funding in recognition of the growth and vitality of these ministries and in observance of the priority to become a pro-reconciling/anti-racism church.

Key elements include:

• Recognition of the authority of each racial/ethnic assembly in conjunction with the Administrative Committee and General Board. Each racial / ethnic group continues to have its own assembly and board. Racial/ethnic leaders are accountable to their board, caucus or commission¹. The General Board serves as the whole-church accountability link for racial / ethnic boards.
• Each Racial / Ethnic Ministry leader would be part of a Pastoral Team for mutual advice, counsel, and accountability convened by the General Minister and President. These leaders would not be staff of OGMP.
• Funding for Racial Ethnic Ministries would be through Disciples Mission Fund. An equity fund would be established using mutually agreed-upon factors over a rolling 3-5 year average to determine the funding for each ministry. The fund would include minimum guarantees to each ministry. The four merger staff positions will receive funding at their current levels as a minimum guarantee to the National Convocation. The funding for all racial / ethnic ministries would increase significantly over current funding.
• In this “empowerment” model, each ministry would determine its own staffing design including geographic placement; scope of work, positions, etc. The resources and programs created by the staff of each racial / ethnic ministry would be for use by the whole church, but have as a primary focus the strengthening of the particular racial / ethnic community
• The Office of the General Minister and President would make available at no cost certain services such as human resources, treasury, meeting planning etc… Each racial / ethnic ministry would have the opportunity to utilize these services or create their own.

This same template would be used when the church recognizes, funds, and empowers new racial / ethnic communities of faith.

Outcome 3: Congregations Resourced for Ministry

A focus on Mission Priorities, Networking and Partnership, Streamlined General Church Administration, Attention to ongoing ministries

Relates to Principle(s) of Mission Alignment: Mission-driven; priority-focused; future-leaning, empowers and enhances networks in the church; encourages partnerships

Congregations are both the grassroots place where mission takes flight and, through the General Assembly, the ultimate policy makers for Disciples of Christ. The MACC’s discussion of mission alignment recognizes that congregations are both initiators and recipients of services and ministries. A basic question is, “How can congregations be resourced and equipped for ministry?”

This outcome is represented in one basic model with three main options. The model focuses on areas of ministry currently served by Disciples Home Missions (DHM), Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM), Church Extension (CE) and Disciples Benevolent Services (DBS, formerly NBA). These are general ministries whose work is primarily domestic mission.² Often their work overlaps and intersects with the ministry and mission of regions and racial/ethnic ministries. All options intend to represent good stewardship of mission resources and streamlining of general church administration through clarity of mission focus and elimination of institutional redundancies where possible. Improved collaboration among ministries that share responsibilities for carrying out priorities is also a value. The model in all options calls upon those ministries to work in partnership with one another and other Disciples and ecumenical ministries to equip congregations for mission.

A Focus on Mission Priorities: This principle of mission alignment gives central focus to the MACC model (and options) for how to resource congregations for ministry. All options seek to further our progress in accomplishing the four mission priorities of 2020 Vision. Responsibility for each priority is delegated to one or more general ministries, and each receives funding from Disciples Mission Fund (DMF).

In all options, the Pro Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Initiative (PR/ARI) continues to be lodged in Reconciliation Ministry and is funded through DMF and the Reconciliation Offering as currently shared with Regions. The Office of Reconciliation remains in the Office of the General Minister and President (OGMP). Additionally, OGMP makes available to Reconciliation certain administrative support services.

In all the options, New Church is funded by DMF and the Pentecost offering as currently shared with regions. Leadership and transformation priorities are both funded through DMF. Leadership includes resources and coordinators for children, youth, and young adults as well as for higher education. Congregational Transformation is understood to be a partnership between general and regional church working together with congregations.

Resourcing congregations for mission – Option A:

(see diagram page 4, www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/macc/MACC_Diagram_p4.pdf)

This option represents a perspective that new church, leadership development, and transformation resource and strengthen each other when working hand-in-hand. An example is when established congregations, as part of their transformation process, identify participation in the formation of new congregations as key to their own revitalization. In this option, a “cross-priority pollination process” of locating these ministries together enhances the church’s ability to be faithful in achieving these priorities. In all options, enhanced partnership and collaboration across ministry lines will be necessary in order to further our progress toward meeting mission priorities.

Option A is demonstrated on page 4 (www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/macc/MACC_Diagram_p4.pdf) of the diagrams as portions of DHM, HELM, and Church Extension come together to form Congregational and Leadership Ministries (CALM). The purpose of CALM is to support, coordinate, and network with congregations, regions, general ministries, and higher education institutions to establish and equip congregations for mission in the 21st Century.

The realignment process would allocate a percentage of DMF funds for new church and transformation. Regions, whose ministries are close enough to the congregations to engage lay and clergy leaders in meaningful transformation processes, would receive additional funding for the transformation priority through a grant process. Rather than having two general ministries operating scholarship programs, there is one ministry with a scholarship program. Leadership development is addressed from childhood to adulthood for both laypeople and clergy. Additionally, CALM staff would work with the staff of regions and other general ministries to accomplish its stated purpose.

In Options B and C, collaboration across ministry lines is emphasized. Recognizing the synergies in congregational vitality that are possible when new church ministry is aligned with building planning (option B, see diagram, page 5, www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/macc/MACC_Diagram_p5.pdf) and the additional synergies that may develop when transformation is also linked, these two options align new church (option B) or new church and transformation (option C, see diagram page 6, www.disciples.org/Portals/0/PDF/macc/MACC_Diagram_p6.pdf) with Church Extension’s mission related to building planning.

In both options B and C there is a new ministry created with clear mission focus. In option B, the ministry (as in option A) is Congregational and Leadership Ministries with transformation and leadership linked. In Option C, the new ministry is a Center for Leadership Development focusing on leader development throughout the life-cycle of disciples. In both B and C, the new ministry combines work now done in both DHM and HELM. In both of these options, intentional cooperation is essential among those responsible for the new church, transformation and leadership priorities in order to achieve the desired synergies for mission.

In all options, coordination with regions, racial/ethnic ministries and attention to the pro-reconciliation/anti-racism priority will be necessary. Such coordination will be facilitated as the General Minister and President convenes table of leaders related to the priorities and other ministry emphases.

Attention to Ongoing Ministries: In order to achieve mission alignment around the four priorities, other necessary, on-going ministries of the church are relocated within the MACC model. Conversation is invited as to which location creates the best mission synergies.

Offered for conversation is a concept of the Office of General Minister and President as a ministry of pastoral oversight and connection for the whole church. The MACC model already suggests (in the discussion of outcome #2) that the General Minister and President would regularly convene ministry tables of racial/ethnic ministers as well as other clusters of ministries. As a pastoral office, the OGMP might also receive Search and Call and Chaplain Endorsement to form a ministry cluster with the General Commission on Ministry already in the OGMP. (This cluster might also fit particularly well in a Center for Leadership Ministries.) Disciples Women, who have their own governance structures similar to other ministries associated with the OGMP, might be located in the OGMP, as well.

The OGMP, in all options, continues its connectional mission of staffing the governance bodies of the church. It extends its role in offering administrative services such as treasury, human resources and meeting planning.

The MACC invites particular conversation around proper mission alignment for Men’s Ministries (perhaps a network resourced through the new congregational and /or leadership ministry), Refugee and Immigration (clustered with Week of Compassion? Congregational and Leadership Ministries? Division of Overseas Ministries?), and Disciples Volunteering (clustered with Week of Compassion? Congregational and Leadership Ministries?).

Disciples Benevolent Services (formerly National Benevolent Association)

In all options, the MACC model suggests that Disciples Benevolent Services in its new mission of resourcing congregations for ministries of advocacy and care, remains a general ministry of the church. However, it suggests that DBS, like other general ministries who have the capacity to do so, transition to standing on its own financially.

General Notes:

The MACC has interpreted the call to mission-clarity and streamlined administrative services as an opportunity to practice good stewardship. Mission clarity provides the opportunity to reduce the number of general ministries and therefore reduce the number of boards, executives, and administrative functions.

Streamlined administrative services are located in the office of the General Minister and President Streamlined services for Treasury, Human Resources, Meeting and Event planning, web / new media, communications and information, and other services will achieve costs savings in a variety of ways.

The MACC understands networking and partnership as basic modes of operation for a 21st century empowerment model of moving resources and support to places of growth and energy in the life of the church. All MACC options envision a style of work in which network coordinators and facilitators connect congregations to one another within and across regional boundaries. These coordinators would enhance and support the work of grassroots efforts such as Disciples Care Network, or Disciples Youth Ministry Network or New Church Network. Bring together key leaders in specific areas of ministry such as children, youth, and young adults to evaluate resources and programs, and connect local church leaders to resource each other in areas of a particular congregation’s expertise.

Additionally, each ministry that receives funding and primary oversight from the General Board for a priority or specific ministry will convene tables of shared conversation with other ministries in the life of the church. Part of the accountability structure of the General Board will be an examination of the implementation of partnerships with congregations, regions, general ministries, institution of higher education, and other ministries within the church.

Timeline for the work of the MACC

June 3-5, 2008	First MACC Meeting
July – August 2008	Conversation with General Ministry Boards and Executives
July – August 2008	Governance Group conference calls
September 2-4, 2008	Second MACC Meeting
September 8-10, 2008	Pastor’s Conference addressed by Sharon Watkins
September – October 2008	Church-wide Conversation on MACC report
November	Third MACC meeting
January 29, 2009	General Assembly Resolution Due
April 2009	General Board receives the MACC report
July 29-August 2, 2009	General Assembly in Indianapolis
September 2009 – January 2011	Transition period

Mission Alignment Coordinating Council Decision Team Roster

• Newell Williams, Chair
• Bill Lee
• Carolyn Ho
• Mary Jacobs
• David Vargas
• Sotello Long
• Cherilyn Williams
• Darryl Trimiew
• Xose Escamilla
• Kari Kempf
• Tim Lee
• Sharon Watkins, ex officio
• Todd Adams, staff
• Beth Sullivan, staff

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