Download the Report - Christian and Missionary Alliance

155 Pages·2013·1.81 MB·English

by  Daron Short

REPORT TO GENERAL COUNCIL 2013
June 11–16, 2013 — Tampa, Florida
Council Prayer Initiatives
Report of the President:Be Light
President..................................................................................................................................1–3
Church Ministries..................................................................................................................5–11
International Ministries.......................................................................................................13–19
Development.......................................................................................................................21–27
Operations/Finance.............................................................................................................29–35
Appendices
A. President........................................................................................................................37–42
B. Church Ministries..........................................................................................................43–62
C. International Ministries.................................................................................................63–68
D. Development.................................................................................................................69–86
E. Operations/Finance......................................................................................................87–103
In Memoriam......................................................................................................................105–114
Committee on Council Arrangements.....................................................................................115
Report of the Corporate Secretary...................................................................................117–132
Attachment—Statement on Human Sexuality................................................................133–135
Attachment—Report of Theological Issues Committee.................................................137–148
Appendix—Parliamentary Procedure..............................................................................149–150
Notice of Meeting....................................................................................................................151
If you would like to submit feedback to Council committee chairpersons
regarding any of the reports, e-mail your comments to [email protected].
Your comments will be forwarded to the appropriate Council committee chairperson.
General Council has mandated that Council reports be available
one month in advanceof Council. Please study these reports carefully,
print them out, and bring them with you to Council.
BE LIGHT
THROUGH PRAYER
GENERAL COUNCIL PRAYER MINISTRY
Prayer is the primary work of God’s people (Philippians 4:6–7).
As individuals, we are completely dependent on God for everything we need
and want. This is also true for The Christian and Missionary Alliance. The activity of
prayer reminds us of our absolute trust in His grace to guide us clearly and
effectively to accomplish His purpose. Below are opportunities for your
participation:
Prayer Room Wednesday–Friday, 7:00–11:00 a.m. and 2:30–10:00 p.m.
Room 24/25
Room 24/25 in the Convention Center is the dedicated prayer room. This room
will be open during the above hours.
Alliance Family Prayer Gathering Wednesday–Friday, Noon–1:30 p.m.
Room 24/25
Rev. Fred A. Hartley III will lead Council delegates in times of intercession,
personal and corporate prayer. Special focus will be placed upon our unique
ministries and diverse groups of delegates gathered at General Council.
Prayer for Prodigals Saturday Seminars 10:30–11:30 a.m. and 3:45–4:45 p.m.
Room 7
We believe that many in our Alliance family are dealing with the hurtful issue of
prodigal children. Mrs. Linda R. Corbin will facilitate a time of focused prayer for
these families.
(Weekly C&MA Prayer Requests: www.cmalliance.org/pray)
Be Light
PRESIDENT
2011–2012
Gary M. Benedict, President
The Holy Spirit originated The Alliance in order to produce in modern times an attested copy of
the Church of apostolic times. At whatever cost, we must hold to the original type of this
movement as revealed by the Spirit through the Word . . . only He who gave us the pattern, the
blessed Holy Spirit, can keep us true to that pattern. I have written frankly out of my heart, for I
greatly desire to seeThe Alliance preserved in an increasing and sustained vitality of spiritual
life, and efficiency of ministry and scripturalness of statement until Jesus comes.
– A.B. Simpson, Alliance Weekly(n/k/aAlliance Life), May 26, 1917
The Essence of The Alliance
The expression of Dr. Simpson’s heart cry was written near the end of his life and ministry. He
remained true to his original calling from the Holy Spirit. I have shared this statement several
times with our district superintendents, college presidents, and other official workers who serve
through the National Office when I sent their annual credentials. Simpson’s messagecaptures the
essence of The Alliance in a few words and has been my motivation to stay aligned with our
original mission. There have been mind-boggling cultural, economic, technological, global, and
religious changes during our 126-year history. Methods of ministry have changed, but the
Alliance mission and message remain the same—to be light in our neighborhoods and the
nations, proclaim the gospel, and bring back the King. You can read more about our founder and
how his vision has influenced our movement in the newly updated All for Jesus. I encourage you
to buy this latest version, which will be released at General Council 2013.
Serving One Another
When I assumed office in 2005, I had a job description in hand. It was extensive. But the
majority of the work is carried out through the four areas of ministry at the National Office:
Church Ministries, International Ministries, Development, and Operations/Finance. I am grateful
for my National Office colleagues who understand the importance of the servant role and follow
the example of Jesus as members of the “Royal Order of the Towel.”
I found myself asking, “So what is thecentral focus of thepresident?” I have seen three areas of
vital importance: mission/message alignment, development of an effective servant team, and
resource development.
Another question Ihad to answer for myself was, “What is the role of the National Office (or a
district office)?”The answer came quickly. The compelling and onlylegitimate reason for our
denominational office is primarilyto serve the local churches ofThe Alliance. It is clear to me
that the health of the local church determines thehealth and vitality of the broader Alliance
ministry. The effectiveness of ministry in a local community results in plantingmore churches in
the United States and in thenations of the world. As one influential U.S. pastor frequentlystates,
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“The local church is the hope of the world.” I believe that. The National Office and district teams
believe that.
Passing the Baton
This report is written in gratefulness to God for His mighty work and provision. Yes, we have
daunting challenges in the United States and globally. We have faced them for 126 years. It is
wonderful to know the Lord has allowed The Alliance to be a part of the “spreading flame of the
gospel” around the globe through people who are captivated by Jesus and filled with the Holy
Spirit.
We have an important decision to make at General Council 2013. Many people have been
seeking the Lord for wisdom in the nomination and election of the next Alliance president. I look
forward to passing the baton to the person chosen at General Council to lead us in the next
chapter in the U.S. Alliance. I will have insights on how to pray for him and his wife!
Our Life’s Journey
Over the years, I have taken little time to reflect and look back over mylife’s journey. Reflection
has brought some unexpected emotions (I am not known as one who expresses emotions well).
Betty and I are entering a new season of life. The age of threescore and ten has arrived. Our life
together as husband and wife will reach 53 years in October. We are concluding41 years of full-
time, credentialed service with the people of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. This
includes service as apastoral couple as well as denominational roles in higher education, district,
and national ministries. We are grateful for the Lord’s leading and provision—and great
adventures in the will of God.
Iview ourlives like aunique tapestry, which is designed and woven by the Master Weaver. The
multicolored threads include thepeople and experiences the Masterweaves into our lives. This
metaphor helps us to see (although through a glass darkly) and appreciate God’s marvelous work
in our lives: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I
praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made . . . all the days ordained for me were
written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13, 14a; 16). “I am the vine;
you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me
you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Before we wereconceived, the Master Weaver knew us. He knew the day Betty and I were born,
married, born again—and everysecond and event in our lives—events like the night we realized
we needed to be filled with the HolySpirit. At our first Missions Conference we sensed the
nudge of the Spirit to prepare for Alliance ministry and leave the engineering profession.
We are grateful to the laypeople who first shared their testimonies, led us to Christ, and poured
their lives into ours in a discipleship relationship. We are grateful for the testimony of a fellow
engineer and his family who were faithful Alliance people and forthe care of the Alliance pastor.
Through their influence, we chose The Christian and MissionaryAlliance as our church family.
We are grateful for pastors, professors, and colleagues who believed in us when we doubted
ourselves. Many of you who are delegates to Council havehad adirect and profound impact on
our lives. Thanks forbelieving in us and encouraging us along the way.
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We are amazed by the journey. The only career Ihad planned was mechanical engineering. Since
1968, we have been surprised by the Lord in each place He has called us to serve. We now
expect to be surprised again in the season of our “senior years.”As always, we hope our lives are
lived out to the glory of God as “[we] press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took
hold of [us]. Brothers and sisters, [we] do not consider [ourselves] yet to have taken hold of it.
But one thing [we] do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [we] press
on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 3:12b–14).
Thank you again forhonoring us by choosing us to serve you—and with you—for eight
wonderful years. Maranatha!
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Be Light
CHURCH MINISTRIES
2011–2012
Daniel R. Wetzel, Interim Vice President
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.Neither do
people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it
gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven
(Matthew 5:14–16).
The context in which Alliance churches minister in the United States is changing rapidly. In the
past, American society embraced Christian values. Dr. A. B. Simpson and his colleagues who
founded The Alliancewere able to assume a degree of cultural consensus regarding fundamental
biblical truths that no longer exists. Their concern was to mobilize believers who were unaware,
and perhaps unconcerned, about the condition of lost people in other areas of the world where
the gospel was unknown. At the same time, Simpson most certainly understood the need to Be
Light in North America. He actively reached out to immigrants and others on the fringes of 19th
and early 20th century American society. Leaders in The Alliance, men and women alike, were
involved in a myriad of social and disciplemaking ministries in urban centers. Today, Alliance
churches continue to pursue Christ’s mission across the United States and Puerto Rico with that
same purpose.
Celebration
Evidence of the Holy Spirit’s blessing upon the ministry of The Christian and Missionary
Allianceis abundant. More than 98 percent of the churches in The Alliance completed the
revised 2012 Local Alliance Church Annual Report, so information regarding the effectiveness
oflocal church ministries is morecomprehensive than ever. Last year, there averaged more than
294,000 people worshipingin 2,034 Alliance churches across the United States and Puerto Rico.
Inclusive membership increased over thelevels last reported to General Council by 4 percent, to
equal 454,734 persons. During2012 alone, 33,868 new disciples were brought into the light of
Christ through a profession of faith, and 12,776 people were baptized. A significant majority of
those believers who followed Christ in baptism were adults. The2012 report also indicates that
theAllianceconstituencyis becoming increasingly representative of the multicultural population
in the United States. More than 36 percent of Alliancecongregations are multicultural and better
than 45 percent of the members of The Christian and Missionary Alliance attend those churches.
Every Sunday, worship services are conducted in 36 languages.
Thelight of Christ is shining brightly as the ministry of Alliance churches has prospered in
surprisingplaces with familiar names like Sacramento, California; Cleveland, Ohio; and
Phoenix, Arizona.Just over a year ago, members ofEternal Life Church, a Hmong congregation
in the Central Pacific District, felt God leading them to begin a new ministryin an area of
Sacramento known as Detroit Street. The neighborhood is one of the roughest in the city, so
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much so that it has been designated as a “non-deliverable zone.” (Businesses haverefused to
make deliveries into the area because of the danger to their employees.)Even the police hesitate
to enterDetroit Street without first having made a tactical plan for theirescapeby means of the
neighborhood’s oneprimary road. Thearea, which is home to approximately 3,000 people, is
dominated bygangs, drugs, and spiritual darkness. Animism is the primary religion, and
shamans practice their dark arts regularly.
Members of Eternal Life Church began to reach into the communitybyholding outdoor
meetings in a public park near the entrance to Detroit Street, while others prayerwalked the
streets of the neighborhood. God began to work. One woman confronted a prayer team,
demandingto know what they were doing. She was surprised when she discovered they were
praying for God to bless the community, and she asked for prayer for herself. God answered by
graciouslyhealingherbroken arm and changing her life. Today, the light is beginning to shine
on Detroit Street. People are being rescued from spiritual blindness regularly. The sense of
pervading evil in the area has begun to subside, and Pastor Michael C. Xiong’s coworkers in the
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office havetaken notice. Detroit Street is gaining a new reputation.
A house-church network in Cleveland, Ohio, has experienced asimilarwork of God’s Spirit. The
network started a little more than a year ago with just two small groups. It has grown to include a
dozen house churches with more than 200 regular attendees. These disciples represent a wide
variety of people, including medical doctors from Cleveland Clinic, impoverished residents from
the city’s urban neighborhoods, and middle-class suburbanites. They come from a variety of
religious and ethnic backgrounds. Thenetwork includes people who have immigrated from
Muslim countries as well as those with no previous religious background. Several church
members have been accredited for ministry in The Alliance, and the house-church network is
partnering with Alliance international workers to provide health care in developingcountries.
Achurch-planting effort is under way in Phoenix, Arizona. PastorJodi B.Faison and his wife,
Heidi, moved into the cityto begin an Alliance church in February 2012. When they arrived,
they met Jesse Loredo, a truck driver who had dedicated his life to servingthe poor in a Hispanic
community called El Mirage. Jesse’s first church-planting effort had failed, but together they
decided to try again. In June 2012, Neighborhood Bible Church of the C&MA was started in El
Mirage, using what the church-planting team has called “the body model.” First, acore ministry
team was equipped for evangelism and disciplemaking ministry in the community. After six
months of team ministry, the congregation began to gather regularly at Valley View Food Bank
in the heart of El Mirage. Sunday worship services are now being held with more than 45 men
and women participating each week. A second congregation is being started in downtown
Phoenix. Urban Faith Community Church is in its first phase of organization with acore team of
15 being trained for ministryin the community.
The Redlands Alliance Church (California)was typical of many congregations across the United
States that find it difficult to engage changing communities. After18 months of planning and
preparation—and as a result of the combined efforts ofthe congregation’s fewremaining
members, the district, and an Alliance church nearbythat partnered with the congregation—the
Redlands church determined to make a “Fresh Start.” The Mission at Redlands is now thriving.
There are four services each Sunday. In addition to a revitalized “classical” worship service,
members of the congregation also gather for acontemporaryservice. Two moreservices are held
every Sunday—onein Chinese and another in Japanese—but all four worship services are
multiethnic. The congregation has grown from fewer than 30 people to more than 200 in just a
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few months. In order to experience congregational renewal, many members had to let go of
treasured and customary ways of doing things. However, it has resulted in new life for a dying
church and, more importantly, forpeople from the communitywho were previouslybound in
spiritual darkness.
Several churches in New York and New Jersey were heavily damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
Alliance churches across the country responded by donating nearly $307,000 to assist the
Metropolitan District with its efforts to aid victims of the devastating storm. In addition to these
funds given through CAMA Services (Compassion and Mercy Associates) for relief efforts,
congregations like King of Kings Community Church in Manahawkin, New Jersey, and Light
House Alliance Church in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, cameto the aid of hundreds of
families impacted by Hurricane Sandy. They provided shelter, food, and other necessities as well
as temporary housing for cleanup crews. Through acts of compassion like these, believers
demonstrate Christ’s love and concern forpeople in need and embrace new opportunities to
share the gospel with men, women, and children who may otherwise turn a deaf ear to the church
and to the gospel.
Concentration
Jesus commanded the 12 to make disciples of all nations. Evangelism and church-planting
ministries are thereforeof primary importance. Discipleship begins with a profession of faith,
and disciplemaking starts with the call to repentance and faith. Thus it is essential for districts
and churches to identify open doors for witness in their own neighborhoods and to establish new
congregations in communities lacking a clear evangelical witness. God is to be praised for the
122 new church starts in progress last year. The Alliance has 268 pastors dedicated to church
planting.
Several steps are being taken to renew the commitment Alliance districts and churches have
made to reach lost people by establishing new churches. After several years of decline due in
part to financial constraints, an additional $100,000 was added to the current fiscal year’s budget
for church multiplication grants. TheOffice of Multicultural Ministries completed its first in a
series of Hispanic Church-Planting Institutes designed to prepare pastors for evangelism and
church-startingministries in Hispanic neighborhoods. Twenty-eight potential church planters
participated in the two-year curriculum. Each was required to begin a new church-planting effort
in order to remain in the training program. As a result, a number of new Hispanic congregations
are beginning in the Spanish Eastern, Spanish Central, and Southeastern Districts. Preparations
arenow under wayto provide similar training in English for other multicultural churches and
districts.
Last year, The Christian and Missionary Alliance became a member of the National Hispanic
Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC). The NHCLC is the largest evangelical organization
of its kind in the United States, representing thousands of Hispanic believers and tens of
thousands of evangelical congregations. Membership in the NHCLC strengthens the commit-
ment of The Alliance to evangelism and church planting within this fast-growing and
increasingly influential segment of the U.S. population.
Immigrant communities often are receptive to the gospel, and The Alliance continues to make
progress in disciplemaking ministries within various immigrant communities across the country.
For the first time, theArabic-SpeakingAssociation of Alliance Churches was organized in 2012.
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