Dear Members of the New York Conference:
I send this message with the firm conviction that covenant is more than words; it is a commitment to be fully engaged in a relationship that requires complete honesty and transparency. Covenantal understanding in the midst of an interim time means that we share as much as we can as widely as we can each step along the way.
Our Church’s Wider Mission giving has been a steady decline over the past ten years—close to 20% while expenses have risen close to 35%. I don’t believe for a moment that this drop in giving has to do with unhappiness with what is happening within the conference or that comes from a stinginess of heart. I believe it a result of both the economic crisis that our whole country is facing and from a shifting of priority in local churches to engage in more hands-on missional projects—a shift in priority that I support and encourage. I don’t see this reduction in giving as a failure or as something that should cause us to despair. I’m mindful that the decisions we will make will have personal impact on person we love and we admire and I want to take this opportunity to personally thank each member of the Conference Leadership Team—Carol Giordano, Rick Cowles, Marian Shearer, Freeman Palmer and Glenda Prins—for their incredible courage and commitment to the conference. Continue Reading