A Sower went out to Sow and as he Sowed...
T E X A S
A N N UA L
CO N F E R E N C E
2016
Sower PA R A B L E O F
T H E
Since its formation in 1968, the Texas Annual
“I knew if we were going to break down silos and begin a more holistic approach to creating sustainable congregations, I needed to develop a spiritual kinship with the congregations by first honoring all the seeds that had been faithfully sown over nearly 50 years,” Bishop Huie observed. Bishop Huie set a goal to visit all 671 churches. She met with church leaders and listened to their concerns and their needs. What she heard repeatedly from congregation to congregation was a desire to reclaim the faith of a resurrected community of believers who take root in the good soil and make the life of Christ visible all around.
Conference of The United Methodist Church has
They wanted to nurture their deep missional, Wesleyan
been characterized by a growing number of healthy,
roots and grow the Church. There was also frustration.
vigorous, welcoming congregations discerning how to
Fertile soil was gradually overgrown; fields were fallow.
live out God’s purpose. Church leaders have been
They could express what they wanted but lacked the
breaking ground, plowing, nourishing, and nurturing
knowledge and resources to get there.
every manner of soil – rocky, scavenged by birds, or
Many congregations understood that for the Church –
choked by thorns – because of their hope and confidence
whose very essence is transformative change – merely
in the good soil that underlies all – God’s power and grace
maintaining is a sure prescription for failure.
fully present in the person of Jesus Christ, that is
“I wanted to create an environment in which congregations
transforming the world.
could discover anew the centrality of change at the heart of the Gospel and their own purpose. I also hoped that
When Bishop Janice Riggle Huie was assigned to the
leaders would explore their role in initiating adaptive
Texas Annual Conference in September 2004, she was
change in the Church,” reflects Bishop Huie.
determined to get to know the churches and leaders in
Sowing Seeds is an apt metaphor for initiating change:
the conference as quickly as possible.
sowing is an act of change and expectancy. Seeds unite past and present in hope for the future.
G round BREAKING
Ground must be unsettled before seed can be planted
Out of these recommendations, the model for ministry
or the new can grow. In breaking ground we turned and
titled “Bound for Greater Things” realigned resources to
tilled and plowed – we questioned and discerned and
support local congregations. We explored ways to help
examined – not only because the Church cannot continue
church leaders keep questions of purpose at the center
to operate the same way and expect different results, but
of their congregational life. “What is the Church for?”
because our faith calls us to make the soil better suited
“What proof are we to others that Christ lives?” “Are we
to receive the Gospel seed that transforms lives. Like a
reflecting God’s presence in our work?” Bishop Robert
family farm, how can we tend the soil so that it will be
Schnase’s Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations was
inexhaustibly regenerative?
adopted as a guide for local churches to ask and respond
To fully support our congregations in living the
to those questions.
dynamism inherent in our Christian faith, conference
To develop measures of fruitfulness for each church, lo-
leaders knew they had to initiate their own process
cal church data was collected and reviewed in five areas:
of change, as well. They explored the difference between
1. Average Worship Attendance
management (“Are we doing things right?”) and
2. Baptisms
leadership (“Are we doing the right things?”). They
3. Professions of Faith
pushed measurements of their work out beyond technical
4. Hands on Mission
competencies to adaptive possibilities, shifting desired
5. Apportionments Paid
outcomes from “growing membership” to “healthy congregations with the imagination and resources to do God’s work.”
A new era of accountability began. Dr. Susan Beaumont, Senior Consultant at the Alban
Knowing where to put resources, for example, is
Institute, was asked to assess how our structures were
predicated on a deep understanding of purpose. Bishop
enabling us to achieve our vision and mission. Her report
Huie worked with the Strategic Mapping Team that
included recommendations to strengthen interactive
included both lay and clergy leaders to realign conference
relationships among conference groups. The Strategic
resources and create the infrastructure to support local
Assessment, led by consultant, Dr. L. Gregory Jones,
congregations – because that is where lives are changed.
outlined specific goals and assigned responsibility to
The Team made bold recommendations.
Centers within the conference and, in some instances, to
•
local churches. The report highlighted a four-year focus
The number of districts was reduced from 12 to nine and funds reallocated to support the local church.
on three areas:
• The Core Leadership Team was created to implement the vision of the annual conference and to assure accountability.
1. Cultivate Growing, Fruitful, Missional Congregations
•
2. Form Transforming Lay and Clergy Leaders
3. Invest in the Young
Conference offices and committees were restructured to serve the mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
• Conference ministry areas were reviewed and held accountable for fruitfulness. Those that were no longer serving the purpose of the church were sunsetted.
Sowing SEEDS
Without the planted seed, there will be no growth. As we gathered and assimilated new knowledge and laid the groundwork for the systems needed to implement and sustain this paradigm shift, we asked, “What are the seeds that will lead to the most bountiful harvest for the congregations in our conference?” Sowing seeds requires disciplined, creative leadership. Our discernment process renewed our commitment to a principle of effective leadership. We combined an unremitting commitment to purpose and an equally relentless determination to examine everything else – and eradicate, modify, or create – to align with our overarching purpose.
S O W I N G
S E E D S :
Clergy
LEADERSHIP
ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP In her church visits, Bishop Huie became acutely aware of the large numbers of churches that needed “turn around” leadership. It was also clear that the conference had areas of fast growth that were ripe for new church starts. The skills necessary for those leadership roles aren’t necessarily taught in seminary. The attributes identified were an entrepreneurial spirit, “out of the box” thinking, risk-taking, giftedness, and diversity. A specific goal of increasing the number of clergy under the age of 35 was established.
EMERGING LEADERS I N I T I AT I V E To grow or attract these “out of the box” thinkers, a four-part initiative was developed to reach young people at different stages in their faith journey.
1. Texas Youth Academy: a two-week advanced discipleship summer program for high school sophomores and juniors
2. College Pastoral Intern Project: 10-week summer internships for college students that provide an opportunity to walk in the shoes of a local church pastor
3. Ambassadors’ Grants: funds are provided to promising young pastors to repay debt incurred by seminary expenses
4. Advancing Pastoral Leadership: five-year program of transformational leadership development provided to young pastors who demonstrate the highest potential
EMERGING LEADERS E N DO W M E N T To support the Emerging Leaders Initiative, an endowment has been established to raise funds that would be protected from budgetary fluctuations to assure the initiatives would continue to provide leaders for the future of our church.
MISSION FIELD APPOINTMENTS The effort to better serve the local church required not just a focus on developing a pool of talented clergy leaders to draw from but also a reassessment of the appointment process. That process had to include matching the gifts and graces of each pastor with the needs and mission field of the local church. Local churches needed help in becoming more aware of the context of their mission field to “care for all souls” who live in the community and those who live in communities that don’t have a United Methodist Church at all. The process needed to change from a focus on the career path of clergy – from a small church, to mid-size to large – to a focus on the needs of the community the local church serves.
S O W I N G
S E E D S :
Lay
LEADERSHIP
C E R T I F I E D L AY M I N I S T R Y Across the conference, but especially in the North, Northwest, and East Districts, Certified Lay Ministers provide a vital addition to local church ministries. CLMs usually provide ministry in a part-time or volunteer role in a variety of formats in addition to preaching. According to The Book of Discipline, “The Certified Lay Minister is to preach the Word, provide a care ministry to the congregation, assist in program leadership, and be a witness in the community… as part of a ministry team with the supervision and support of a clergy person.”
A N N UA L CO N F E R E N C E & DISTRICT TRAININGS After 2012, the planners of annual conference shifted the agendas from reporting to a focus on learning, fellowship and worship celebration. Much of the necessary reporting began to be done in the pre-conference meetings in order to free time at annual conference for exposure to new ideas of worship and mission. A “take home” worship guide was created to share worship concepts between conference churches and to promote the best practices in the denomination. Each year after the adoption of the three foci, the conference agenda targeted one of the three with examples of successes in those areas that could be shared back in the local church. At the district level, trainings are regularly held to offer a smorgasbord of classes and workshops to support and encourage lay leadership in the local church.
LAITY UNLEASHED Laity Unleashed was developed by lay and clergy leaders to provide “an intensive experience for the lay person who yearns to live out God’s call in an extraordinary way.” It is an 11-week study built around clergy- and lay-led weekly sessions committed to enabling each participant to find his or her highest calling. Laity Unleashed continues evolving to adapt to the needs of lay people to consider and address schedules and travel concerns..
S O W I N G
S E E D S :
Churches
Vibrant CHURCH I N I T I AT I V E
Many churches in the conference expressed a need for revitalization and a fear that if nothing changed their church would no longer be sustainable. A new model was developed that included a measure of how receptive a congregation was to change. VCI requires a congregation’s commitment to take a hard look at current fruitfulness and they are supported by a consultant who walks with the church through a journey that leads to vibrancy.
New CHURCH
Beginning in 1954, the majority of funds to start new congregations were invested in land that was held as an asset for the newly formed church. These start-ups were bare bones with little more than a box of hymnals and a cross. From 2006 to 2016, we shifted away from initial land purchase to more fully invest in the up-front costs of new churches.
S TA R T S
The reality is, in some cases, it is necessary to invest in both. The Texas Annual Conference has experienced starting a new congregation where, by the time the congregation is self-sustaining, they are literally priced out of the land market. Planting new faith communities is a risky business. Of the 46 that have been started since 2006, some have thrived and others have not. We have learned from both our successes and our failures. The strategy for starting new churches has evolved to respond to new realities. In 2016, new church starts began being funded through apportionments. Investments will be made in both land and start-up costs. The conference will have a greater commitment to providing long-term support to assure success. A new model of second campuses has emerged. This model provides much needed connection and support to allow pastors to focus on church planting and not so much on survival and administration.
Legacy
CHURCHES
These churches were once vibrant, fruitful and missional but no longer have the membership and resources to sustain themselves. Recently, a number of those churches voted to declare themselves legacy churches. In some cases, they have closed and transferred their assets to offer Christ to new generations. In others, there has been a “rebirth� of a newly formed congregation.
M ission & V I S I O N
The people of the Texas Annual Conference are not just mission-minded, they are mission-driven and they have been tested. In 2005, Hurricanes Rita and Katrina and in 2008, Hurricane Ike devastated large regions of the annual conference and did billions of dollars in damage to our communities. We responded in full force. Volunteers traveled from one end of the conference to the other offering time (tens of thousands of volunteer hours), their treasures ($2.9M) and their talents (cleaning, repairing and rebuilding). In the process, we learned a great deal about the need for readiness and training. When we learned that malaria kills a child every minute in Africa and that a simple $10 mosquito net is the best
At the 2012 Annual Conference, Bishop Huie challenged every congregation to invest in the young by partnering with their local school in a way that fit their community needs. That challenge provided the initiative that some churches needed to take a closer look at their neighbors and neighborhood schools. As part of the development of the strategic plan, a need emerged to help all churches within the conference engage in more effective mission: beginning in our own backyards and then going beyond. Questions were asked and funding was evaluated in the context of the “transformation of the world,” both near and far. It became clear that in many cases, our outreach leap-frogged the changing communities around our churches and extended across a continent. Sometimes it was difficult to see the immigrant workers waiting on the corner for work or the children in the public school just across the street who come to school hungry every Monday morning. At times, we didn’t see the growing poverty around us.
prevention, we began a campaign that reached every
Often, we didn’t see the cultural changes happening right
congregation. Fundraising creativity was boundless –
in our neighborhoods. Now, we are developing a more
from a Vacation Bible School project in Groves called
intentional focus on Hispanic and multi-cultural ministries
“Nickels for Nets” to selling chances to throw water
including an apprenticeship program for multi-cultural
balloons at the pastors in Bellville. The Texas Annual
ministers. A holistic vision for equipping, training and
Conference contributed over $1.25 million dollars to the
supporting local churches for mission emerged that now
effort that became known as Imagine No Malaria. We
embraces the full spectrum of need: disaster response;
learned the power of partnering with other organizations
local, national, and international empowering and
to achieve a remarkable goal.
relational mission; and justice advocacy.
Youth & Young A dult M I N I S T R Y
Investing in the young has included a shift in the way youth and young adult ministry is done, moving from one focused on pizza and games to one that is built on theology and sustainable relationships. In response to this movement, a new level of importance is being placed on endeavors like the Texas Youth Academy, Certification in Youth Ministry and ventures by whole congregations into neighborhood schools. There is a need to be bold and unapologetic about our efforts in making disciples through partnering with the entire local church. While statistics continue to be disheartening for both the United Methodist Church and the generations being labeled, “nones” and “dones,” we must take risks and experiment to reach those that today seem unreachable.
REAPING THE
Harvest
The sower is keenly aware that small seeds scattered on good soil, with time and care, can yield abundantly. • We have more clergy under 35 than any conference in the U.S. • We have raised over $4.6 million dollars in our Emerging Leaders Endowment to sustain our investment in future clergy leadership. • Covenant Glen UMC needed additional space to serve their vibrant growing congregation – FUMC, Houston had available space on their second campus – they formed a unique partnership allowing both churches to use the outstanding facility in a location that has great potential for growth. • Currently, there are 56 Certified Lay Ministers in the TAC. “In the North District, Certified Lay Ministers are making a huge difference by being able to fill pulpits weekly in the absence of pastors and long-term in churches that are unable to sustain a full or parttime local pastor. As we move into the future, more small churches will only be able to survive because of this integral part of our ministry team.” – North District Superintendent Rev. William Taylor
•
St. Paul’s UMC, Houston is supporting an effort titled Project Curate that was created to bring together people from many backgrounds – age, economic level, and race – to learn from each other in holy conversation to build understanding.
• Laity Unleashed has inspired 32 lay persons to live out their faith in a powerful way and plans for the next group is well underway. Rev. Nancy Kellond shares, “I see this as a journey toward a deeper knowing of our true self, the strengths and gifts God created in us and our calling to use those gifts.” • Almeda UMC is now home to a new church start, Abiding Faith UMC, which regularly worships about 110. • Forty-seven churches are in some phase of Vital Church Initiative. “Since we began VCI, from July 2013 - September 2015, we gained 88 new members which is a 25% increase from previous years. Each week we average four new visitors per service, and those are just the ones that sign in,” shares Kim Johnson, Lindale UMC.
• St. Timothy’s UMC is now home to St. John’s Northwest UMC which worships over 300 people on Saturday mornings at 11 am.
• Manvel Grace UMC became a legacy congregation and eventually transformed into the second campus of First UMC Pearland.
• Since 2006, there have been 46 new church starts. Ten of these are second campuses, formed as a way of reaching new people in new places.
• Currently, there are 13 Hispanic apprentices learning to serve in a multi-cultural world.
•
Mallalieu UMC is transferring its property to the Texas Annual Conference with the understanding that it will be sold and the funds set aside to start a new African American congregation.
• Trained Intentional Interims are being deployed to support clergy in educational and spiritual formation endeavors and to ensure ongoing congregational excellence in the pastor’s absence while on sabbatical. • Galveston Central UMC is experiencing a rebirth while celebrating the 131st anniversary of the church. “It’s been exciting to see the new life emerge in this historic location,” exclaims South District Superintendent Rev. Kip Gilts. •
CrossRoads UMC is the wonderful fruit of a spirit-led merger between ChristWay Community Church and Cokesbury UMC creating a strong multi-cultural church.
•
Westbury UMC had a passion to bring the Gospel to un-churched in their community who were not likely to walk through their doors. They sent a young pastor to live in an apartment community and be the Church to her neighbors, creating an intentional faith community.
• Funds were raised to start Justice For Our Neighbor clinics in both the Houston area and Tyler. •
Creative experiments designed to reach into the mission field, beyond the church walls are ongoing at many local churches including a ministry being developed around dinner called
“GastroChurch.” •
Models are being developed to assist churches in creating outreach to their Hispanic and other neighbors from whom congregations were becoming increasingly detached.
• •
Gethsemane campus of St. Luke’s UMC, Houston provides space to the Juvenile Probation Department for their officers to meet with young probationers. Church members act as mentors on a weekly basis. The campus also supports reVision, a break dancing ministry that has a life of its own and shares space with a charter school. Focus on their mission field has led over 50% of TAC local churches to develop relationships with their local public schools that include mentoring, after school programs, week-end backpacks to assure students have food away from school and many other creative efforts to support neighborhood schools. “Our multi-faceted approach to partnering with our local school, Jackson Elementary in Rosenberg, has led in four years to a double digit increase in scores in both math and reading in all grades,” reports Rev. Ben Trammell of Faith UMC.
•
The majority of TAC districts have organized into quadrants or “hub” groups to encourage pastors to collaborate, support each other and share resources to their respective mission fields.
• Aided by the United Methodist Church’s global “No More Malaria” campaign, deaths from malaria have been reduced by 50% in the last decade. • In the last several years, TAC members have supported over 65 Zoe “Working Groups” in Africa, Asia and Central America. Those groups involve almost 5,000 orphans whose lives have been dramatically changed. •
Construction is underway in Conroe for The Mission Center to serve as a supply, equipment and training facility so that we are ready to respond when disasters occur. The Center will also help with training volunteers in a new model of missions that focuses on relational empowerment. This model aligns with the new model being promoted by the General Board of Global Ministries called 50/50 Partnerships. Rather than going and doing for, it’s about doing with – partnering with local people to listen to their needs and planning resolutions and improvements together with their participation in all phases of the project. The intended result is that the community will be stronger and better able to be self-sustaining in the future.
The plentiful harvest comes through the faithfulness of the sower. The harvest of the Texas Annual Conference was brought about by those who were willing to break ground and dig into what we were already doing, to discern what was fruitful and what was not. Our sowers were risk-takers who were unafraid to try new strategies, to learn from mistakes, and to change direction when necessary. Sowers know that small seeds can become a foundation for transformational change – for the conference, individuals, congregations, communities, and the world. We want to be a part of that change, a part of God’s yield. So while we are proud of our success, we understand its importance is in the difference it makes in God’s ongoing repairing of the world. As we discern and grow into God’s design for us to work purposefully and generously, the Texas Annual Conference will continue to sow seeds that grow into places of grace that offer the Good News of the love and presence of God and show the true satisfaction of a life lived for others.