Report of the
Strategic Planning Committee
The Strategic Planning Committee met five times this year to move toward integrating the specific goals and objectives of the particular churches and agencies of the Bible Fellowship Church.
As a result of the Strategic Planning Committee’s presentation to the 1996 Annual Conference, the committee specifically noted the following:
1. Denominational assistance and counsel is needed for local pastors.
2. The relationship between elders and pastors can have tremendous impact on the ministry of the local church and, hence, on the denomination.
3. A serious need exists for leadership development for both local churches and the denomination.
4. Regionalization would strengthen local fellowships as it extends the ministry of the denomination overall.
5. Some “regions” already exist in the denomination.
Much consideration has been given by the Committee regarding the regionalization of the denomination. Studies have been completed of three other denominations with similarities to the Bible Fellowship Church to determine how they function with regions. Our findings show a positive impact in all three denominations as a result of regionalization.
Without desiring to reinvent the wheel, the committee reviewed the ministry already taking place in the Bible Fellowship Church by “regions” or groups of churches. Though activity and focus varies from group to group, a significant amount of work is already being done by these groups of churches.
For example: The pastors of the Lehigh Valley Bible Fellowship Churches meet monthly for prayer and discussion as well as quarterly for a pastor/pastor’s wife luncheon. The churches share resource materials, ideas, and prayer concerns. Together they provide a corporate Good Friday service and Praise Celebration.
The pastors of the New York churches meet monthly as the “Mid-Hudson Team” with the goal of ministering to the needs of their brothers, corporately promoting the Bible Fellowship Church in the Mid-Hudson region, and being a matrix by praying, promoting, and planning for areas of church planting in that area. Promotion includes such corporate events as baptismal services, retreats, and missions conferences.
The Capital Region Consortium (eight churches from mid-Pennsylvania to Delaware) have joined together not only for fellowship and encouragement, but also specifically for the purpose of mutually supporting missionaries. A monthly prayer and interaction time has proven to be of great value to this fellowship of pastors. Plans for church planting, regional activities, and shared efforts to approve and send missionaries with primary funding from these eight churches have all proven to be of great success. The Consortium is by far the most developed region in the denomination.
Other groupings of churches exist as well. The purpose of these groupings and the extent of each group’s structure and affiliation varies, but our findings show that some regionalization is already taking place within the denomination with positive results.
After prayerfully considering our findings, we believe that regionalization of the Bible Fellowship Church would strengthen the local church, our pastors, the fellowship between churches in a given area, and the denomination as a whole. Such regionalization could promote a greater sense of belonging to a part of the Body of Christ beyond one’s own congregation, a strong base for missions outreach and church planting, a nurturing atmosphere for younger and struggling churches in a region, and a forum for greater fellowship between sister churches.
With this in mind, we submit the following resolution to the Annual Conference for its consideration:
Whereas, it is God’s will that the ministry of the Bible Fellowship Church be strengthened to more effectively minister to our nation and our world, and
Whereas, numerical growth as well as the expansion of the geographical perimeters of the Bible Fellowship Church require change in leadership structures to carry out such ministry, and
Whereas, growth and leadership potential can be enhanced by the joining of mutually-connected churches within our larger fellowship of churches, therefore, be it
Resolved, that the 114th Annual Conference of the Bible Fellowship Church direct the Strategic Planning Committee to prepare legislation for regionalization in the Bible Fellowship Church at first reading for the 115th Annual Conference.
Strategic Planning Committee: Robert A. Sloan, Chairman; Richard T. Paashaus, Secretary; Daniel P. Allen; Raymond R. Dotts; Ronald W. Reed; William R. Singletary; Richard E. Taylor
An Addition to the
Report of the Strategic Planning Committee
In response to the mandate given by this Annual Conference to study the administrative structure of the Bible Fellowship Church and bring recommendations back to the 115th Annual Conference, the Strategic Planning has developed the following three stage approach:
Stage One: Leadership Summit
The Strategic Planning Committee will meet with past and present key leaders of the denomination including some of our agency heads to discuss pertinent issues related to evaluating, streamlining, and possible restructuring of the Bible Fellowship Church administrative structure. The Strategic Planning Committee will provide participants with questions for consideration prior to the Summit and will take the input from that meeting into consideration for future planning.
Stage Two: Leadership Forum
After reviewing the findings gained in the Leadership Summit, the Strategic Planning Committee will conduct an Open Forum with all Bible Fellowship Church leaders during the 1997 Ministerial Convention, September 30 and October 1 to gain further input and to present models of possible restructuring.
Stage Three: Committee Work
During the coming church year, the committee will study and synthesize their findings and will prepare proposals relating to the possible restructuring of the administration of the Bible Fellowship Church for presentation to the 115th Annual Conference. This may include development of a model of cooperative efforts between agencies and will include the concept of regionalization.
We value the input of the members of Annual Conference as we continue our work and ask that your ideas be forwarded in writing to the committee secretary.
Strategic Planning Committee, Daniel P. Allen, Chairman; Richard T. Paashaus, Secretary; Raymond Dotts, Ronald Reed, William Singletary, Richard Taylor, Dana Weller