Overture wants every Presbyterian to give day’s pay for urban ministry
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, April 24, 2006
The Presbytery of Philadelphia has called for an emphasis on urban ministries that would allow presbyteries to use 80 percent of the money cleared from the sale of church property to fund urban church development.
In an overture to the 217th General Assembly, Philadelphia asked the commissioners to declare “the problems of the urban church an urgent priority.”
That would include:
- a. designating 80 percent of net proceeds “from the sale of urban Presbyterian church buildings, properties, and endowments (of churches that have been dissolved) to be used by the presbytery for urban church redevelopment, new urban church development, evangelism, and urban mission outreach in that city;
- b. Designating the remaining 20 percent to “a national urban ministry and endowment fund to be managed by the Presbyterian Foundation, for the purpose of issuing program grants for conferences and workshops on urban ministry.”
Furthermore, the overture asks the General Assembly to establish an Urban Economic Development Fund and to urge every Presbyterian in the United States to give at least one day’s pay to support the fund, “believing that if a majority of Presbyterians respond in this way, we will raise millions of dollars for both short-term needs and long-term development in the cities throughout our country.”
The overture also calls for a task force to prepare a report for the 218th General Assembly (2008) with a comprehensive urban strategy.
The full text of the overture:
Overture 130. On Affirming the Church’s Commitment to Church Revitalization and Evangelism – From the Presbytery of Philadelphia.
The Presbytery of Philadelphia overtures the 217th General Assembly (2006) to:
Affirm its commitment to urban church revitalization and evangelism and other urban mission projects by instructing the Moderator of the 217th General Assembly to appoint a task force to update the Urban Strategy to the Year 2005 report and its recommendations, providing a report to the 218th General Assembly (2008) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with a more current comprehensive urban strategy which would include:
a. Declaring the problems of the urban church an urgent priority, and to consider the social and economic problems of the urban church communities in order to implement new strategies for addressing said problems (in consultation with the Evangelism and Witness program area and the Justice and Compassion program area).
b. Calling for positive, long term action in response to the spiritual, economic, and social justice issues facing our cities:
1) Urging every presbytery and every congregation to work with renewed energy in addressing the crisis in our cities.
2) Urging presbyteries to:
a) designate 80% of net proceeds, after all loans, mortgages, and other obligations have been paid, from the sale of urban Presbyterian church buildings, properties, and endowments (of churches that have been dissolved) to be used by the Presbytery for urban church redevelopment, new urban church development, evangelism, and urban mission outreach in that city;
b) designate the remaining 20% to a national urban ministry and endowment fund to be managed by the Presbyterian Foundation, for the purpose of issuing program grants for conferences and workshops on urban ministry.
c. Establishing an “Urban Economic Development Fund” and urging every Presbyterian in the United States to give at least one day ‘s pay to support the fund, believing that if a majority of Presbyterians respond in this way, we will raise millions of dollars for both short-term needs and long-term development in the cities throughout our country.
d. Urging every Presbyterian to commit the equivalent of one day’s work for the rebuilding of community where we live, believing that a change in our relationship with those in pain around us begins with an initial step in their direction.
e. Calling for a national year long celebration in 2008 of the Presbyterian Church in the city, coordinated by the Evangelism and Witness program area, including a national conference on the crisis in the cities as a follow-up to regional consultations, bringing together representatives of the church, business, and government, along with significant numbers of those who live and work in those urban centers.
f. Calling for a report to the 219th General Assembly (2010) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on each of the above actions with recommendations for further implementation.
Rationale
The city is the site of tremendous power and affluence in proximity to tremendous poverty, powerlessness, and pain. While some cities are experiencing rapid demographic changes and a new spirit of health and vitality, many urban congregations are existing in crisis mode. Our church is losing not only individual members, but congregations as well. The continuation of this situation could soon leave little or no effective Presbyterian presence in many cities throughout our country.
We are instructed by the Gospels to provide a ministry of presence and reconciliation to men, women, and children, and to peoples of all economic, educational, and social stations, and to people of diverse and alternative life-styles. We must come to see ourselves in partnership with Jesus of Nazareth in ministry and mission in the city and in the world; and to continue to support ministries of city church as a body, as a part of our ministry to the whole world.
As Paul reminds us, if one of our city churches suffers in membership decline and struggles to minister to a changing neighborhood, then the whole presbytery suffers, and the denomination suffers as well.
Presbyterians are a people with a vision for the future and an awareness of the past. It is therefore important that we choose to remain in our cities, regardless of racism, cultural, and economic differences, and to be active participants in the reconstruction of urban life, in accordance with our faith, our baptism and our experience of Jesus Christ.
This overture is based upon:
Overture 92-59. On Supporting, Studying and Celebrating Urban Ministry from the Presbytery of Detroit; and the Report of Racial Ethnic Ministry Unit and the Social Justice and Peacemaking Unit, submitted to the 204th General Assembly (1992) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).