A Message from Our Executive Minister

Message from Our Executive Minister

Rev. Alan G. Newton

"The Baptist Update" for June-July 2008

Friends,

Summer is upon us. If you are like me you look forward to this season as a time to slow down the pace, enjoy the outdoors, and spend some time relaxing.

One of the pastimes I enjoy is reading and my summer reading list is always quite full. You may already have your summer line up as well but in case you do not I would like to suggest a few titles to you.

Two inspirational non-fiction pieces that I have recently read are: Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time which is written by and about Greg Mortenson. Authors are Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. If you ever have had any doubt about what one person can do to change the world you will want to read this book. The second is similar about a pioneer in the arena of public health. Mountains Beyond Mountains : The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World written by Tracy Kidder.

Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan is filled with remarkable stories as told by a Nigerian-born Jesuit priest who brings the reader into the lives of five African children and their battles for food, shelter, safety and joy.

Race Manners by Bruce Jacobs is a book that the region’s Ministry team is encouraging everyone to read this summer. This pick as a “Region Reads” book provides help in navigating the minefield between Black and White Americans.

Another book I would recommend even though I have not yet read it is 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey. After a devastating car accident, Baptist minister Don Piper is pronounced dead at the scene. During the next 90 minutes, he remembers hearing beautiful music, meeting those who had a spiritual impact in his life, and experiences deep peace--until suddenly he is brought back to "real life" through another minister's prayer

And finally, if you would like to better understand why certain mainline churches are thriving I would encourage your reading a book by Diana Butler Bass, Christianity for the Rest of Us.

I hope if you were looking for reading material that this suggested list helps. And do not hesitate to refer a good title my way as well. I always love a good book.

State of the Region Address September 22, 2007

Since our last annual gathering:

□ Michael Ware was called to be pastor of Webster Baptist Church

□ Steve Gretz was called to be pastor of Greece Baptist Church

□ Rachel McGuire was called as pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church

□ Joanne Gilbert Cannon was called as Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church

□ Kevin Brown was called as Director of Faith Formation at Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis

In December of this past year the new church plant, Union Temple Baptist Church , Pastor Robert Smith, closed out its ministry.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth McCarthy, Rev. Dr. Richard Myers, Rev. Dr. Robert Morgan retired.

Rev. Dr. Sandra Kim, serving Trinity Nunda, resigned after a year of service as her husband’s employment pulled them to another part of the country. Similarly, Rev. Laura Dalton, Pastor at Ogden Baptist, has recently departed for eastern Ohio where her husband Matthew has secured employment. Rev. Joy Bergfalk, Pastor of York Baptist also concluded her ministry there in response to God’s call to new ministries here in the area. Nancy Tripp Leport concludes her interim work at FBC in Chili this next week.

In total we have eight churches in various stages of searching for a new pastor. York , Mt. Olivet , Waring, Parsells Community, Ogden, Trinity Nunda, FBC Brockport, FBC in Chili. So yes, I am managing to stay out of trouble as Helen will attest.

Speaking of Helen – she is the best administrative assistant I have ever worked with and I could not imagine that there could be a more loyal, capable, hard working and faithful assistant. If you are ever looking for a top notch church administrator you can’t have her. Helen, thank you for your dedication and commitment.

I would also like to commend Rev. Dr. Jimmy Reader who has been our small church consultant working with several congregations in the region using his training in Natural Church Development. This work has been possible through a partnership with National Ministries with a 50-50 split between region funds and NM grants.

Rev. Sarah Culp is our youth ministry consultant who moved this work up a notch by adding a youth mission trip to Appalachia to her other responsibilities. Sarah has directed Youth Leader Core which is a premier youth leadership training program. She also supported the Youth Task Force in producing a very successful youth retreat this past spring. Our wish is only that more youth from our churches would participate in these excellent programs.

Our Revive Alive program – a program to help churches become reinvigorated by listening for what God was directing them to do is in its third year. The formal training has been completed and the eight congregations are in various stages of transformation. Will it work? There are so many factors which will determine whether these efforts are successful but those congregations which are furthest along in the process report renewed vigor, deepened commitment and greater energy and enthusiasm. Therefore we are hopeful.

Last year our Annual Gathering focused on Children in Poverty. That event presented a challenge to us all to become more engaged in efforts to relieve poverty in our area. The challenge presented by Mayor Robert Duffy and others last year called me to become involved in the Rochester Children’s Zone effort. ABCRGR played a major role in developing an implementation plan by bringing Future Search to the table. With contributions from many of our churches we were able to provide over half of the funding for that planning process. Work continues to evolve and very soon the promised State funding for this project will be received. Poverty remains the most significant pressing issue for the Rochester region. It will take significant work from every sector of the community if we are going to see progress in relieving the suffering of the majority of city residents, if we are going to see a reduction of youth violence, if we are going to see economic revitalization.

Recently I spoke with a young man who has successfully addressed these ills in other cities. He was hired by the City to help our community bring about positive change. His impressions of our community were not flattering. He said that the only way to bring about positive change was for the community to come together. He said that his observation that community agencies and faith communities exhibited the same “gang-like” behavior as the young people. Instead of working together they are working in isolation and guarding their turf. He said that he has never seen this kind of reaction. In other communities there was greater willingness to work together.

After sitting in far too many community conversations about youth violence, Rev. Bill Reynolds and I admitted our fatigue with conversation about the problem. We decided that we wouldn’t keep talking but instead would start acting. So we went to the elementary school near our church and volunteered to mentor third grade boys. We invited others to join us and there were five of us who gave one hour a week to reach out to boys who could easily become part of the drop out statistics. I tell you, it makes a difference. These third graders are in the target age for recruitment into the some 60 gang-like groups operating in our city. The hour I give on my day off working with David is one of the most valuable hours of my week. Not a week goes by when a child in the school comes up to me and asks me if I can find them a mentor.

My challenge to each of you is to commit to giving a hour a week this year working with a child in one of Rochester city schools where the poverty rate is 88% and 95% of the children qualify for free or subsidized meals. One child – one hour – once a week – one child’s life changed. If you need help I promise you that I will help you or groups from your church get started.

My hopes for this year… I am hoping that this gathering will mark the beginning of a new way of life for the churches in our region. This past April nearly half of our pastors participated in a pulpit exchange. This exchange was only the beginning of an effort to help us to get to know one another better. Through the forging of friendships perhaps we will discover that we are not competitors but partners in ministry in this region. This year a group of folk from the region went to Mississippi to build homes for Habitat for Humanity. These kinds of trips are important but there are projects in a number of our churches here that benefit from our combined efforts. It should be a real concern to all of us when some of our city congregations are on edge of survival. City residents need the ministry of strong congregations. Similarly, our rural communities would benefit from the assets that bless many of our congregations.

Lake Avenue Baptist Church has become the focal point of an emerging congregation of Burmese Baptists who are finding safety and asylum here in the United States . Lake Avenue Baptist cannot respond to all the needs without a lot of support from sister churches in the region. The Karen people are Baptists because American Baptists went to Burma and brought the Good News to them. Many of our region churches sent members from their churches to Burma in the late 1800’s and 1900’s. And all of our churches have contributed United Mission money to support the mission which resulted in a strong Baptist community in Burma . These are our sisters and brothers. We must all respond.

ABCRGR has been a strong region over its 180 years but we know that we can be stronger. Eight churches joined together in 1827 for mutual support. Now we are 39 congregations which have an opportunity of creating an even more powerful witness for Christ if we recover what it means to be truly associational. We can make a positive difference and a huge impact in this community if we resolve to work more closely together.

Beginning this year the Mutual Assistance Fund will become a source of new grant money which will provide seed money for new ministries to under privileged members of our community. The first priority for funding is going to be outreach ministries which are collaborative efforts between churches. This means that if you would like grant funding up to $5,000 it would be best that you start talking to your sister congregations about how you might work together to serve the least, the last and the lost. It is our hope that these new funds will help fuel creative thinking about new ways of partnering together.

One of the challenges facing the region over the long term is how we are going to find the resources to support the region. Church giving to United Mission has been in a 15 year slide with the only growth coming from the 7 new congregations which have come to join us. United Mission giving year-to-date is $9,500 below giving at the same time last year. It is interesting to note that we have a budget deficit in the same amount. These kinds of deficits can be absorbed through invested funds in the short run but the longer we act to do something about this the harder it will be to avert a future crisis. I plan to call together a blue ribbon committee to seriously address this during the next year. The reductions in United Mission reflect the strains your congregations are under so any plan for addressing region issues must take into account the realities in our churches.

In our larger denominational family things have been relatively quiet – something for which we can all be thankful. The Biennial was surprisingly without the stress and strain of past decades. Who would have believed that we could have a national denominational meeting and come back inspired and proud to be American Baptists.

Our General Executive Committee meetings have been focused on restructuring. It is too early to tell what the end result will be but I am hoping for a leaner and more responsive governance structure. The model on which we are currently working is that of a federated model similar to the way that United Way or Red Cross and similar organizations are structured. There is a national brand but local independent and interdependent units of governance. I should know much more after our meetings in December.

Despite the challenges – I continue to find this to be exciting and fulfilling ministry. Our relationships are deepening as I meet with boards and committees in your churches. I remain hopeful about the future of the local church and yet recognize that not every church is likely to survive and thrive. But as congregations seek out God’s will and reach out to their communities in faithfulness growth is a result.

I thank you for these first 5 years of ministry with you. It is a privilege to serve the best region in the American Baptist Churches USA . I am humbled by the trust you place in me. It is an honor to serve you.

Annual Report from the Executive Minister
and 2007 “Message to the Churches”

What would life be like without its challenges? I sometimes wish that we all could experience the trouble-free side of life but without the “trouble” we might also lose out on some of the excitement as well. It has also become my deep-seated belief that the closest encounters with the holiness of God come in the challenges of life. These times are where my faith in God is tested and my dependence on God is deepened.

One of the greatest challenges our region is facing these days is related to our core identity in the midst of the challenges we face. The identity question often comes out of issues of survival facing our churches. Churches struggling to keep their ministry solvent ask a funding question of how supporting the region through United Mission giving benefits their church. Without any doubt that question could be answered with a lengthy list of tangible benefits that churches receive back from their United Mission support but to respond in this manner misses a very important point. The point is this – you who are reading this report (and all others in our churches who never will see it) are the region.

This region is a collective of 39 autonomous congregations which have freely chosen to support one another in a common mission to make Christ known to our world. Helen, Sarah, Jimmy, Paula and I have been called by you to help you fulfill this mission. We are your servants. But we are not the region. You are the region. Ultimately what we do or do not do as a region is in your hands. Whether we continue to exist or we cease to exist is up to you, the churches of this region.

The point to be made is somewhat similar to that which the late President John Kennedy stated in his 1961 inaugural address, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

For us who are a part of the Rochester/Genesee region, it comes down to is this: “Ask not what your region can do for you – ask what you can do for your region…ask not what the region will do for you but what together we can do for Christ Jesus.” The same statement can be applied to church participation. The influence of our consumerism has had a profound effect on our religious life. Today many look to the region, to our church, and even to God for what they can get out of it, not recognizing that the benefit of the love of Christ comes only when we give it away to others.

Something has happened to us. In 1827, when the churches formed the region, many of the churches were fairly young and vulnerable. Life was hard and the challenges were many. In 1827 our churches needed one another and depended upon one another, and they found their strength by coming together. Perhaps this is a time when we are discovering once again that we need one another. The crisis of decline and the challenges of this new context for ministry can send us in many directions, just as personal crisis causes individuals to respond in many ways. One path is greater isolation – we can pull inward and shut ourselves off from those who could support us and carry us through the crisis. Another path is to shut our eyes to the crisis hoping it will go away all on its own. A third response is to declare “Everyone, fend for yourselves and may the fit survive!” But there is yet one more possible response – all can pull together and work as one to face the crisis helping all make it through.

The success or failure of the churches of this region lies in how we respond to one another in this challenging time. It is my belief that if we depend upon one another and depend upon God we will find our way through this uncertain time. I believe with all my heart that God will see us through this time. I believe that God has a mission for us to accomplish but that we will not complete God’s mission unless we draw closer to God and to one another. Time and again the scriptures remind us that the answer to all our concerns is love. Love will help us find the way through every challenge and every crisis. “Blest be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love: The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. We share each other’s woes, each other’s burdens bear; and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.”

With Hope, Alan G. Newton