Report of the
Board of Church Extension
The Board is grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord in overseeing the church planting ministry of the BFC. As our country becomes increasingly secularized, the need for new church plants becomes heightened. Opportunities present themselves in the form of church plants into areas which would extend the denominational boundaries, daughter churches of established congregations, ethnic and urban church plants, as well as regional cooperative efforts at establishing new churches. The Board has invested a significant amount of time during the year in reviewing and reassessing the role of the Church Extension Department as it relates to the denomination. The Board has reshaped the job description of the Executive Director and has added the position of Field Director to meet the growing and changing demands of church planting in the 21st century. These recommendations have been presented to pastors and elders in regional forums to solicit their feedback in an effort to build unity for the challenges ahead. The Board envisions a greater partnership with local churches as essential if the BFC is to remain vibrant and growing.
The search begins for a new Executive Director to lead the Department into the 21st century. Because of the importance of this leadership transition in light of future changes in the functioning of the Department and the time needed to seek the appropriate man, the Board has recommended that Daniel G. Ziegler be ratified for a one year extension as Executive Director of the Church Extension Department. He has served in this position since 1968 and during that time has overseen the greatest increase in establishing new churches in the history of the denomination. Numerous churches that began under Dan’s ministry are today healthy congregations committed to outreach and multiplication. Dan’s retirement will become effective upon the presentation of a new Executive Director to the 116th Annual Conference for ratification. We are grateful to God for the favorable resolution to the situation which had developed with the Internal Revenue Service. We give thanks to God that all penalties were abated in full because there had been no intent to avoid paying the taxes and all monies had been set aside in a special account. All interest owed as a result of late payments was paid in full by a personal gift from the Executive Director.
The Board has been pleased to partner with the Board of Missions in the establishment of a “Missions Project Coordinator.” Chris Merrick has taken this responsibility and has overseen work on the property at Staten Island, NY. The partnership continues with the Joint Committe on Ethnic Church Planting. An Hispanic mission in South Allentown is about to be launched during 1998 with the securing of at least sixty five percent of the first year budget and an organizing pastor. The Lord has placed Richard A. Moyer in a strategic position as chaplain of the Atlantic County, NJ prison. This strategic position of ministry, along with Pastor Moyer’s heart for prison ministry, has led to an exciting venture. The “Philemon Project” is a church planting effort directed toward ex-offenders and their families. Pastor Moyer is presently developing a team of workers, counselors, and supporters from BF churches to help with the follow up of the many who are professing faith in Jesus Christ and being released with nowhere to go for growth and discipleship.
The year has not been without its disappointments. Beraca Mission, a Haitian congregation meeting in the former Emmanuel property in Southwest Philadelphia, continues to grow under the leadership of Ebrane Cadet. Because of Ebrane Cadet’s doctrinal differences with the “Articles of Faith,” however, he is no longer pursuing credentials with the BFC. Beraca Mission is, therefore, no longer a BF mission. The Brooklyn, New York Mission is still in need of an organizing pastor. This strong core of believers continues to meet while waiting upon the Lord for the provision of a man.
One needs only to read a sampling of the prayer letters of the Department men, the informative updates, and “It Happened Like This” reports to know that the Lord continues to build His church through the labors of these faithful men and their families. Please continue to pray for them as many of them serve as bivocational church planters. These men and their families are in many ways on the “front line” and are worthy of our faithful support and prayers. The following is a list of the men who are presently serving in the Department of Church Extension:
Aberdeen, NJ (Bayshore). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John C. Vandegriff
Atlantic County, NJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard A. Moyer
Beacon, NY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David R. Way
Brooklyn, NY
Edison, NJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dennis M. Cahill, Richard B. Ravis
Holmes, NY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert S. Commerford
Newark, NJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Delbert R. Baker, II
Ocean County, NJ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dean A. Stortz
Pleasant Valley, NY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David N. Heineman
Red Hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ronald K. Denlinger, D. Thomas Phillips
Scranton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roger L. Reitz
Staten Island, NY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ralph E. Ritter
Thompson, CT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dennis W. Spinney
Upper Pocono (dormant)
Walnutport. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jonathan P. Tait
Resolutions
The Board of Church Extension recommends the following resolution be adopted by the 115th Annual Conference of the BFC:
Whereas, the term of Daniel G. Ziegler as Director of Church Extension expires at the 115th Annual Conference, and
Whereas, the Board of Church Extension has just concluded an extensive re-evaluation and re-defining of this position as it relates to the fulfillment of the Board’s responsibilities into the 21st century, and
Whereas, an effective transition of leadership is essential to the ongoing oversight of existing missions and the establishment of new missions, therefore, be it
Resolved, that Daniel G. Ziegler be ratified for a one year term extension as Executive Director of Church Extension, and further
Resolved, that members of Annual Conference pray for the Lord’s wisdom in the search for a new Executive Director.
Board of Church Extension: Richard E. Taylor, Chairman; David E. Gundrum, Vice Chairman; Daniel G. Ziegler, Executive Director; William G. Schlonecker, Secretary; William R. Singletary, Treasurer; David W. Armstrong; W. Robert Buckwalter; Kenneth L. Good; Robert Schaeffer; Clyde W. Snyder; Robert H. Zentz.