Home
Mission Coordinators Explore New Ministry Directions
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (April, 2000) - A new organizational structure for the Department of World Mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) was a key area of focus during meetings that concluded here last week, involving country and regional coordinators and other representatives of Covenant mission worldwide.
ECC representatives conducted a number of workshops, including financial management by Elliott Johnson, ECC controller, assisted by Byron Amundsen and Brian Weld; developing news coverage of various Covenant ministries by Don Meyer, executive director of communication; and strategic planning by Cathy Barsotti, chair of the Board of World Mission. Jarry Richardson and Cheri Auman conducted sessions on member care concerns and David Stockamp addressed home assignment issues. Accompanying photos show Barsotti and Meyer during their workshops.
Decentralization and empowerment were key themes addressed by World Mission Executive Director Jim Gustafson, chief architect of the new World Mission organizational structure that seeks to tie decision-making more closely to the geographic areas where ministries actually operate.
"The old World Missions paradigm suggested pictures of mission outposts out there in the mission fields, directed by centralized authorities," Gustafson explained. He observed that using language like "our mission fields" implies our ownership of those ministries, "when in fact they're not ours – they're God's."
Gustafson pointed out that the new paradigm drops the "s" from World Missions, reflecting Gustafson's belief that ministry today is truly one global effort - one world, one mission.
This new World Mission structure reflects four key characteristics:
Decentralized:
- Decision-making at the local level
- Bottom-up flow of information
- Lateral (not hierarchical) organization
- Participatory processes
Focused:
- Decision-making is done in a local context
- Emphasis on local leadership
Interactive:
- Centered on broad-based communication
- Committed to a group process
- Dedicated to the survival of the best ideas
Process/broker oriented:
- The process is conducted in a local context
- There is a brokering of information from outside resources into the local organization – linking with outside groups for research information and resources
Not only is the structure of ECC World Mission changing, but the department's five strategic objectives likewise reflect a broad view of worldwide ministry:
- Planting contextualized churches
- Training grassroots leaders
- Enabling local churches to provide holistic ministry
- Developing appropriate organizational structures
- Moving in partnership in mission with national churches in the various areas
"We talk about America as the center from which mission goes out," Gustafson observed. "Mission is not something out there someplace, and it is not directed by headquarters in Chicago," he stressed. Rather, "the offices in Chicago (affectionately referred to as 5101) are the service center for global mission – every Covenant department is part of that one, whole mission," Gustafson continued. "We need to realize that we are one church and that we move into the world with one mission. It's one turf. We move together."
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
