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MAY 2016
mission engagement and support team
May 4, 2016
As a result of the restructuring decisions last week, the Mission Engagement and Support team (formerly known as the Funds Development Ministry team) has reorganized its regions. Linda Carter, who had served as a mission engagement advisor for the Young Adult Volunteer program, has now assumed responsibility for the Midwest Region. You’ll see six regions on the map, with email addresses for each mission engagement advisor, so that you can be in touch with them about your engagement of constituents in those regions. This restructuring helps to balance the number of individual donor and congregations among the regions. If you have questions about this restructure or our fundraising efforts in general, please feel free to reach out to Tamron Keith or Rachel Yates.
APRIL 2016
FROM HUNTER FARRELL
April 29, 2016
Today, the PMA board approved the proposed 2017-2018 budget. For the mission agency as whole, revenues and expenditures are balanced at approximately $63.5 million for each of the two years, a reduction of about 15% from the 2016 budget.
By God’s grace, the approved budget does not require us to recall any mission co-workers, as long as we continue to remain on track to hit revenue goals for the next two years. We are now beginning to process reappointment and extension actions where we have completed annual evaluations and supplements. We will be in touch if we are missing any paperwork needed to move forward.
While we give thanks that the approved budget does not require us to end the service of any mission personnel, we are saddened to report that three Louisville staff positions were eliminated, and one was modified. Our Reconciliation Catalyst, Shannon Beck, will be leaving us. Bryce Wasser and Patrick Alyea, on the Equipping for Mission Involvement (EMI) team, will also be leaving. Out of respect for the privacy of Louisville staff affected by the budget decision, we ask that you keep their departures confidential. We have asked Anne Blair to accept a new position that is a combination of key functions in recruitment and the work of Bryce and Patrick. We will be sending out the updated assignment of responsibilities to help you know who to contact as needs arise. Rachel Yates is providing leadership for the Mission Personnel Team as we recruit for a replacement for Nancy Cavalcante, and she will be providing you with that position description as soon as we begin the recruitment process.
Through your intentional connection with congregations, mid-councils, and individuals last year, and the hard work of the Funds Development team and World Mission staff in Louisville, Presbyterians across the denomination joined with us in support of your ministries. As a result of their generosity, more than 21,000 gifts were made for mission co-worker sending and support. We far exceeded our revenue goal for 2015, so we are able to carry forward a good portion that giving.
We are sending notices out to many constituents today, but you also might wish to share this good news personally with your supporters, mission networks, and global partners. As you do so, please express our deep thanks for the support they have shown us during a very challenging time. Last year, we all worked together with amazing results. But, we must maintain that momentum. Because you have made multi-year commitments to ministry, we are developing new tools to encourage supporters to make multi-year commitments.
I give thanks to God for the good work of staff, both those who are leaving us and those who continue, and I’m grateful that World Mission is being given this opportunity to continue your ministries with our global partners, with the support of so many U.S. Presbyterians.
With you in Christ,
MARCH 2016
uPDATE FROM RACHEL YATES
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
We are moving forward with Easter hope, and we are heartened by the connections you share with us from around the world.
I want to share updates on some small matters. First, for those of you who manage project or program funds, we continue to have problems preparing the automated monthly reports out of Raiser’s Edge. Because of an upgrade to a related system, the reports still are not being generated correctly. The IT group believes they are getting closer to a solution, but we’re not there yet. If you have an urgent need for information, please reach out to your area’s Mission Specialist.
Some of you asked about whether annual ministry updates are required as part of your year-end review. These are no longer being requested, and we have now updated the quiet site and forms to reflect this. A special ministry update might be requested from time to time, but you’ll be notified directly if this is the case. While the annual ministry update is not necessary, the process of reflecting on your ministry for the year, including progress toward goals or challenges, is still a beneficial one. Whether you document this reflection in a letter or for your internal use, you’ll probably gain some insights from the exercise.
As you might have heard, the Funds Development team is in the process of a matching gift challenge. We’ve heard your questions about how this works. A gift made either to general mission personnel support, or to a particular mission worker’s sending and support account, will be matched with the same amount of dollars into the general sending and support account. So, if an individual or congregation makes a gift to you, it will be matched in the same amount for the general account. You do not receive the direct match to your personal account. There are many reasons for this approach. Some are logistical: it is hard to trace the precise timing of an individual’s gift to know whether it came in before the match goal was reached. We would be somewhat arbitrary if we tried to match some gifts to particular mission co-worker accounts, but excluded others based on imprecise timing. It is fairer to everyone if the matched gift goes into a general pool, where it can help all mission co-workers together.
If you are asked questions about how the matching gift challenge works, we hope you will communicate how much support is needed at all levels. Most individuals and congregations accept this approach quite readily. We also have worked with Funds Development to clarify the matching gift challenge language. We expect this will reduce the number of inquiries you receive, but let us know if questions continue.
Finally, I’ll note that we are still moving along with the budgeting process. As requested, World Mission prepared and submitted multiple iterations of its budget for 2017-18. This is being combined with the proposed budgets for other ministry areas and shared services. The hard work of creating a single, balanced budget will be happening over the next several weeks, in order for the mission agency to submit its request to the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, for consideration during the last week of April. Please continue to pray for all in the mission agency, as we pray for you and our global partners.
Rachel Yates
Associate Director for Program
Presbyterian World Mission
FEBRUARY 2016
DIRECTORS OFFICE: NEW DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES and PMAB ACTION ITEMS
Greetings from Louisville! As we start our Lenten journey, we face both the cross and the empty tomb. We never have one without the other. Mindful of this duality, let us strike out on our path together, sharing in both the suffering and the joy of our Christian faith, with each other and with the world.
I am writing to respond to questions about the new structure in World Mission and to provide news from the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board’s recent meeting.
First, some of you have asked about the new division of responsibilities between the Director and Associate Director positions. Roughly, it is broken down as ... continue reading
FUNDS DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
We are celebrating the news of the successful fundraising efforts for 2015. The press release with more detail on the numbers can be found here. In short, the fundraising goals were not only met, but were exceeded in significant measure. We give thanks to God for inspiring such generosity among Presbyterians, congregations, and mid-councils and their affirmation of the roles you fill in God’s mission. Continue reading
JANUARY 2016
mcw COMMUNICATION REGARDING LETTER WRITING
Greetings from Louisville! As we start the New Year, I have much for which I am thankful, and your service with Presbyterian World Mission is high among those reasons. Looking back at 2015, we saw a lot of changes in our World Mission programs and people, and this coming year portends more of the same. Through that, you have played a faithful role in God¹s mission, and I am grateful for your ministry.
In 2016, we are confident that the ministries of our global partners will continue to be urgently needed. We value your role in that work and the unique gifts that you bring to the partnership. But, your ministry does not operate in isolation. Continue reading
INTRODUCTION FROM RACHEL YATES, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR PROGRAMS FOR pRESBYTERIAN WORLD MISSION
Dear friends and colleagues,
For some of you, I am writing to introduce myself. For others with whom I’ve worked over the last two years, I am simply saying “hello” in a new capacity.
On January 4, I became the new Associate Director for Program for Presbyterian World Mission. This position includes many of the job functions that Greg Allen-Pickett had as General Manager, a position that no longer exists in that form. Together with Tamron Keith, the new Associate Director for Administration, we hope to have a smooth transition in this new structure.
It is an unequivocal joy and privilege to be working among you all. Previously, I was the Church Support Associate (CSA) for the West Region of the U.S., on the Funds Development Ministry Team. In that capacity, I shared your stories and ministries with congregations from Colorado to Hawaii. I read your letters with enthusiasm, followed your blogs, and watched your videos. I told congregations that I was a “story junkie” because hearing – through you—how God was working in the world and in the midst of our global partners’ ministries was a constant source of delight for me. Some of your stories reveal struggles, pain, and sorrow, but the faithful way in which you engage those problems from a deep faith is a strong witness to God’s glory.
For the next few months, if you need help with congregational contacts in the Western US, please contact Rene Myers (rene.myers@pcusa.org or 502-541-9758), who is the Regional Development Manager for the Mid-West Region. She will be a wonderful resource to assist with your funds development efforts.
Because of my previous role as a CSA, I feel like I already know most of you, even if it’s only been on paper or by email. It will be a pleasure to get to know each of you now in person, as I travel to you and as you visit in the US. Of course, your Regional Liaisons and Area Coordinators will have the most intimate knowledge of the specific projects and partners with which you’re engaged, but I hope to be a resource for you, as I can. Let’s stay in touch as we move into 2016 together. I can’t wait to hear the stories of how God will use you all to accomplish amazing thing this year.
Gratefully,
Rachel Yates
Associate Director for Program
Presbyterian World Mission
DECEMBER 2015
NOTE FROM HUNTER with message to pma staff from tony de la rosa
I’m sharing with you this note from the Presbyterian Mission Agency's new interim Executive Director, Tony de la Rosa. In it, he informs PMA staff that we are not able to provide 3% cost of living raises in 2016. Due to the size of the budget challenge we’re facing in 2016, we decided last week that the decision would apply to all PMA staff, including our mission co-workers, in order to generate the maximum savings possible. This is a change from what we wrote to you earlier this year and I wanted you to be aware of this.
We have had some large, unexpected gifts from congregations and individuals come in the last 2 months and we continue to give thanks to God. I’ll be sharing preliminary financial information as early in the new year as possible.For now, with the rest of the world, we wait for the coming of the One Who makes all things new, even the Church.
With you in Christ,
Hunter
the affordable care act and what it means for you
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a law designed, in part, to extend access to affordable health care coverage to more Americans. Two of the requirements of this law are:
• Large employers are required to offer health care coverage to their employees who work 30 or more hours each week and to report that information the IRS each year.
• Health care providers are required to report coverage provided to the policy holder and their dependents to the IRS each year.
What This Means for You
On or before February 1, 2016, employees of PMA, OGA, and Hubbard Press who work 30 or more hours each week will receive Form 1095-C from their employer which confirms whether or not your employer offered health care coverage. Employees offered coverage are ineligible for any tax credits for health care purchased on the ACA health care exchange.
All employees enrolled in the medical plan offered by Board of Pensions, regardless of the number of hours they work each week, will receive Form 1095-B from the Board of Pensions on or before February 1, 2016. This form will be used to prove that you were enrolled in mandatory health care coverage and not subject to any noncompliance penalty.
If you receive one or both of these forms, you should keep them with your other tax information, such as your W-2 form. You or your tax preparer may need them to file your 2015 taxes.
For more information about Form 1095-C, contact Joe Edmiston in Payroll. ACA compliance requirements can be found at www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/ or www.irs.gov.
News and updates
Click here for more information related to the following:
- Programmatic expenses reimbursement year-end deadline
- W-2's
- Emergency phone
- General Assembly: Search for MADs!
- MPT Holiday vacation schedule
- Newly appointed Mission Personnel
- Travel
Reflection
a reflection by Frank Dimmock
Continue reading
Passport Change
Frequent overseas travelers might want to check their passports! The U.S. Department of State will no longer add visa pages into U.S. passports beginning January 1, 2016. Adults running out of space for new visas in their 28-page passports will have to pay $110 for a new passport of either 28 or 52 pages. Until the end of this year, you can still pay $82 to have an extra 24 pages stitched in.
NOVEMBER 2015
Letter from Hunter | November 3, 2015
This letter went out to all mission personnel and was personalized to include the income for each position during the years of 2012, 2013, 2014 through Sept. of 2015.
OCTOBER 2015
IMPORTANT!!!
2015 Year-End Financial Deadlines
ANNUAL ENROLLMENT DEADLINES
The annual benefits enrollment period is the one occasion each year when employees have the opportunity to select their benefit elections for the next year. All benefit changes will be effective January 1, 2016. You do not have to re-enroll in current plans – the only exception being Flexible Spending Accounts. If you wish to participate in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for 2016, you must complete a new enrollment form and return to Katie Rhodes no later than October 27, 2015. Click here for more information regarding optional benefits.
News and updates
Click here for more information related to the following:
- New Interim Executive Director announced
- New Mission Personnel
- Itemized receipts
- Important financial end-of-year deadlines
- Mission Connections holiday letter deadlines
- Annual enrollment for benefits effective as of January 1, 2016
- Online IA calendar tip: Don't let the calendar think all your events are with the same host ...
- Mission Personnel reviews
- Housing guidelines
- Online training resource
- Continuing education application
- Student enrichment scholarship
- International travel
- Contact information change
Reflection
a reflection by Rachel Anderson
Continue reading
august 2015
A letter of gratitude and transition from Greg Allen-Pickett
August 4, 2015
Colleagues in Mission:
Most of you know that I finished my seminary courses in May and have been certified ready to receive a call as a pastor in the Presbyterian Church. While I really do love my work with Presbyterian World Mission, for some time I have felt a tug on my heart towards congregational ministry. Over the past few months, my family and I have been discerning a new call from God. It is with a mix of great joy and some sadness that I share this news with you. I have been called to serve as the Mission Pastor and Director of Global Mission at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. My last day here will be Friday, November 20 and I will start this new call on Sunday, November 29. This gives World Mission four months to seek a new candidate for my position, get someone hired and in place, and perhaps even have a few weeks of overlap with me before I leave.
My co-workers have taught me how to share good stories of how I see God at work in my life and in the world. I’d like to tell you a story about three of the most meaningful years of my life. In June of 2012, I was invited to come work for Presbyterian World Mission, and I felt God was calling me and my family into this adventure. I attended GA in July, and then started the first week of August. I had no idea what God had in store for me, but I jumped into this new role full of hope and some trepidation.
The past three years have flown by. In that time I have seen God do some pretty amazing things right here in our offices in Louisville, and around the world. Presbyterian World Mission has gone through some profound transitions in my time here, and I consider it a blessing to have walked with our staff during that transition.
I have never met a more committed and caring group of people as the staff that work here in Louisville and our mission workers serving God all around the world. You all are a big part of the reason that I come in to work each day. It is an incredible privilege to serve alongside each of you, and each of you have taught me something about myself, and something about how God is at work in the world. I will always be grateful for this time that we have worked together.
This was one of the harder decisions I have made in my life. I truly love the work that I do with Presbyterian World Mission, and I tell people all the time I have the greatest co-workers in the world, both those here in Louisville and those serving around the world. Leaving my work and call here at World Mission, and leaving you, my incredible co-workers who have become my friends and family, is not an easy thing to do.
While I am excited for my new call to serve a local congregation, and I look forward to sharing some of that excitement with you over the next few months, now is a time for me to reflect with gratitude and humility on the incredible three years I have spent laboring alongside each of you. Together we have tirelessly worked to participate in different facets of God’s mission and bring God’s kingdom reign closer. I have been inspired by your deep commitment to sharing the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ and working for God’s justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, and I hope that I have been able to play a small part in that through my work.
I have grown a great deal in my faith in the past three years. I attribute that growth to the time I have spent with each of you and with our global partners. You all have shaped me, and I am grateful to each of you and to God for the person I have become in the three years I have spent working with you in World Mission.
“Thank you” is not sufficient for me to express my deep gratitude for the three years we have spent working together, for the patience and grace that each of you have shown me, and for the joy it has been to serve alongside such a committed group of people. But given the limitations of our language, “thank you” will have to do for now. I will continue to hold each of you in the center of my prayers and ask that you pray for me and my family during this time of transition. May God’s peace which passes all understanding surround and embrace all of us as we continue God’s work together.
Your Brother in Christ,
Greg Allen-Pickett
General Manager, World Mission
july 2015
July 2, 2015
Dear Mission Colleagues,
In the April 23, 2015 meeting of the World Mission Leadership Team, a joint recommendation by the Funds Development Ministry Team and the Mission Connections Team regarding Annual Ministry Updates was approved by leadership.
· As of July 1, 2015, mission co-workers will no longer be required to write an Annual Ministry Update.
· World Mission still encourages all mission co-workers to write an annual update, which could count as a quarterly Mission Connections letter or as an additional communication for their Mission Connections profile page.
· Funds Development will introduce the Special Ministry Update (SMU), and will invite mission co-workers individually who
- i. have benefitted from a special Funds Development initiative like a matching gift challenge, or
- ii. are related to or involved with a special project like the South Sudan Education and Peacebuilding Initiative, or
- iii. are invited for a particular reason (e.g. geographic or CGI campaign-related).
The process for inviting mission personnel to write, and for producing the Special Ministry Updates is as follows:
* Funds Development will seek approval from the appropriate area coordinator to invite a mission co-worker to write a SMU.
* If the area coordinator approves, Funds Development will invite a mission co-worker to write an SMU, copying the area coordinator, the regional liaison and Michelle Lori. The instructions are available here and The Funds Development staff person will also direct the mission co-worker to the Special Ministry Update page of the Mission Personnel Quiet Site to find instructions.
* Funds Development will give the mission co-worker a timeline of 1 to 3 months from the invitation to write an SMU to a finished product. This timeline will include a due date for a first draft that takes into account the mission co-worker and Michelle’s availability.
The writing and production process and staff involvement will be as follows:
* Mission co-worker writes the SMU and sends to Michelle to review content.
* Michelle works with the mission co-worker and the original staff person who requested the update to develop a final SMU.
* Staff person who initiated the request approves the final SMU and notifies Michelle.
* Michelle sends SMU to Catherine Cottingham for copy-editing.
* Catherine sends SMU to Bryce Wasser.
* Bryce formats the SMU using the template created by Funds Development with Creative Services, and sends to original staff person who requested the SMU, copying the mission co-worker, the area coordinator and regional liaison, and Nicole Gerkins for Funds Development’s records.
* On a case by case basis, and with Funds Development’s approval, Mission Connections will post Special Ministry Updates to Mission Connections profile pages.
As time permits, Mission Connections will post the Annual Ministry Updates that were written and submitted for 2014. These 2014 Annual Ministry Updates may count as one of the required Mission Connections letters if you request it, and as long as the criteria for Mission Connections letters is followed. This will be done to provide additional communication about/from mission co-workers and to honor their time spent on these updates.
The the instructions for the Special Ministry Update are found on the Special Ministry Update page of the Mission Personnel Quiet Site. These instructions can also be downloaded here.
If you have any further questions about this new process, please contact Michelle Lori, Chris Roseland or Nancy Cavalcante
Thank you, Your Colleagues in World Mission and Funds Development
July 10, 2015
The following was sent to all MCW on behalf of Nancy Cavalcante on Friday, July 10, 2015:
Dear Colleagues,
The following announcement was made today. This structure will be in place as there is a search for a new Interim Director for the Presbyterian Mission Agency. We wanted to be sure you all are informed.Grace and peace, Nancy Cavalcante
Earline Williams and Barry Creech have been selected by the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Executive Committee to co-manage the Presbyterian Mission Agency until an interim executive director is identified.
“The Executive Committee is very pleased that Earline and Barry are willing to serve together as temporary co-managers,” said Marilyn Gamm, chair of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board. “They not only bring a breadth and depth of Mission Agency management experience but are also dedicated servants of the church who are well respected by staff.”
Earline Williams has been the deputy executive director of Shared Services and chief financial officer for the Mission Agency since July 2013 and is a ruling elder in PC(USA). Prior to joining the national staff, Williams had worked for more than 30 years in the finance, government, non-profit and business sectors as an executive.
Barry Creech is currently the director of policy, administration and board support and has served on the national staff in various leadership roles in the Executive Director’s Office and Communications since 1989.
“I am exceedingly grateful for Earline and Barry, trusted and talented colleagues” said Linda Valentine. “They will provide steady leadership during this time and will continue to be a blessing to the Mission Agency and the church.”
Earline and Barry will assume their new roles effective immediately and will serve for the coming months until an interim executive director is identified.
The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board has sought recommendations from across the church for the interim executive director role. This individual will be responsible for leading the Mission Agency until a permanent executive director is identified.
“We offer our thanks and appreciation for the Mission Agency staff and the outstanding ways they inspire, equip and connect the church in its mission,” added Gamm. “They have continued to give of their time and talents as the church seeks to serve Christ’s mission in the world.”
june 2015
News and updates
Click here for more information related to the following:
- Linda Valentine Resigns
- Change in Funds Development Staff
- House of Rest
- Mission Haven
- Risk Management Coverage
- Student Enrichment Scholarship
- Planning Calendars
- International Travel
- State Taxes
- US Federal Income Taxes
- Contact Information Changes
Reflection
a devotional reflection by Juan Sarmiento
Continue reading
may 2015
STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGEMENT, a note from greg allen-pickett to all mission personnel
May 22, 2015 | Download PDF
Colleagues in Mission:
A warm and heartfelt greeting from Louisville! I hope and pray this email finds each of you well. I want you to know that you are in the center of my prayers over the past few months as we have been communicating with you. I have also received notes of encouragement and prayers from many of you, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me. The bonds of Christian family are strong in this team, and I am so grateful to be a part of it.
I know that we have sent out a number of messages over the past month with some challenging news. Together with some colleagues here and some mission co-workers, we decided to think positively and proactively about the challenges we are facing. Over the past few weeks, I have sent out a request to a number of mission co-workers asking them for their top 3-5 tips, strategies, or ideas for how to most faithfully engage with US congregations and individuals. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive and when I get these emails from our mission co-workers, it has really been a bright spot in my day.
I present to you: 77 ways to engage and invite participation in God’s mission as a Presbyterian mission co-worker. This is a list compiled straight from suggestions sent to me by your fellow mission co-workers. It is long, so go grab a cup of coffee, pop some popcorn (or whatever is the appropriate snack food in your locale) and dig in. Or read a few at a time and then come back later, whatever works best for you.
You will notice some repetition in the list. I really just cut and pasted the ideas and sorted them in to broad categories, so the repetition represents repeated ideas shared with me by the mission co-workers.
Here is what I am hoping, that this list will inspire you with new ideas for how to engage with US constituencies, affirm some of the ideas that you are already doing, and give you some proactive ways to connect more deeply with US congregations and individuals. This is not a “to-do” list, but instead is a hopeful list of suggestions and ideas generated by your colleagues to be shared as “best practices.”
I know that not everything on this list will work for every person, that is not the point of a list like this. I also recognize that these things will take time. We communicated that at least 10% of each mission co-workers’ time can be focused on engaging with US constituencies. If you have questions about that, either the time commitment or the impact on your partner, feel free to email me back or talk to your RL or Area Coordinator.
I would also love to hear your creative ideas if you don’t see them represented on this list. Tell me about ways that you have successfully engaged with congregations and individuals, and we will add those to the list!
Thank you for your commitment to our partners and God’s mission in the world. I truly consider my work with all of you as a great blessing in my life.
Greg Allen-Pickett
General Manager, World Mission
LETTER FROM HUNTER WITH SAMPLE COMMUNICATION TO SEND TO YOUR CONTACTS AND NETWORKS
May 8, 2015
Dear Colleagues in Mission,
Last week you received an email that contained a letter signed by almost all the former moderators in the Presbyterian Church asking for support of World Mission during this funding crisis. This is the biggest funding shortage we’ve faced in the past 40 years and we must work together to preserve the legacy built by the hundreds of mission co-workers who came before us. The responses we’ve received from the church give us hope—one former moderator sent in a gift of $1000 and a church in South Carolina yesterday sent us a gift of $110,000—its largest gift to date.
We committed that we would give you some tools to communicate this funding shortfall to your contacts and networks to invite them to support World Mission.
There are some very specific things you can do to help:
• Please personalize an appeal and share it with your contacts, networks, friends and family members. Several of you have already shared beautifully moving and personal appeals on social media and we’d encourage all who are able to do so. Feel free to use this sample and/or to cut and paste from these messages as you write your appeal. When you can, send an email to Tammy Warren in the communications department with the number of people you have contacted so she can keep track of the number of people who receive letters.
• Share your letter on Facebook and other social media, including a link to the Moderator’s letter. The moderators’ letter is also on the World Mission facebook page so it is easy to sign and share. Obviously, the more we share, the greater our reach.
• Contact your supporting churches, thank them for their support and explain the extraordinary need for a gift exceeding their normal giving level. Ask them for an annual gift to support your ongoing ministry.
• And, of course, continue to pray that our church will recognize the magnitude of the need and rise to extraordinary levels of giving.
We continue to give thanks to God for your work.
Hunter Farrell
Director, World Mission
MISSION CO-WORKER FUNDING AND FINANCIAL UPDATE
Mission Co-Worker funding and financial update Webinar held April 22, 2015
april 2015
LETTER TO ALL MISSION CO-WORKERS FROM HUNTER FARRELL April 22, 2015
Dear Colleagues in Mission:
We hosted two webinars today for mission co-workers and World Mission staff to give an update about the financial shortfall we are facing.
I wanted to share a few notes from that webinar. Click here to access the recorded webinar.
We described the financial situation, which I am sure most of you are familiar with by now. In 2014, our goal was to raise $9million for mission co-worker sending and support. We raised $7.2million. This $1.8million shortfall is requiring us to adjust our budgets for 2015 and beyond.
We are still working through the immediate impact in 2015 and we will update you to any changes for 2015 by April 30. If we have to end service of mission co-workers in 2015, we will notify each of them individually over the next week. We will extend their appointments through December 31, 2015 which will give them eight months to transition back to the United States. In addition, for those that qualify, they would also get end-of-service benefits on top of that.
For 2016 and beyond, we know that are facing a significant shortfall. We also know that since we announced this at the Board Meeting last week, many key churches and church leaders have asked what they can do to help. So while we want to be realistic and make sound decisions about the stewardship of God’s resources, we are also hopeful that congregations and individuals will step up to support in ways that they have not done so previously.
Anyone who is up for reappointment between now and April 2016, who wants to be reappointed, will have their appointment extended through April 2016. This will give us the opportunity to get the financial results from 2015 and allow us to make new budgets and forecasts. We will be able to determine what cuts may need to be made, if any, based on 2015 receipts and any pledges we get in 2015.
If we determine that we need to end service of any mission personnel in 2016, we will follow the same process as we did in 2015. We will notify those personnel by April 30, 2016 that their service will be ending on December 31, 2016. That will give people eight months to prepare and transition in addition to end-of-service benefits.
We continue to hope that this won’t be necessary and that congregations and individuals will rise to the challenge and provide sustainable funding for all of our mission personnel into the future.
What can you do to help with this process? Over the next few weeks, we will be in conversation with a lot of key people including the Moderator Heath Rada, Executive Director Linda Valentine, Synod and Presbytery executives, pastors, and Presbyterians in the pews. We are trying to figure out the best way to present this to the church and challenge the church to pray and give generously in this time.
We are trying to figure out if this will be a permanent fund set up at the Foundation, if we want to encourage “Second mile giving” to DMS and ECO accounts as we have in the past, if there is something new that we haven’t even thought of, and it will likely be some combination of all of these things. We will be communicating with all of you as we start to firm up what this plan will look like and how you can help.
As we are sorting through this process, if the spirit is moving you to reach out to your own networks of individuals and churches, we want to support you in that. We aren’t trying to hide anything. You can share the PNS story and/or the Presbyterian Outlook article.
At this point, until we identify the larger giving strategy, you can encourage people to give directly to your ECO accounts. We shared this letter here on the quiet site that Doug Baker sent out to all Northern Ireland YAV Alums.
Below is a message that Sarah Henken shared on Facebook:
Dear fellow Presbyterians:
Many of you are faithful supporters of my work and/or the broader ministry area I work in, Presbyterian World Mission. You stay informed about God's mission around the world. You pray for the global church and for those of us in international mission service. You participate in short term mission trips or delegations to share in the ministry of our partner churches and institutions. You contribute money to help keep ministries operating and provide care and support for mission workers. Thank you!
Unfortunately, as the link below makes clear, our collective work faces an uncertain future. Either the funding provided by the U.S. church must dramatically increase, or the work we are able to sustain around the world will be significantly reduced and changed over the next few years.
Please keep us in your prayers, spread the word, and make a gift--small or large, one-time or recurring--if at all possible. If you're not sure whether your congregation supports World Mission financially, please ask. Many are unaware that a little boost of directed giving would make a big difference. An extra $100 per PCUSA congregation would cover the shortfall for mission co-worker support in 2016!
To clarify, I'm not asking out of concern for my own job security. I'm asking because I know what a positive impact our collective, careful, and caring Christian witness has around the world. I make a recurring monthly contribution myself, and I hope you will consider joining me.
I would encourage you to read Sarah’s and Doug’s letters. If you are feeling compelled to send out a letter, you can use language from their communications and make it your own. Or if you would prefer to wait until we have figured out the overall strategy, and then send that out to your networks, that would be fine. We hope to have some concrete proposals and a strategy in the next few weeks that you can use.
We recognize that living in this uncertainty is very challenging. We will continue to be praying for all of you and ask that you be praying for the staff in Louisville as we do our faithful best to make these decisions. Please feel free to be in communication with your RLs, your Area Coordinators, me or Hunter with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. This is a new chapter in mission history that we are writing as we live it. So we are very open to input and suggestions and doing our best to faithfully discern where God is leading us, our mission co-workers, and our global partners in all of this.
We covet your prayers at this time and you can trust that we are praying for each of you and our global partners.
In Christ,
April 17, 2015
Dear Colleagues in Ministry,
Greetings to each of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! We are lifting each of you up in prayer during this time.
We know that many of you are just beginning to digest the letter and press release that I sent to you on Wednesday. We felt it was important to send you word of our situation immediately following the meeting with the Presbytery Mission Agency Board’s executive committee so that you would be well informed as this information was being shared around the church. Presbyterian News Service, the Presbyterian Outlook, and the Presbyterian Layman all immediately sent out the press release and we have been getting a number of e-mails and calls from friends and supporters of World Mission. *Many* asked to be remembered to you all and to assure you of their prayers.
The Mission Board meeting ended today and the members have departed. It’s quiet here and I finally have time to digest how this week’s disturbing news must be impacting you. Please know that we want to be in conversation and prayer with you as you try to understand the news and its impact. We urge you not to make any decisions on your own related to your appointment, and encourage you to be in contact with your Regional Liaison, Area Coordinator or Nancy Cavalcante as you formulate both questions and concerns.
One of the questions we anticipate you are asking is what the timeline is related to the information shared and your appointment to mission service. We anticipate having clarity on timing for notification of changes by April 30 and will provide updates as soon as we have more information to share.
In the meantime, some of you have been asking what you can do to help and what we might be able to do together to address the financial shortfall. I was deeply encouraged at the Board meeting when former moderator Neal Presa and our current moderator, Heath Rada, both came to me individually to express their concern. Both offered to help organize an effort to challenge the church to give in an extraordinary way so that World Mission does not have to bring home mission workers. Our regional Liaison in Northern Ireland, Doug Baker, sent out the letter linked below to the hundreds of former YAVs whom he has mentored over the years, challenging them to contribute to World Mission and to invite others to do so. Rather than encourage you to contact friends, supporters, supporting congregations, etc. now, I’d like us to think together next week about the larger picture and share some ideas, before anyone of us take action beyond prayer.
We would encourage you to be thinking of ways we might spread the word and make the case for extraordinary giving at this moment in our church’s history and in our life together. We are planning to hold two webinars next week on Wednesday, April 22nd at 7:30am EST and the other at 5pm EST. Information on how to register for the webinars is below. The webinars will be identical (repeated only to facilitate folks in various time zones) and are meant to lay out World Mission's financial situation, our process for moving forward, and then open up a time to think and pray together about steps we might take individually and as a community to inform and challenge the church. The webinar is intended for our mission workers and World Mission Louisville-based staff only, so please don't forward your invitation when you receive it.
May you know the peace of Christ in this time of rapid change and timeless grace.
With you in Christ,
Hunter
Director, World Mission
P.S., Please read Doug Baker’s letter here
INFORMATION ON THE WEBINAR:
Please register for Mission co-worker funding and financial update on Apr 22, 2015 7:30 AM EDT at:
• Register here for the 7:30-8:30 am webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2169473146944797185
• Register here for the 5:00-6:00 pm webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2176701336385868290
Description:
Call in to hear an update from Hunter Farrell and Greg Allen-Pickett about mission co-worker funding and finances based off of the report given to the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Executive Committee on Wednesday, April 15. We will spend the first 30 minutes laying out the situation and answering any questions you may have. We will spend the remaining 30 minutes having a conversation to generate ideas together about ways that we can work to address this financial situation. You know your constituencies well, please come prepared with some ideas of ways to further engage those constituencies and invite them to contribute to the sending and support of mission co-workers.
For information you can read the World Mission Fundraising board report:
https://www.presbyterianmission.org/site_media/media/uploads/presbyterian_mission_agency/pdf/business_items_2015/april_information_items/h.200_world_mission_fundraising_report_2014.pdf
The Presbyterian News Service Press Release:
https://www.pcusa.org/news/2015/4/15/presbyterian-world-mission-faces-potential-funding/
Presbyterian Outlook Articles:
http://pres-outlook.org/2015/04/world-mission-financial-shortfall-will-pcusa-mission-co-workers-be-recalled/
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. We suggest that you join a few minutes early to make sure your computer has the right software uploaded for GoToWebinar. We’ll start promptly at the hours listed above.
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15 April 2015
Dear colleagues in mission,
I trust this note finds you well and that Lent and Holy Week were times of blessing for you and yours.
I’m writing to you to share some sobering news that I am presenting to the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Executive Committee at its regular meeting this morning and to invite you to be in prayer about it. As you may know, our efforts in funds development in 2014 did not generate the funding we needed to support all of our mission workers. The $1.8 million shortfall in 2014 (funds development goals vs. receipts) caused the funds development team to lower its commitments in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
For more than half a century, World Mission has relied on a portion of the offerings given by Presbyterians in congregations across the denomination. Throughout our history, those funds were supplemented by prior year giving, such as endowments, given by Presbyterians for mission worker support. These two primary sources of income, together with “over and above gifts” (variously called “second mile giving”, designated gifts, “missionary support funds”) have enabled us to recruit, train, send and support mission workers. Over the past 10 years, general mission funds contributed by Presbyterians through their weekly offerings have rapidly decreased and we have been forced to use our endowments to cover the cost of mission workers to serve the needs of partners around the world.
Seeing these trends, in 2007 we began World Mission’s funds development efforts (the “direct response” letters) and in 2009 we hired a team to invite congregations and individuals to give. But the results have not been what we had hoped and have resulted in Funds Development decreasing its goals for 2015-2017. The resulting shortfall, unless the church responds by giving in an extraordinary way, could result in World Mission not replacing 4 retiring mission co-workers and will require us to prematurely end the service of five (5) mission workers in 2016 and forty (40) more in 2017—or to find other personnel reductions or cost reductions to make up the gap. Our first step is to challenge the church to give generously in support of our mission workers.
I would invite you to read the attached press release for more information. We will be scheduling a webinar for those able to participate next week to talk through the implications of this news.
It breaks my heart to write these words and there will be another time, perhaps, to assess what more/else we should have done. But as I survey the incredible legacy of faithfulness that God has shown through our church—using broken and incomplete human beings like you and me as heralds of a new way of justice and peace and light—I’m convinced that God is not finished with our church yet. I look forward to praying, dreaming and working together with you, our global partners and many mission leaders across the PC(USA) to discern new ways to join God in mission.
I hope you’ll feel free to write me or your Area Coordinator with any concerns, suggestions or questions. I’ll be writing again next week to schedule the webinar.
I value your friendship and the gift you are to me and to many.
With you in Christ,
Hunter
Hunter Farrell
Director, World Mission
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