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Church Extension directors celebrate record pace of new church starts and loan approvals INDIANAPOLIS, IN, July 9, 2002 -- A celebration -- complete with grass skirts and makeshift musicians -- seemed appropriate at the close of Disciples-related Church Extension's Board of Directors meeting here in mid June. Board members learned loan approvals and new church starts each are moving at a record pace. New church starts among Disciples likely will exceed the 2002 goal of 38, with 33 new congregations already up and running at the year's halfway point. The current pace of about one new church per week promises to surpass a 50-year record of 40 new starts set in 2001, according to Rick Morse, team leader for New Church Ministry. Further, fund-raising for the New Church Ministry Annual Fund is also ahead of projections with 46 percent or $122,545 of the $265,000 goal already met as of May 1, said Ellen Mitchell, vice president for development. Meanwhile, loan approvals have set a record pace for the first six months of 2002, with $19.07 million approved in the first six months of this year, helping finance 51 projects. By the time the board meeting reached the staff/board celebration, directors had learned of other solid signs of continued health for Church Extension, despite the recent economic downturn. As of April 30, reports showed loan balances of $111.28 million, while Church Extension's assets stood at $133.56 million. Investments placed with Church Extension, a primary source of loan funds, totaled more than $110 million. The group spent portions of two days in conversation around vitality, not only for Church Extension, but also for Disciples at large. Guest speakers included Richard Hamm, general minister and president, James Johnson, Christian Church Foundation president, and Raymond Brown, Homeland Ministries interim president. The three leaders addressed congregational vitality as a quality to be nurtured by all church manifestations. Later, leaders from three Indianapolis Disciples congregations, sharing their congregation's stories of vitality, illustrated the importance of intentional leadership development, taking risks and giving permission to leaders to encourage their success. This year, five seminary-trained leaders will emerge from Light of the World Christian Church to be sent out for ministry elsewhere. Another 45 are in one stage or another of intentional training, one of Light of the World's pastors, Deborah White, reported. Randy Spleth, Geist Christian Church pastor, said congregations that seek vitality will take risks. They may sometimes fail, but they should "fail forward," he said. How much risk are you willing to take to fulfill the gospel and how much risk are you willing to allow others to take" to accomplish that ministry, Spleth asked. At Southport Christian Church, the ministry blooms in part because of intergenerational connections of people who "like to be together," said Jennifer Steele-Lantis. In her ministry at Southport, she has experienced the congregation as particularly permission-giving to all people. In other action: The board approved the call of ordained Disciples minister and former missionary William J. Singer, Jr., as assistant treasurer, joining Mary Beight, assistant treasurer and Erick Reisinger, executive vice president and treasurer, in the Financial Resources Leadership Team. Singer starts in August, leading Church Extension in the areas of securities compliance and generating new investors and investment vehicles, according to James Powell, president. Singer, who has more than a decade of financial and investment planning experience, serves as president of Florida Financial Institute Inc., in Naples, Fla., a mortgage brokerage business. Church Extension board members received a report that the Board of Directors of the Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) plans to provide health care for new church pastors in their first three years. The plan is established on a gradually increasing cost basis, beginning with no charge the entire first year, according to Arthur Hanna, Pension Fund president. The program will provide essential health insurance for pastors and their families called to start new Disciples churches. -- end -- Church Extension 02-64 |