What do you know about The Columbia Partnership? Here is a PowerPoint presentation in two formats that will give you a basic introduction and information on how to connect with TCP. Check out their web site at www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org.
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access that commentary.
The commentary begins with these words: "As the 117 Roman Catholic cardinals walk into the Sistine Chapel next month for the election of a new pope, one hopes that they fully recognize the unfolding, dramatic pilgrimage of world Christianity: The demographic center of Christian faith has moved decisively to the Global South."
A Travel Free Learning Article
By George Bullard, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership,
Voice: 803.622.0923, E-mail:
GBullard@TheColumbiaPartnership.org,
Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org
Download Bullard, Are There Good Reasons to Start New Congregations, 8.29.12 Edition
Lisen to recording of George Bullard reading his article:
Are There Good Reasons to Start New Congregations--MP3
A quarter of a century ago I moved to South Carolina in response to the call of the largest Baptist body in that state. Baptists of various tribes in South Carolina lacked a commitment to starting new congregations. I was asked to change that situation for at least one Baptist tribe.
After eight months, much research, and long hours of thinking, praying, writing and developing strategies, I went to my boss and suggested that for Baptists in South Carolina it was a Parable of the Talents situation. We were the largest Christian group in the state. Half the state was unchurched; yet I could not presume on their spiritual situation. The unchurched numbered at least 1.8 million, or about 50 percent, of the population.
Our goal should be to start 500 congregations during the next 15 years. After my boss picked himself up off the floor from the shock, he began to ask questions. You see, this organization of over 1,700 Baptist congregations was only starting five to six new congregations per year, and that equaled the number of church splits.
Continue reading "Are There Good Reasons to Start New Congregations? [An ABP Blog Article]" »
Download Hamm, The Resurrection of Middle Judicatories, August 30, 2010 Edition
Travel Free Learning Article
By Dick Hamm, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership
Voice: 317-490-1968, E-mail: DHamm@TheColumbiaPartnership.org, Website: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org
In the first article in this series, The Death of Middle Judicatories, I laid out some challenges killing middle judicatories, beyond the reduced financial support they are receiving. The same cultural forces that are killing national/international denominations and congregations, and that have rendered the hub and spoke model ineffective, are at work in middle judicatories as well. These include the breakdown of connection between congregations and colleagues; the loss of denominational loyalty; the multiplicity of perspectives in the culture and in church life; the failure to adopt more relevant models of governance; the increase in destructive conflicts in congregations; and the list goes on.
The old hub and spoke model is not only failing, it is also killing the middle judicatory executives who try to make the middle judicatory work. Heroes seem to make the old model work for a while. Ultimately they fail, leaving an impossible act to follow for their successors. Slaves dutifully try to meet the multitudinous demands of the hub and spoke middle judicatories, but end up spent and burned out. Only change agents, dedicated to changing from the hub and spoke model to something more relevant, can truly succeed as middle judicatory executives these days, and being a change agent is no easy undertaking.
Continue reading "The Resurrection of Middle Judicatories" »
August 25th, Dick Hamm on Death of Middle Judicatories
By Dick Hamm, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership
Voice: 317.490.1968, E-mail: DHamm@TheColumiaPartnership.org, Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org
We probably should have seen it coming. I have been aware of it and ringing the alarm in my own denomination for fifteen years or so, but that is no claim to genius. It has been coming for forty years in many denominations. What is it? It is the death of middle judicatories. The same cultural forces that have been killing so many denominations and congregations are decimating middle judicatories too. [Note: These observations are also applicable to other categories of regional denominational organizations such as districts, conferences, state conventions, annual conferences, etc.]
