The commission supports our annual conference as we respond together to Jesus’ challenge to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Our congregational responses reflect the diversity of the people called United Methodists and the geography we are called to serve. Many congregations are deployed to serve rural communities and small towns that are rapidly becoming urban and suburban centers. Today about half of the people called Methodist in our annual conference worship in 120 of our 840+ churches – this is a shift we are still trying to understand.

This year we continue to invite our conference to substantially increase membership in the Ten Dollar Club. This 50-year-old venture in our conference provides grants to start new ministries across the state and launch missions in other nations as well. We hold before the annual conference an ongoing goal of starting 5 new churches annually, utilizing the resources made available from Ten Dollar Club grants and other investments held by the Commission. In the coming years this will require a greater commitment from the Commission as we move to start new churches in areas where start-up costs are pushing beyond the reach of our current funding processes. To this end we are supporting the emerging work of the Congregational Development Fund, Inc. as it engages in a campaign to provide an increase in support to new faith communities.

As we ponder the changes in North Carolina’s cultural climate, we are reminded of the challenge to each of us to reach people for Jesus Christ. Jesus’ commission to make disciples of all nations call us beyond the bounds of who we used to encounter a new reality for many of our churches – the nations have come to our backyard. We celebrate the growth in membership, worship and Sunday school attendance in many of our churches. The Office of Congregational Development continues to assist nearly 100 churches each year. The assistance provided includes demographic research, local consultations, training and planning services for existing congregations. We are excited about the Wake Circles of Ministry in the Raleigh District and the launching of community ministry centers in the Rocky Mount District. These initiatives are in response to our bishop’s challenge to open 20 new faith communities in places affected by poverty by the year 2004.

Again, the work of the Office and Commission on Congregational Development is varied as we seek to serve rural, small town, suburban and urban churches in various socio-economic situations and cultural traditions, offering to each one the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers and your support.

Wm. Allen Bingham, Chairperson

The commission supports our annual conference as we respond to Jesus’ challenge to be “my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Our response reflects the diversity of the people called United Methodists and the geography we are called to serve. Many of our congregations are deployed to serve rural communities and small towns that are being transformed before our eyes into urban and suburban centers. This is why about half of the people called Methodist in our annual conference now worship in just 120 of our 800+ churches that typically average 175 or more in worship each weekend.

In the next year we will challenge our conference to substantially increase our membership in the “Ten Dollar Club.” This 50 year old venture in our conference provides grants to start new ministries across the state and launch missions in other nations as well. We hold before the annual conference an ongoing goal of starting 5 new churches annually utilizing the resources made available from Ten Dollar Club moneys and other investments held by the commission. In the coming years this will require a greater commitment from the commission as we move to start new churches in areas where start-up costs are pushing beyond the reach of our current funding processes. To this end we are supporting the emerging work of the Congregational
Development Foundation, Inc. as it engages in a capital campaign that we hope will provide a ten-fold increase in the support to new faith communities.

As we ponder the changes in North Carolina’s cultural climate we are reminded of the challenge to reach people for Jesus Christ. Jesus’ commission to be witnesses “to the ends of the earth” remains, even as persons from “the ends of the earth” have moved into our neighborhood. We celebrate the growth in membership, and worship and Sunday school attendance in many of our churches. The Office of Congregational Development continues to consult with nearly 100 churches each year. The assistance provided includes demographic research, local consultations, training and planning services for existing congregations. We are excited about the Hispanic Circles of Ministry in Wake County and the launching of community ministry centers in the Rocky Mount District. These initiatives are in response to our bishop’s challenge to open 20 new faith communities in places affected poverty by the year 2004.

Again, the work of the Office and Commission on Congregational Development is varied as we seek to serve rural, small town, suburban and urban churches in various socio-economic situations and cultural traditions, offering to each one the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers and your support.

Wm. Allen Bingham, Chairperson

The Commission on Congregational Development seeks to support our annual conference in responding to Jesus’ challenge to be “my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Our response necessarily reflects the diversity of our churches of the people called Methodists and the geographical area we are called to serve. Many of our congregations were founded to serve in ministry in a rural and small town state that is transforming into an urban and suburban centers. This results in half of our annual conference membership now worshiping in only 120 of our 840 churches. These 120 churches typically average 175 or more in worship on a typical weekend.

We continue to hold before the annual conference a goal of starting 5 new churches each year. Many of us now realize that this is a break-even proposition for the conference as a whole. Our worship attendance each week across the annual conference has grown from 72,794 in 1990 to 83,742 in 2000, a 15% increase, while North Carolina’s population has increased over 20% in the same time period. Further, the addition of 29 new churches over the past seven years has resulted in most of the growth in worship attendance experienced in the annual conference. We are also especially excited about the formation of the Wake Circles of Hispanic Ministry in Wake County and the launching of community ministry centers in the Rocky Mount District. This is in response to our bishop’s challenge to open 20 new faith communities in places affected by poverty by the year 2004. We encourage our annual conference to maintain these commitments to growth affirmed by the 2001 Annual Conference.

The Office of Congregational Development continues to consult with nearly 100 churches each year. The assistance provided includes demographic research, local consultations, training and planning services for already existing congregations. The office is now leading our conference in two important initiatives for the coming year. The first is the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Ten Dollar Club. This long-term commitment to new church development has contributed to the launching of 80 churches that currently constitute over 15% of our membership. We hope to substantially increase the numbers of people committed to making new church development a priority in their giving. The second is to undergird the emerging work of the Congregational Development Fund. We hope to realize a ten-fold increase in the investment funds available to support formation of new faith communities. This funding should support future growth among the people called Methodist in eastern North Carolina.

The work of the Office and Commission on Congregational Development is multifaceted as we seek to serve rural, small town, suburban and urban churches, in a variety of socio-economic situations, within varied cultural traditions, offering to each one the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers and your support.

Wm. Allen Bingham, Chairperson