I love being part of the Presbyterian Church; I love the biblical basis and Christological focus of our confessional life represented in Living Faith. But if Living Faith connects us theologically, Presbyterians Sharing, the church’s national fund, ought to connect us practically. I’m not sure, however, that it does.
It seems to me that many congregations feel disconnected from Presbyterians Sharing, and, feeling disconnected, don’t support the national and international ministries conducted under the Presbyterians Sharing umbrella to the extent that they could. Every year, we struggle to meet the budget; in 2009 the amount given by congregations was more than $100,000 less than expected. Now I know that many congregations gave generously and that some congregations gave sacrificially, but there are still too many congregations who remain indifferent to Presbyterians Sharing and whose support is half-hearted. While we talk loudly about being Presbyterian, we don’t always follow that through in practical ways.
I don’t think I ever quite “got” Presbyterians Sharing until I needed its support. In 2000, I was appointed director of pastoral studies at Presbyterian College, Montreal. For six years I was involved in the ministry of pastoral formation, helping to shape students who now serve as ministers across the denomination. But my teaching ministry was possible only because of the grant given annually to the college by Presbyterians Sharing. My point is that Presbyterians Sharing is not an abstract, boring budget cooked up by a bureaucratic, self-serving cabal based in Toronto. Presbyterians Sharing is the means which allows theological teachers to prepare future ministers for the church; Presbyterians Sharing is the means that allows dedicated men and women to serve around the world with partner churches, the means used to produce all sorts of helpful materials that nurture the faith of the children, young people, adults, and elders of our congregations. I could go on …
No doubt if I were in charge of the Presbyterians Sharing budget, I could find inefficiencies; I might also question the legitimacy of a program here or there, for not every issue which the denomination addresses is of vital concern to me. But surely that ought not to weaken my commitment or cause me to dilute my congregation’s capacity to support it. My priorities in ministry are never going to be exactly those of anyone else, and thankfully, the vision of the national church is more diverse than mine. I also need to make sure that my demand for the perfect doesn’t get in the way of the good.
Presbyterians Sharing is an opportunity. It provides a practical means of doing what none of us can do alone. So let’s all get behind it. And as we give to Presbyterians Sharing on a weekly basis, let’s pray on a weekly basis for some particular ministry carried out under its umbrella. Prayer, money, local, global, faith, works — let’s not separate what was intended to be integrated as one.
