And Jesus went about all the cities and towns in Elizabeth Presbytery, teaching in their churches and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease in their communities. When he saw the multitudes of people, he was moved with compassion on them, because they were bewildered--harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless--as those wandering and hungering without guidance. Then he said to the Presbytery: “The produce in the Garden Stated is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest send forth laborers into his harvest.” And when he had called unto him his presbyters (elder sand minister), he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, charging then, “Go to those lost and wandering and preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.”  Matthew 9.35-10.8 (lost manuscript)

           Long before churches were founded and doctrines crafted, Books of Order compiled and Vision Statements written, God so loved the world that God entered it in the person of Jesus, whom we believe to be the Christ, to bring salvation to the world. We Presbyterians believe the primary source of our understanding of Jesus comes from the Scriptures. Rational arguments alone will not bring belief in Jesus or salvation into the world. As William Coffin one said, It is terribly important to realize that the leap of faith is not so much a leap of thought as of action. For while in many matters it is first we must see, then w will act; in matters of faith it is first we must do then we will know, first we will be and then we will see. (Credo, WJK 2004) 

The gospels pictorially describe what its writers wanted generations yet ahead to know what they remembered of Jesus. This passage in Matthew’s gospel describes the missional posture Jesus took and he wanted those who follow him also to take:

¨       Jesus was not cloistered in a temple or church--his ministry was in and for the world

¨       Teaching and preaching to together in the work of Christ

¨       The preaching is about the kingdom, or reign, of God

¨       Teaching and preaching go hand in glove with healing ministries for people

¨       Jesus’ attitude toward the world is one of compassion not judgement

¨       Jesus calls us to pray to God for others to be sent to reach those hungering for God’s salvation

¨       Jesus acts on his prayer by calling and equipping others to do this 

In this so called “lost manuscript,” I did for you what I do in  my reflections and prayers, which is to listen to how the Spirit would speak to me and where I am today as an individual and as one called to serve as your Executive Presbyter. This is what the passage has led me to remember in the context of our common ministry as a community of churches known as the Presbytery of Elizabeth:

¨       We, as Jesus’ churches, exist for the world--for outreach to our cities, towns, and beyond

¨       Good educational ministries that nurture and strengthen our faith and faithful living AND ministries that share verbally and illustrate the gospel Jesus spoke and demonstrated are essential to what we are about

¨       Become free, or at least more aware, of the baggage we carry--ideologies, methodologies, agendas--so we encourage common focus on God’s preferred future not merely ours

¨       Erase any dichotomy between care for the spiritual and material need of people. Marian McClure, our denominations’ Worldwide Ministries Director, told me in her visit among us in 2003 that this U.S. dichotomy does not exist in how other nations undertake their ministries in Jesus’ name

¨       The Tsunami in South and Southeast Asia reveals there can be moments when compassion for masses of people can set aside hard-hearted policies and judgments among peoples. Remember 9/11?  (Where are we now?)

¨       Between 70-85% of unchurched people in America stated spirituality is important to them; they are “out there,” and “out there” is where we go, not waiting for them to come to church.

¨       Rick Warren (regardless of your view of his books), as Jesus and others before him, is right to call people into periods of intentional prayer and discernment, seeking God, creating spiritual energy and joy for what God will call people to do. (Check with Dunellen Church on this.)

¨       We, as a presbytery, are called to pray for and act on our vision of God’s preferred future for us by calling and equipping others to evangelism and mission that experiences, enjoys, and shares the love of Christ. Such prayer and reflecting occurs monthly in Council and Staff meetings and will remain on our presbytery prayer list. 

      I have never felt as energized and exhausted as what I experience God making possible among us now. Your collective comments over the past year as we sought God’s preferred future for the presbytery rest deeper in me than many of you, from differing church sizes, communities, and theological perspectives, may realize. I cannot tell you how important prayer has been to discerning and moving into where God wants this presbytery to be. I encourage you to weekly pray with and for each other--and for me, for collective discernment of the leading of God’s Spirit. I am energized because I see so many places where the reign of God Jesus proclaims seems to be springing up. Many pastors and lay leaders are willing to apply themselves to something new they believe God is telling them to look at or pursue. Sometimes I feel almost dizzy turning to follow where it is occurring! These are described below. I am exhausted because it is simply hard to keep up with all the possibilities and the way my excitement draws me toward God’s initiatives. Not that I don’t have a hard-working support staff that I am very proud of (I hope you are also), but more of you are trying some wonderful things than I can be the sole person to respond to. The units are working creatively to manage their part of the presbytery’s vision. The staff, the Council, and members of units seem ever eager to follow God’s leading; the challenge will be whether throughout the pews of this presbytery’s churches our opportunities motivate us more than our obstacles diminish us. Writing a vision becomes easy compared to living it, so this year has required greater faithfulness and focus in following my call to keep leading every aspect of our presbytery’s work and witness toward the spiritual hope expressed in the vision. I am grateful for Diane Curtis’ work this winter to address the administrative aspects of the vision. Collectively, we are making progress on our mission initiatives. Thank you! 

      I trust what William Coffin found true of faith--that more often doing precedes seeing, and John Kotter’s conclusion (The Heart of Change, Harvard Business School Press, 2002) that the core pattern associated with significant change encourages people to see--visualize where we are going and what our obstacles are; to feel--awaken feelings or a visceral response that support change rather than block it; and to change--letting spiritually charged feelings change behaviors and reinforce changed behaviors, particularly, relevant to our functioning as a community of churches that mutually celebrate our faith in Christ and trust in each other as Jesus’ followers. 

            So how are we doing in pursuing our vision of God’s preferred future for us, while remembering Jesus called us to ministries of preaching, teaching and healing the 21st century world we live within? Here’s my selective report for your encouragement and reflection  

Presbytery of Elizabeth’s Growing Edges and New Initiatives in 2004 

·         Millennium New Church Development (Portuguese-speaking) moved into the Hillside Presbyterian Church in January and began bi-lingual services on Sunday and expanded its programs. Millennium hopes to charter as anew church in 2004 or 2006.

·         Mission Fair in January: Keynote speakers: 215th Moderator Fahed Abu-Akel--overview of PCUSA; Maryellen Robson--her visit to AIDS ministries in Africa; Boundbrook PC – one church’s response to a regional disaster. Workshops: Evangelism, Washington Office, Mission Trips, Middle East. Lunch featured musical selections from children in the Music Institute at Third-Westminster Church in Elizabeth, Presbytery was introduced to the hospitality of Liberty Corner’s 100+ volunteers and its new “Center Court “ multi-use building attached to its historic landmark sanctuary. High praise came from many.

·         Rev. Mercy Rumengan sponsored a national conference for Presbyterian Indonesian church leaders at Metuchen with presbytery, synod, and GA support and leaders, and Reformed church leaders from Indonesia.

·         The presbytery sent its largest contingent to the annual Redevelopment (now Church Transformation) Conference in Charlotte, NC with 22 persons from 5 churches in the PRISM cluster in Elizabeth

·         The Educational Ministries Unit sponsored its largest recent contingent of educators attending the Associate of Presbyterian Christian Educators annual meeting.

·         Gordon Gray, International Peacemaker from Northern Ireland, visited us in March as part of the PCUSA’s International Peacemaker program and our effort to hear how he pursues it.

·         A Muslim –Christian delegation from Syria visited our presbytery in September as part of the denomination’s interfaith dialogue to help us understand how Christians and Muslims have lived together in that country in the Middle East.

·         Sharon Mook, professor at Columbia Theological Seminary, lead a COM-sponsored seminar in March for pastors and their families, and the next day for Personnel Committees working with pastors.

·         Xtravaganza 2004 featured Byron Borger speaking about the proclamation of  the gospel in a hot-wired, contemporary culture, and 23 workshops and a bookstore.

·         The presbytery re-started, after a five year lapse, the Self-Development of People (SDOP) program , which received funds from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering for self-development projects in local and international communities.

·         Lord of Hope New Church Development (NCD) charters as our newest congregation May 2.

·         Church Transformation Team sponsors an introductory workshop on congregational transformation attended by 40 persons in 11 congregations in May.

·         Also in May: Presbytery celebrates its 600th stated meeting at its first church (1664) First PC, Elizabeth with pre-presbytery discussions on our vision and worship reflecting our past, present, and future. Presbytery first organized with this name in 1824.

·         Vacation Bible School programs and mission trips undertaken by many churches during the summer months. (28 churches hosted VBS in 2004; no count for 2004)

·         Largest recent contingent of this presbytery’s youth and adults traveled to the 2004 Youth Triennium at Purdue University, IN with 6000 from across the country in July.

·         Knox Fellowship leads a presbytery sponsored School of Evangelism in October attended by 125 persons from 33 churches; the event is bi-lingual (in English and Spanish sections).

·         Year-long discussions resulted in a ten-year vision for the presbytery (Vision 2014).

·         As homelessness increased as more hungry came to the AGAPE community program, as seniors quietly entered nursing homes, as convicted youth in gangs were incarcerated, as impoverished mothers with newborns wondered where to turn for help, as immigrants pondered costs of legal help with a complex system of paperwork, as people sought affordable housing, the presbytery and its member churches were there in at least 19 local ministries of support and healing.

Other Remembrances in 2004

·         Churches sent international mission teams to such places as Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, Argentina, Malawi, South Africa.

·         Some congregations that made capital improvements to their facilities (renovations and/or additions): First (Elizabeth, New Providence, Townley, Fanwood, Westfield, Dunellen, Pluckemin, Bernardsville, Clinton

·         We formally acted to close the Elmora Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth (selling the property to an Egyptian Assembly of God Church) and our Millennium NCD has continued on the same site where our Hillside Church concluded services in 2003.

·         Five congregations concluded pastorates, four under difficulties.

·         The death of Wendy Thode, a pastor active on Council as Chair of our Educational Ministries Unit and serving at Lamington, saddened many of us and the large presence at her memorial service was a testimony to her witness and service.

·         Five congregations issued calls to new pastors.

·         The presbytery has seen an increase in the number of racial ethnic pastors serving congregations, while seeing a decrease in the number of female clergy serving our churches.

·         The presbytery has seen declining mission dollar support for a variety of reasons from small congregations struggling with ministry/mission costs, dollars allocated to other missions (not Presbyterian), designated giving for only a specific mission, or an inadequate presentation of all the growing things God has created in our midst.

·         After 5 years with Pedro Rivera, Presbytery chose to eliminate in 2004 the position of Associate Executive Presbyter for Mission and Evangelism and, after 2 years full-time, the Educational and Resource Center Director reduced her hours in 2004 to part-time (15 hours/week), concluding service in December. I begin 2005 with less staffing, than in 2003 and 2004 both, though discussion will get underway on what our congregations most need/want in terms of presbytery staff support that fulfills our collective vision. 

Impact of Synod and General Assembly Actions 

The Synod of the Northeast recommended at its Fall 2004 Assembly a new synod rationale that features a decentralized plan which encourages regional presbytery partnerships for mission that could be implemented as soon as January 2006. A follow-up on details will be held in April 2005. Palisades, Newark, and Elizabeth Presbyteries have had monthly meetings over the past year about common mission interest in Northern New Jersey. The six Executive Presbyters meet monthly and are pondering statewide planning to address Presbyterian mission throughout New Jersey, including new church developments, congregational partnerships, and areas needing new initiatives. 

The 216th General Assembly concluded in July 2004 to being meeting biennially for the next 3 assemblies (2005, 2005, 2010) as both a cost saving measure to the denomination and to give time for more creative ministries in congregations, presbyteries, and nationally. One result is the national pastor’s Sabbath in Utah Memorial Day weekend and the combining of the national Transformation and Multicultural Conferences to be held together in New York City July 14-17, utilizing new models of conferencing as meeting at Columbia University and more regional planning of neighboring presbyteries (as the Presbytery of Elizabeth). This presbytery was among a handful to encourage it be held in New York City to draw on the diversity and variety of ministries in this region. 

The Executive Director of the PCUSA sent out a memo in late 2004 stating that for every dollar contributed, 5% would be allocated to the costs of adminstrative services to see that mission or ministry realized. This is one consequence of a greater number of church gifts being “designated” to a specific project rather than “undesignated”--leaving it to be allocated among all missions and ministries approved by General Assembly and General Assembly Council actions. 

The Opportunities and Obstacles Before Our Presbytery in 2005
Opportunities

·         New Partnerships in Mission among congregations around evangelism, congregational transformation, urban ministry, local missions, and mission trips.

·         An increase in membership of worshipers and those in congregational ministries.

·         Presbytery-sponsored international and national mission trips.

·         Chartering a church.

·         Starting a presbytery-wide strategy to reach young adults

·         Evangelism and Church Growth Unit & Congregational Strategy and Resources Unit working together to realize some of the partnerships (above) with human and financial resources.
Outreach & Social Concerns Unit works with local mission and trips.

·         Continuing pre-presbytery gatherings for dialogue around matters of mutual and missional interest to pastors, elders, and our churches.

·         Pastors and elders of differing theological perspectives following the General Assembly’s encouragement and our vision to talk about our faith in Christ using guidelines developed by the denomination’s Theological Task Force for the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church.

·         Educational Ministries Unit, through the Xtravaganza Committee, taking a new approach with this event March 6 by focusing on what our vision asks us to provide while turning to what our own congregations and leaders can share with each other.

·         Committee on Preparation for Ministry and Committee on ministry hosting a joint meeting to discuss and understand essential tenets of the Reformed faith to be used in the examination of candidates for ministry and calls in the presbytery.

·         Presbytery pastors retreat on April 14th sponsored by the Committee on Ministry.

·         PCUSA national global mission conference in Atlanta in October.

·         Increasing ability to respond to local crises through the ongoing work of the Disaster Response Commission and Presbyterian churches.

·         Seeing all congregations connected electronically via the Internet by having computers and trained support staff.

·         Discussing staffing, full-time, part-time, in partnership with other presbyteries or churches to undertake regional mission our vision encourages.

These could become “Obstacles” for individual churches and the presbytery

·         Lack of curiosity about, or compassion for, the world outside the church.

·         Only institutional self-preservation matters.

·         Unwillingness to move into a new way of being a community of churches.

·         Low spiritual energy or capacity to be Christian and “Church” in 21st century.

·         “Unclean spirits” of constant negativity and cynicism in attitudes, meetings, conversations.

·         Bewilderment of responding to changes in the community and costs of ministry and mission.

·         Successive reductions in pledges and mission giving for varied reasons.

·         Not enough presbytery spiritual , human, and financial support to, and training for, church leaders.

·         Demonic obsession with a mentality of material scarcity instead of abundance of God’s grace.

·         Ignoring training and equipping offered, including by church, presbytery, General Assembly.

·         Change too radical instead of gradual; change too gradual instead of radical.

·         Preparation for ministry and calls into ministry that have no understanding of or desire for evangelism and mission in the postmodern world.

·         Real life issues of persons in our congregations and communities not deemed important enough to work with as ministry of body and soul, church and society.

·         Denominational issues not addressed in the presbytery at a deep level of Spirit and faith in Jesus Christ.

·         Weak understanding of an appreciation for our Presbyterian core values.

·         No thinking “outside the box” - - doing things the way we have always done them! (Not listening to how other nations, races, denominations, generations and genders do ministry)

·         Too few promoters and owners of Vision 2014 in local congregations.

·         Fear of change in self and church.

·         Remaining unhealed.

Concluding Remarks 

Once this presbytery led the synod and denomination in supporting Presbyterian mission wherever it needed to take root. If we regain a sense of our congregations as mission sites with missionaries undertaking God’s hope for the world, there is no telling to how far God will extend the gospel of Jesus Christ. The presbytery has many diverse gifts (as abilities, spiritual energy, intellect, heart, wealth, and time) to be used for the common good of  building up the body of Christ. Where those gifts so work together in a congregation, a presbytery, a region, God’s uses our collective offering to show where the good news of the gospel can extend and who is captivated by it. We still lead the synod and denomination in looking at how we do ministry and mission; many are looking at what we are going from local churches to the denominational offices. Everything we have, though, is a gift of Christ who gives the church all that is necessary for its faith and life. We have shown ourselves last year that we have a growing capacity. Sharing the love of Christ takes many forms at home, in the denomination, and in the world. It is not an option, so be generous in sharing Christ’s love. God loves you; God loves the world, and our Presbyterian congregations are called to witness to God’s love to you and in this world--even at risk of losing themselves to do so. Be grateful for all that God has given this presbytery to be used to proclaim and extend the reign of God. Be grateful for all that God has given you. Remember the Christ who will never leave you nor forsake you. Then let the Holy Spirit fill you with such joy that you give your life to the work of the Spirit wherever you find yourself. 

We are God’s joyful people called together to be the Presbytery of Elizabeth. We affirm our connectedness to God, to each other, to our congregations, and to the world around us as we live out our faith in a radically changing environment. We will proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ joyously, nurture and support our church leaders, strengthen the ministry and mission of our congregations, reach out to the world in mission, and work for the unity of the church amidst the conflicts of our time to the end “that God’s joy may be made complete in us.”

 Summary of the Presbytery’s Mission Statement         

PRESBYTERY VISION 2014
Elizabeth Presbytery, as a community of churches,
Is experiencing, enjoying, and sharing the love of Christ.
We will equip and enable our congregations
To work together in evangelism and mission.

                                                                                                      The Rev. Robert Foltz-Morrison