Report of the
Executive Director, Church Extension Department
Daniel G. Ziegler, Executive Director
PLANS FOR HOPE AND A FUTURE
Make plans by seeking advice;
if you wage war, obtain guidance.
Proverbs 20:18
The 111th Annual Conference marks a transition for the Bible Fellowship Church and is a symbol of change. For almost a century, the Conferences have met in the fall, which was probably chosen as the optimum time of the year for farmers — after the harvest.
In 1995 we shall begin a new era of April Conferences. That change may be one of the easiest for a church that is undergoing a number of contextual and internal adjustments, such as living and witnessing in a post-Christian culture, employing newer and more varied worship forms, welcoming, evangelizing and incorporating the varied ethnic and linguistic people groups who are—and will continue to be—part of the United States, opening up to more complete utilization of the spiritual giftedness of women and all lay persons in the ministry of the churches, transitioning in leadership to the “Baby Boomer” generation, effective utilization of new technologies in the work of the Lord, breaking through growth barriers and inhibitors to become larger and more effective and efficient as particular churches and denomination, and becoming skilled in planning.
During the past year, a five-year strategic plan for 1994-1998 called MISSION AMERICA, was completed by a planning group, adopted by the Board of Church Extension and circulated to all the churches and anyone else who expressed a desire to receive a copy.
The plan is comprehensive. It covers all areas of the work of the Department, setting specific measurable, time-tied objectives that will lead to greater effectiveness and growth of our work of establishing new churches. While the plan focuses primarily on what we within the Department will do, we know that we cannot achieve all that it envisions without the active participation and support of the whole brotherhood.
In doing its laborious work, the planning group sought to be informed by the Scriptures, infused with faith and incessant in prayer.
Following the direction of the verse cited above, we deliberated long and vigorously and drew on the counsel of many persons and various published materials.
There are two verses in Proverbs that teach us that our Lord must have control and veto power over our plans and that only what He directs will be ultimately valid and bring glory to Him.
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
– Proverbs 19:20
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
– Proverbs 16:9
We have sought the direction of the Holy Spirit and we believe our plan is consistent with His will.
There are two wonderful planning promises in Proverbs that inspire and encourage us:
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
– Proverbs 21:5
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plan will succeed.
– Proverbs 16:3
Before, throughout and beyond our plans is our Father’s marvelous promise to His people given through His prophet Jeremiah:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
THE WORK GOES ON
While the planning has been happening, the work of church planting and development has been ongoing. Often progress is incremental, sometimes it is dramatic and occasionally there are set-backs and disappointments.
Churches
We have five-fully-formed Particular Churches in the Department. The youngest of these, at Red Hill PA, has already achieved self-support and continues to grow and develop wholesomely. Ron Denlinger and Tom Phillips share the pastoral work. Pastor Denlinger continues to receive some personal support from our partner in this church plant, RHMA.
Two churches are ministering credibly and developing wholesomely in key suburban locations in New Jersey. They are Christ Community Church in Edison, where Dennis Cahill and Rick Ravis comprise the pastoral staff and, to the south, Ocean County church served by Dean Stortz, pastor
Faith Bible Fellowship Church in Holmes, New York is led by Bob Commerford. A recent outflux of constituents from the area has lowered attendance and income. But good programs and assertive outreach should lend to continuing growth at Holmes.
The oldest church, Calvary of Walnutport PA, is in its centennial year. It has been without a stated pastor for more than a year. A candidate under care of the Ministerial Candidate Committee, David L. Cook, has been serving as interim pastor for several months.
MISSIONS
Two unorganized Missions reached the “ten committed families” stage during the year. The Mission at Thompson CT was assessed on May 14/15 and given approval by the Board to form its charter membership roll.
Dennis Spinney is the founding-organizing pastor at Thompson. He has served bivocationally, first in Hillside, NJ then on the planting team at Spencer, MA and since 1991 in Dudley MA-Thompson CT.
The Board of Church Extension has determined that the length of Brother Spinney’s bivocational service and the good progress of the work in Thompson call for him to give his full time to that pastorate. The Board has committed general fund money to provide six months of full support. We seek designated support from churches and individuals so that at least two years of full-time pastoral work may be made possible. The need is for about $1,920 per month in new giving.
The Mission at Pleasant Valley NY, where Dave Way is organizing pastor, is growing solidly. The committed family assessment is scheduled there on October 29 and 30. This Congregation, which averages about 40 in attendance, is outgrowing the Grange Hall where it meets and is praying for a larger meeting place.
Two unorganized Missions are without pastors at present. It has been over 14 months since Roger L. Reitz moved from Somers Point to Scranton. The small group at the shore has stood together faithfully, seeking the Lord for a shepherd. We have approached a number of men about taking up this ministry, but without success thus far. It is doubtful that the work can continue on for long if a pastor cannot be called to Somers Point.
The Upper Pocono Mission is dormant at present. Because the target area is a viable one, we hope to be able to restart this work in the future.
Two New Missions
Two new Missions have begun recently. The target area and name of the eastern Monmouth County mission has been changed from Middletown to Aberdeen-Keyport area and from Twin Rivers Community Church to Bayshore Bible Fellowship Church. The new target area seems to be demographically more compatible for the type of ministry that we anticipate. John C. Vandegriff, Jr. serves as the Organizing Pastor at Aberdeen. The second Pastor, who began with the work, decided to withdraw and did not follow through in seeking credentials with the Bible Fellowship Church.
A recently-completed phone campaign in Aberdeen gathered hundreds of households for a mailing list. Public worship is scheduled to begin on November 6 at the Lloyd Road Elementary School in Aberdeen.
Bayshore is a continuation of the former Grace Bible Fellowship Church of Englishtown. During the year, the property on Tennent Road in Manalapan Township was sold and a new parsonage was purchased in Aberdeen.
Our newest work is in Gilbertsville, PA, where a young independent Congregation, Hope Community Church, has declared its desire to become a Bible Fellowship Church and was received as a Mission by the Board of Church Extension at its September 15 meeting. It is anticipated that a pastoral staff of three men will serve Hope Church: Gil Vining has come from New Life Church in Oley; the other two men, Rick Weidman, who has been Pastor of Hope Community Church, and Rick Knarr are in process of obtaining BFC credentials.
About nine years ago, we did a demographic study of the Gilbertsville area. While it was, and is, a growing area that appeared ripe for a new church, the time did not look right then, so we did not proceed. Now the time is right.
Both Bayshore and Hope churches will target unchurched persons in the “baby-boom” and “baby-bust” generation. We shall watch their progress with expectation as we pray for their success.
Organized Missions
We have three organized Missions in urban areas. Delbert R. Baker, II, has planted the Congregation in Newark NJ and served as its Organizing Pastor for over 18 years. The congregation continues to increase and mature as the saints grow in grace and new disciples are added to the Fellowship. While the Congregation is still predominately African-American, the Lord has been broadening and diversifying the group to become more representative of a very cosmopolitan city. Most of the recent additions to the membership roll have been young adults.
The Newark, NJ mission is characterized by a participative style of worship, overt evangelistic outreach and very active programs to meet the great and varied needs of people in the city. The need for a larger meeting place to accommodate continuing growth is acute.
The Staten Island, NY congregation, under the pastoral leadership of Ralph E. Ritter, also ministers to a group of people who reflect the ethnic-linguistic-cultural variety of its North Shore neighborhood. Work crews and ministry teams from several of the churches have helped the small group to reach out and to prepare more rooms for educational use.
A large Mexican population in the West Brighton-Port Richmond area is spiritually needy and may provide the opportunity for a new Mexican mission which could share the facilities with the present congregation. Pray for us as we look to the Lord to open wide a door of opportunity for us among this Mexican people group.
Calvary Church in Scranton PA has “taken off” in the year that Roger L. Reitz has served as its Pastor. Much work on the property has been accomplished by several work teams from other churches. A strong phone campaign and some fresh new programs have moved the work forward. Worship attendance is running in the mid-40’s now, more than doubling last summer’s average of 21.
A Chinese Bible Fellowship Church?
In New York City’s “Third Chinatown,” in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn, a new ministry has begun among first generation Cantonese and Mandarin speaking Chinese immigrants to the US. Led by Wayne and Lois Pauley, Bible Fellowship Church Missionaries serving with International Missions, Inc., this is the first work under a new co-operative agreement between the Board of Missions, the Board of Church Extension, and IMI, with input from our Intercultural Ministries Study Committee. The church-in-formation is being overseen directly by IMI with the expectation that it will become a Bible Fellowship Church.
The Pauleys are using English classes and “cultural coaching” as means to engage newly-arrived Chinese people and to earn the opportunity to share the Good News with them and make them disciples of Jesus. Two or three have already professed faith in Christ. Sunday worship and weekday Bible classes supplement the English classes at “New Life Center“, a small store front in the area.
Pray that the Lord will soon bring to the work an ethnic colleague who can become the permanent organizing pastor of this exciting mission.
Spencer Mission Closes
After a period of decline, and upon the recommendation of Pastor Christopher J. Morrison and the New England Team, the Mission at Spencer, MA has been closed.
Three important lessons to be learned from this closing may be:
1. The importance of finding a good meeting place. The area on the high second floor of the old and dingy Sugden Building was far less than ideal.
2. The importance of unity of the core group. When it came time to form the membership roll, the group “came apart” along the lines of the various ideas and expectations of the people.
3. The importance of freeing the bivocational church planter for full-time or most-time pastoral work. With long hours in a demanding secular job, it is impossible for a man to sustain for very long, a balancing act of few hours for ministry to congregation and family.
The Morrison family will continue to live and work in Spencer for the foreseeable future.
Please pray with us for one or more church planters to join the team in that Tri-State area in the near future. We have several potential needy target areas in view. We believe we shall do better with a new start in another town than we would in attempting soon to restart the work in Spencer. Until an evangelical church has been established in Spencer, however, we shall not close our hearts to that spiritually needy town.
The closing of the Spencer Mission and the recent death of the Englishtown Church remind us that, just as a family on earth will die out if it does not continue to bring new children into the world, so also a denomination will eventually die if it does not continue to give birth to new congregations.
LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
A year ago, the 110th Annual Conference resolved that the focus of this Conference “be primarily on vision and strategy for the future and spiritual revival.” In the spirit and toward the intent of that resolution, permit me to make some observations about how the Bible Fellowship Church will change in the years just ahead.
Should the Lord tarry, the Bible Fellowship Church will change substantially in the next 10 to 20 years. There is no living thing on earth that does not change. To remain as we are now is impossible.
Our context will also change. In the face of societal and cultural changes, our choices are three: to be reactive, inactive or proactive. Inaction is not a valid choice. God has called us to action.
In a world where “evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse”(II Tim. 3:13), some reaction to growing evil is called for. But knowing the Gospel, the power of God to bring new life through that message, and His desire that people be saved and brought into His Church, we need to resolve to be proactive — declaring and pressing that message, yearning and seeking the growth of Christ’s true Church.
Since the status quo is not a continuing possibility, there are really only two viable scenarios for the Bible Fellowship Church in the next decade or two. The first is decline and possible dissolution. Some churches grow old, decline and die. Because of costs and other contextual factors, today’s smallest churches may not be able to survive tomorrow. Churches that do not win and incorporate people from successive generations will cease to be. As the number of churches and members decrease, the agencies will not flourish; one-by-one they will languish, decline and expire. The missionary presence of the Bible Fellowship Church in the world will diminish and eventually cease when the last aged missionary, long since bereft of most or all of his or her support, dies or is forced to return home. A few churches may survive and continue on their own for a time or gravitate to other denominations. The archives will crumble to dust and the BFC will be forgotten.
The second scenario is one of vigor and growth. In 2004, there are 100 congregations with an aggregate membership of 10,000 to 12,000. By 2014 there are more than 25,000 members in over 200 churches. This is a glorious mix of colors, languages and cultures in this dynamic denomination. There are large churches and small, with varying styles of worship and innovative programs — but all “one in hope and doctrine, one in charity.” The old agencies are flourishing and new ones have arisen that could not have been imagined twenty years ago. Some regional agencies have been added and are meeting real needs. Pinebrook Junior College has been reborn in a new educational institution. Churches exist and minister from coast to coast and border to border, and into Canada. The impact of the Bible Fellowship Church in world evangelism and church planting is profound.
Now, of course, there are degrees of possible fulfillment of these two scenarios, and between them there lies the dismal prospect that we would be but a hollow copy of what we are today.
The outcome among the two scenarios will likely be determined by choices we make now and in the next few years. If our choices are merely reactive or myopic, we shall not meet or approximate Scenario II. We must be deliberately proactive and visionary.
CHOICES FOR POSITIVE CHANGE
In a resolve to refrain from being prescriptive, but not necessarily from being provocative, I ask what choices could we make now that might lead to Scenario II? I suggest seven:
1. Determination to make a cultural shift. This has already begun with the Intercultural Ministries Study Committee. But it will take great commitment and hard work to make it a reality. I believe that few churches have so far done very much to identify and reach out to resident people groups in their communities. And there has been very little commitment of resources, especially dollars, to enable us to form new ethnic churches.
2. United agreement to make a geographical shift. A majority of our churches exist in a “Bible belt”, where evangelical believers and churches far exceed average national distributions. We should move into places of great spiritual need. The states with the lowest proportions of church attenders are Washington and Oregon (which are also hotbeds of New Age adherence). New Jersey, New York and New England all are far behind eastern Pennsylvania in evangelical presence and impact.
In the next decade, economic power and population will continue to shift to the west and south. Population growth of Pennsylvania between now and 2000 is projected at 4%, one of the lowest in the nation. In the next decade, Texas and Florida will both surpass New York, presently second in population. Other population hot spots will be New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington (especially the Seattle area), northern California, North and South Carolina (particularly Charlotte, Ashville, the Research Park area and the coast), Savannah, Georgia. Many of these regions will grow by 25-50% by 2004. It is somewhat easier to plant new churches in growing areas, if they are needy, and strong churches in economically booming places will have the ability to give generously to the support of the BFC movement.
3. Aggressive evangelism. When I was a youngster growing up in the Mennonite Brethren in Christ, we used to hold open air meetings and cottage prayer meetings as means of evangelism. The Sunday school, cradle roll and home department were unabashedly evangelistic. Every year there was an evangelistic crusade or two in our church, and in summer we would take our Sunday evening meetings out to a nearby park. Camp meetings at Mizpah Grove included huge gatherings on Sunday evenings and the Fourth of July when two to three thousand people would crowd under and around the open-sided auditorium. There were often public confessions of Christ at the close of those meetings.
If those means are no longer effective or acceptable, what have we put in their place? I am encouraged to find that others share my concern, for a survey of BFC leaders and ministers last year indicated that 90% of us believe that evangelism should have higher priority.
4. Overt calling and recruiting of adherents to membership commitment. Recent conversations with elders of two of our stronger churches revealed that those two, with an aggregate membership of 329, could count at least a total of 170 credible Christians who regularly attend worship but are not members. I have heard BFC pastors say, almost proudly, “I have never asked anyone to join my church.”
I hold that every believer should be a member of a church and that none can be all that God wants him or her to be without that membership. We should invite, court and woo them into membership. We should press that suit with the Boomers and Busters, who seem to ignore or resist commitment.
5. Planning: If we fail to plan we are really planning to fail. There is nothing in the Bible against planning. Indeed, the examples and parables of our Lord and His apostles hold up to us as instances of cost-counting, commitment and accomplishment: soldiers (including a general-king), builders, farmers, housewives and stewards (managers of households or businesses). None of these employments can be effectively or efficiently carried out without careful and thorough planning; and neither can the work of the Church. Planning focuses our vision and our prayers on goals worthy of our working and believing.
We may and should hope and pray for the Holy Spirit to bring a spiritual awakening to our needy land. Until He does, building the church will have to come by the “old fashioned way” — planning and hard work. And if that gracious awakening is given, churches that have planned will be able to enjoy greater reaping because they have planned.
6. Sacrifice for building our home base.
In order for the BFC to be the vibrant, fruitful Church of Scenario II, we shall have to become united in our enthusiasm for what we believe together (the Faith and Order) and the things we do together. We shall have to devote far greater resources to building-up this movement than we are now doing.
Ten years ago the churches assembled at the One Hundred First Annual Conference agreed that they ought to double their giving to build our home base by new church formation, and they adopted that as a goal. It has not been achieved to this day! Until the churches become sufficiently sacrificial that they will give at least 5% of their total offerings to extend the BFC, we are likely to limp along rather than run in establishing many new churches. The Church may at some time be benefitted by a denominational executive or a unified headquarters building, but those measures should be seriously considered only when we have become positively sacrificial about building our US base. I believe the latter will ease the way for the former.
Sacrifice means also that we “give of our sons to bear the message glorious.” In recent years, Bible Fellowship churches have not been sending enough of our young men into the ministry to replace those who have retired and died. This is not to knock those who have come to serve as pastors with us who were not raised in the BFC. Had many more pastors come forth from our churches and had we been uniformly sacrificial in giving to extend the church, we would still have needed every man who now serves in a Bible Fellowship Church and more. We need to challenge our best committed young men to consider the ministries of the pastorate and church planting as they think of their life’s work.
And we should be willing to send forth laypeople from our churches to become part of new churches — and bless them as they go!
7. We should pray. When we become aware of people who are as sheep without a shepherd or who comprise a ripe harvest field, we should pray for reapers (Matt. 9:38). And, like the apostles who were first directed so to pray, we should be ready and willing to be among those reapers.
There may come times when, as now, other faithful Churches are flourishing while we languish. While we should gladly accept what the Father sends us, and continue to be faithful servants, we ought not be fatalistic about this. We should examine ourselves.
We should recall such statements in the Scriptures as: “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (Matt.13:58) and “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt.6:21) and “According to your faith will it be done to you” (Matt.9:29) and “… How often I have longed to … but you were not willing” (Matt.23:37).
We might pray the words of Fanny Crosby, which I have heard sung hundreds of times as an invitation hymn for salvation, which it is not. With just slight alteration, we may pray it plurally:
Pass us not, o gentle Savior, hear our humble cry;
While on others thou art smiling, do not pass us by.
Let us at a throne of mercy find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition, help our unbelief.
Trusting only in thy merit, would we seek thy face;
Heal our wounded, broken spirits, save us by thy grace.
Thou the Spring of all our comfort, more than life to be,
Whom have we on earth beside thee? Whom in heav’n but thee?
Savior, Savior, hear our humble cry;
While on others thou art calling, do not pass us by.
Amen!
FOCUS GROUPS
During the month of June, it was my privilege and joy to meet with pastors and others from most of the churches in eleven regional focus groups to interact with the Department’s five-year strategic plan, MISSION AMERICA. For the most part these meetings were positive; the response to the plan was mostly enthusiastic.
There were some criticisms, each voiced by just one or two persons, that might merit some discussion by this Conference. These included:
1.The planning document did not contain citations of Scriptures.
2.The plan was too reliant on a business model and procedure and would likely not be understood by our people at the grass roots.
3.Rather then project five-year goals, they should be announced just one year at a time.
4.The MISSION AMERICA plan, not different from WIDER HORIZONS, will not have its goals any better achieved than did the earlier plan.
5.There was no provision for meaningful input, approval or ownership of the plan by the churches.
6.There should be a higher proportion of planned new missions within present BFC territory and fewer projected new church starts in more distant areas. (The plan projects a majority of new starts at or beyond our present fringes; the suggestion was that at least 2/3 be within present borders).
7.More time should have been given for the churches and people to come to understand and be committed to the plan. It was suggested that implementation of the plan be deferred till the 112th Annual Conference in April, 1995.
It would be appropriate at this Conference for us to take some time to discuss these and/or other questions and issues pertaining to MISSION AMERICA. The plan will be monitored and goals and time lines may be fine-tuned as the five years progress.