Bishop's CornerTransforming The Culture Of Congregations
By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker
One of the
tasks that is a part of the agenda of the Conference Table is to develop
a strategy for transforming the culture of congregations. This task is
being performed by the Office of Congregational Transformation, under
the direction of the Rev. Kendall Taylor, and the Office of New Church
Development, under the direction of the Rev. Mont Duncan. Together these
two agencies have created ways to help congregations understand where
they are in the lifecycle of a congregation and know the characteristics
of a healthy congregation. Strategies to train leaders and enlist
congregations to undergo an intentional process of transformation are
being developed and implemented.
The new mission statement of the Florida
Conference offers the rationale for the task of transforming the
culture of congregations. It includes this purpose of the Florida
Conference: “transforming existing congregations from a life of
institutional maintenance to a life of transformational mission in
their diverse communities and the world.”
Two realities motivate us to transform the
culture of congregations. The first reality is God’s purpose for the
church revealed in Jesus Christ as recorded in the Scriptures. God
created the church on earth as the means by which God’s name is
known and God’s will is done. The other reality is the changing
culture in which we live as God’s people. There are so many people
living in the ministry area of our congregations who do not know the
good news of Jesus Christ. These people do not go to church because it
is the expected thing to do. They are all ages, classes and ethnic
groups. In such a culture, the church must reach out to all with a
joyful offer of the truth and love of God revealed in Jesus Christ!
If we have been faithful Christians in The
United Methodist Church for a long time, many of our own spiritual
needs are being satisfied. We may not long for change. The mission of
the church is not about us; it is about them. The church exists for
the sake of those who do not yet know God or obey God. On the other
hand, it is also about us for we shall not fulfill God’s purpose for
our own lives unless we are invested in the joyful task of reaching
out to those who do not know the good news of Christ.
Transforming the culture of congregations cannot
be forced. We can study God’s mission in the world and the church’s
purpose in Scripture. We can pray for the guidance of the Spirit. We
can embrace with courage and imagination what God can do through us.
While the conference will work together with congregations to provide
direction, the only effective direction ultimately will come from the
Spirit of God in cooperation with our spirit.
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