Church Administration & Development: Helping GCI Congregations in 2009

Church Administration and Development (CAD) is an integral part of the Grace Communion International denominational headquarters team. CAD supports, equips and supervises the congregations of GCI within the United States. CAD’s primary focus in this work is to help congregations on their journey from union to communion with God, making disciples with Jesus.
Under the direction of Dr. Dan Rogers, several teams serve U.S. congregations in two interrelated areas: Church Administration, and Church Development. Here is a summary of 2009 CAD activities in both areas.

Church Administration

The mission of the Church Administration team is to support and supervise the 250+ congregational pastoral leaders who lead 300+ GCI congregations in the United States. This function involves the work of the CAD national office staff (Charles Albrecht, Nancy Akers and Pat Shaw), two regional pastoral leaders (RPLs Lorenzo Arroyo and Ken Williams) and 30 district pastoral leaders (DPLs).
This team provides churches with ecclesiastical and operational support and supervision through telephone, email and face-to-face contact. The regional leaders supervise district leaders, who, in turn, support and superintend congregational pastoral leaders through network meetings and personal contact.
District leaders assist congregations in identifying and installing new pastors, and assist pastors and other leaders with conflict mediation. The CAD national office oversees the ordination and licensing of elders, develops and administers policies related to church administration, answers questions and provides other services to help pastors and congregations.

Church Development

The mission of the Church Development team is to support and equip GCI leaders and congregations for their participation in the ministry of Jesus. This function involves the work of the Ministry Development Team with the support of the CAD national office. Team members are Dan Rogers, Lorenzo Arroyo, Randy Bloom, Ted Johnston, Curtis May, Greg Williams and Ken Williams. The team’s work is focused in three interrelated areas:

1. Ministry Development (MinDev) addresses church health and development, internships for pastoral candidates, and continuing education for pastors.
2. Church Multiplication Ministries (CMM) addresses the start-up and development of new churches.
3. Generations Ministries (GenMin) helps established and new churches participate in cross-generational, cross-cultural ministries.

In 2009, the Ministry Development Team provided the following services:

• Eight regional conferences, equipping about 1200 pastors, ministry leaders and ministry workers for participation in the ministry of Jesus. CAD organized the conferences and MDT members and other GCI leaders and outside speakers led plenary sessions and conducted breakouts on various topics including church multiplication, marriage, parenting, children’s ministry, disciplemaking strategy and trinitarian theology.
• Four conferences to train district pastoral leaders for their work in supporting and supervising 250+ congregational pastoral leaders.
• Four renewal church conferences to equip pastors and other leaders of congregations seeking to renew, re-focus and re-structure for more effective participation in the ministry of Jesus.
• One new pastor training conference for new GCI-USA church pastors.
• 47 MinDev Training Seminars held in district pastoral networks to equip pastors, ministry leaders and ministry workers for active and skillful participation in the ministry of Jesus. Seminar topics included Trinitarian theology, Trinitarian mission, Trinitarian, team-based leadership, Servants Passage, family ministry, avoiding burnout; relational evangelism, assimilating new people, teaching church history, and Christ-centered, expository preaching.
• Two CMM Church Next training conferences to equip potential new church planters and others interested in starting new GCI churches in the United States.
• Several meetings to train assessors who assist CAD in assessing potential church planters and potential new pastors for existing GCI congregations.
• 14 assessments of potential new GCI-USA church pastors and planters.
• The annual GenMin camps and missions leadership summit.
• 17 GenMin camps and short-term mission trips with a total attendance of 1300 campers and 750 staffers.
• Seven GenMin Journey with the Master intensives that helped 190 teens and young adults identify and pursue their calling to participate in the ministry of Jesus.
• Provided resources to churches, ministries, church leaders and families through the MinDev, CMM and GenMin websites; the Surprising God blog, the Trinitarian Worship blog and the GenMin Connection blog.
• Published the GC2 equipper monthly ministry equipping newsletter.
• Published Sermon Series, a weekly sermon/Bible Study preparation resource.
• Taught classes in Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM) and Grace Communion Seminary (GCS).
• Mentored several new pastors.

Ted Johnston