Souls vs. Stewardship
Despite a struggling economy that has seen record numbers of churches facing foreclosure, American pastors are more concerned about outreach and evangelism than getting congregants to give more, a study from the Barna Group reveals.
Barna conducted 600 interviews with pastors of Protestant and Catholic churches in the U.S. They were asked about the areas they would most like to see develop or grow in the next year. Nearly half (46 per cent) said they are most interested in outreach and evangelism. Only three per cent mentioned stewardship or giving.
“I was amazed and very encouraged by this report,” said Gerard Long, president of Alpha USA, which commissioned the study, in a press release.
That pastors put evangelism ahead of financial concerns is especially noteworthy given the current economic climate, Long added. Nearly 200 religious facilities have foreclosed since 2008, up from eight during the previous two years and virtually none in the decade before that.
Long said the new study “reflects a changing trend in the church in America. Jesus taught and lived a ‘Go!’ model for outreach. People want to see a more missional side to church, making an impact on society.”
Karen Plater, head of Stewardship at the Presbyterian Church in Canada, isn’t particularly surprised by this view.
“I would agree that ‘people want to see a more missional side to church,'” Plater told the Record. “The most important thing for the church is the impact that it is having on society and how it is reaching out to people. If that is our focus, then giving and stewardship will follow.”
However, a focus on outreach and evangelism shouldn’t replace stewardship, according to Plater. “When a lot of people think about stewardship, they automatically think of money, and money to fund the ministry of the church. This is only a small part of stewardship,” she said. “Stewardship is about how we live our lives … and that includes making decisions about how we spend our time, what we do with our skills and resources, how we care for one another, and how we look after God’s world. I think most of the pastors who say the most important thing is outreach and evangelism, would follow that up pretty quickly with teaching people about how to live as Christ did—and that’s stewardship.
“Stewardship and giving can transform not only the world, but ourselves.” ¦ —PRNewswire and AM
Christians Most Persecuted
The UK arm of Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity, released a report that says 75 per cent of religious persecution is against Christians, making Christians the most persecuted religious group in the world.
Persecuted and Forgotten? was released in Glasgow on March 15, and claims persecution of Christians is actually worsening—particularly in those countries where persecution is the most severe. It also notes a serious threat to Christian presence in Iraq and the Holy Land, and threats from Islamic extremism in North Africa and parts of Asia.
Meanwhile, more anti – Christian violence occurred in Pakistan in March. Two Christians were shot and killed and two were wounded after Muslim youths allegedly attacked them outside a church building in Hyderabad, according to reports in Christian media. ¦ —Aid to the Church in Need and ENI
Zambian Nurse Recognized
Zambian nurse Agnes Lisulo Mulemwa was honored in Geneva in March for helping women in her rural community raise their standard of living, train to become leaders and support health care.
The World Communion of Reformed Churches and the women presidents of regional Swiss Reformed churches awarded Mulemwa the Sylvia Michel Prize, which is named for the first woman to be elected president of a Swiss regional church.
“I am humbled,” Mulemwa told a crowd gathered at the Reformed Church in Murten, for a celebratory service. “It is too much.”
Mulemwa created the Liyoyelo Batik Centre in Senanga, Zambia. The project provides training in income generating skills such as making batik and candles, and raising fruit and vegetables.
Mulemwa works with a network of women called the Anamoyo who are known for their community service in the name of the church. ¦ —ENI
White House Issues Challenge
In a video message in March, President Barack Obama invited American universities to encourage interfaith cooperation on their campuses through community service. The Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge encourages religious and non – religious organizations to partner with local community organizations or houses of worship to tackle year – long community service challenges.
“As a Christian who became committed to the church while serving my community, I know that an act of service can unite people of all faiths—or even no faith—around a common purpose of helping those in need. In doing so, we can not only better our communities, we can build bridges of understanding between ourselves and our neighbours,” said the President.
The best examples of service and cooperation will be recognized by the White House.
¦ —White House Media Affairs Office
Moving Towards Greater Unity
leaders of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, of which the Presbyterian Church is a member, and the Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council met in Geneva recently to discuss strengthening links among their local churches, and agreed to work more closely together on common concerns of justice and unity.
“From our perspective this is to be applauded as it is a step toward greater visible unity among Reformed churches,” Rev. Dr. Robert Faris, executive director?of the Churches’ Council on Theological Education in Canada and a Presbyterian minister, told the Record.
The DECC, a worldwide fellowship of Disciples of Christ/Churches of Christ churches, became an associate member of the WCRC back in June 2010. Robert Welsh, DECC General Secretary, believes the relationship opens new possibilities for creative sharing and increased cooperation.
“We can alert each other on programs of mutual interest, such as consultations on the ordination of women or conferring about our respective dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church,” said Welsh.
¦ —WCRC and AM
