Task force considers vision for new church development

Retired bishop talks
about topics to include
in ‘offering Christ’ plan

By Claudia M. Williams
Staff Writer
“Vision is the hinge on which the door will swing.”
That was one message retired Bishop Joe Pennel Jr. delivered to leaders of the Bishop’s Initiative with New Church Development Jan. 18 and 19 in Kerrville.
Pennel, leader of the Virginia Conference from 1996 to 2004, emphasized the importance of having clear vision and strong commitment to succeed in developing new congregations.
“If there is no commitment and vision, then you will have a hard time making an impact,” said Pennel, now professor of church leadership at Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tenn. “I believe that vision and commitment are right here in this room.”
During Pennel’s eight-year tenure in the Richmond Episcopal Area, the Virginia Conference started 20 new congregations. The Virginia Conference is the largest United Methodist conference in the United States, with more than 340,000 members in some 1,200 congregations.
Pennel set the tone for the retreat at Mount Wesley Conference Center. It was designed to help clergy and laity leaders of a planning task force develop a shared body of knowledge, understanding and consciousness about how the Southwest Texas Conference could live out its “Offering Christ to All” vision statement, said the Rev. Bill Henderson, chair of the New Church Development Commission.
The 47-member task force—comprising 26 clergy and 21 laity leaders—is to develop a strategic plan over the next eight months for offering Christ to all by starting new faith communities.
The plan is to guide new church development for the next decade. The document is to include components outlining how to develop clergy and laity leadership for new congregations and select building sites.
During six presentations over two days, Pennel discussed:
> A theology of new church development.
> Marks of a vital and faithful United Methodist congregation.
> The power of vision.
> The importance of a passionate faith.
> 10 best practices of new church development.
> 10 characteristics of effective pastors.
Bishop Joel N. Martinez said he wanted the Southwest Texas Conference “leadership group meeting here [to] renew its commitment to new church development and begin to develop strategies to challenge the conference to support that commitment.”
The task force enlarges the New Church Development Commission for the strategic planning process. Task force members are assigned to one of three committees:
> Strategic planning.
> Clergy leadership development.
> Potential new church sites.
Each committee is to develop objectives, timetables and directions to present to Martinez. He and the New Church Development Commission are to take final recommendations to an annual conference session later this year.
“This work is about people,” said conference Lay Leader Jay Brim of Austin. “It’s about the passion of the spirit. What we’re about is seeking out others needing to hear the good news.”
Carol Loeb of Corpus Christi, Council on Ministries chair, said, “United Methodists are called to be people who offer Christ to all. The new church initiative is the most exciting thing we’ve had in the conference. It speaks to what Christ calls us to be.”
Henderson, senior pastor of Northwest Hills UMC, Austin, agreed.
“The Southwest Texas Conference has as our vision, ‘Offering Christ to All,’” he said. “There are thousands of people who live around us and thousands more moving into our conference who have the need for the grace of God to help them in healing their hurts.
“Starting new ministries and churches to reach them is the most effective means of offering Christ to all.”