The Executive Minister’s Office
The Executive Minister oversees shared Baptist mission and ministry in Atlantic Canada. The Executive Minster works closely with the Convention Council to provide the vision, direction and accountability necessary for the effective undertaking of the direction given by the Assembly to both the staff and the agencies of our Convention. In addition, the Executive Minister takes direct responsibility for certain aspects of our shared ministry, some of which are described in this section. The Assembly elects the Executive Minister to a renewable five-year term.
Click here to download and read a letter from the Executive Minister (May 26, 2009)(PDF, size: 416 KB, requires free Adobe Reader application).
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE!
We are living in interesting and challenging days for Christian denominations in Canada. One of the greatest challenges is anticipating the future and making wise decisions which position our Convention family to thrive and grow. Dr. Gregory Jones (Duke Divinity School) claims that if denominations want to thrive in the future it will mean “confronting crucial questions that enable us to clarify mission, vision and strategies and thus become willing to lead adaptive changes within our institutions.” The problem with this in the minds of many people in Atlantic Canada is that it involves the idea of change! Change is never easy and most often brings with it a sense of upheaval and loss. Changing long held patterns of living or functioning is a painful process. Dr. George Bullard met with our Convention Senior staff and challenged us that in our present condition we are a “dying” denomination. We have not been planting new churches as Convention Baptists and we are currently seeing more and more churches closing their doors for good. If we deny there is a problem and continue doing business as usual it will result in the continuous decline of the Convention. It would seem to be more prudent to anticipate the future and seek a better way forward and do as Dr. Gregory Jones suggested, clarify our mission, vision and strategies and thus become willing to lead adaptive changes within our institution.
Over the past few weeks a series of focus group meetings throughout Atlantic Canada have been held with leaders to discuss the Senior Staff Review and a proposal for a possible new staffing arrangement designed for future growth. The meetings have been very helpful and we have received excellent feedback to shape and inform this process of preparing for the future.
In each Focus Group Meeting we have outlined the reasons for talking about change. A number of things have converged to become contributing factors in doing a formal review of Senior Staff at this time. There has been a transition in leadership with a new Executive Minister in the Convention. Our staff compliment has changed with Dr. Gardner and Dr. Fawcett going to Acadia Divinity College and along with the reality that four of the seven Regional Ministers are due to retire this year. Council has given the Executive Minister the mandate to place a freeze on all new five year Senior Staff appointments during this interim time. During this time we must conduct a formal review of all Senior Staff positions and bring a final recommendation to Council by November, 2010.
The review process began by discussing with all Senior Staff the current and future needs in our constituency and to receive suggestions and ideas. Convention Council also received submissions from people asking that we consider intentionally staffing to promote better care of our pastors and their families. An online survey of pastors was conducted with a very positive response and approximately 32% of pastors filled out the survey, this provided important information about the health, stresses and spiritual lives of our pastors and families. A second survey was conducted with church leaders asking about the various ministries that our staff offer to the churches. While the second survey had a slightly smaller response it was helpful in giving more feedback in the review process. In late January we brought in Denominational consultant, Dr. George Bullard to meet with our senior staff and to make recommendations. George is with the Columbia Partnership a group of church and denominational consultants based in North Carolina. George has been in Atlantic Canada meeting with our Baptist family in the past and was able to offer some helpful guidance. In an article, Bullard writes:
Many national denominational organizations in North America are dying. The causes and signs of their demise are obvious, but few are choosing to make wise decisions to morph into 21st century denominations. Too many are choosing to recommit to old patterns or suicidal patterns of denominational life.
After receiving the report from Dr. George Bullard and, after consulting the data received to date the Executive Minister drafted a proposal for a way forward which outlined a new staffing arrangement. During the month of April and May a series of focus group meetings were held in major centers across the Convention family to share the proposal with a number of pastors and leaders in the Convention and invite feedback. The focus group sessions were well received with a very positive response to the proposal and the overall direction. Certainly there were concerns expressed at these meetings about a sense of loss that might be experienced if we change from our current Staff arrangement.
There are some definite warning signs that the Convention is in decline and that now is the time to anticipate the needs and find a way forward. In the Focus Group meetings the following concerns were noted:
- We have declined from over 600 churches to under 500.
- We have done almost no church planting in the past decade (as a denomination).
- UIM giving is flat or in decline.
- Inflation eats away at ministry dollars and support for our agencies.
- Young couples enter ministry with greater student debt and often end up serving churches which can only afford minimum salary.
- Our survey reported that 25-30% of Pastors struggle with stress and burnout and some have considered leaving the ministry.
Dr. George Bullard reminded us that any denomination that is not planting 3% of its existing churches in any given year is a denomination that is dying. As we move forward we must begin to give priority and emphasis on new congregations and helping existing churches to revitalize and transform to become missional agents in their given communities. Leadership development is a key component of any plan to impact the future of our denomination.
Certainly we have pockets of health and this article is not meant to paint a doom and gloom picture of our Convention. Yet we need to prayerfully think about the future and seek a way forward that will glorify God and provide growth and health for our churches and the Convention family.
There are several key areas which have been identified as priorities in staffing. The following areas will factor heavily in the way in which we arrange our Senior Staff compliment in the future:
- The spiritual and pastoral care of clergy and clergy families.
- Church Planting and New Congregations.
- Church Revitalization/Missional Churches.
- Leadership Development/Leadership Networking.
It is important to note that any new staff arrangement will change the way we currently do things. At several of the Focus Group meetings people challenged us by saying, “Don’t just rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.” In other words people warned that meaningful change must happen and in such a way that we can resource the Staff to do the job they have been called to do. But please note; if we make changes to focus on key priorities Regional Ministry as we know it will change. This was discussed at the Focus Group meetings and a number of people expressed concern that the Regional Ministers are the “Face” of Convention and if somehow their ministry changes or they are taken away we will lose a vital connection with our churches. All of the comments and concerns of people are being taken seriously and must be balanced with those who say if we are not willing to do things differently we will continue on a course of decline with more and more of our smaller churches losing visibility.
This brief article is meant to continue an important discussion of our future as a viable Christian denomination and an agent of the Kingdom of God in Atlantic Canada. We would welcome your questions, comments and concerns. Please know that we will continue to share information and keep you informed as we move along in this process. We would covet your prayers for wisdom, sensitivity and courage as Convention Council seeks the mind of the Lord in all of this.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Pastors Survey Report CABC Churches.pdf | 112.14 KB |
| Survey Results - Assessing Current and Future Ministry Needs.pdf | 106.85 KB |
| Survey Summary.pdf | 41.21 KB |
