Transcript Document 7661441

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
“A model for doing and being
mission, ABC style.”
9/25/2008
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
 Restructure of representative process
 Restructure of governance bodies of
ABCUSA
WHY NOW…
 We seek to enable quick responses to
mission opportunities with a streamlined
board structure.
WHY NOW…
 We seek to reduce costs of representational
system.
WHY NOW…
 We seek to resolve tension for general
board representatives caused by wearing
multiple board hats.
WHY NOW…
 We seek to create a mission venue that
allows greater flexibility, networking, focus
and accountability.
MANAGING THE TENSION…
AUTONOMY
MISSION MOVEMENT
INTERDEPENDENCE
INSTITUTION
PROPOSED MODEL
REVIEW
Current Representative
Process of ABCUSA
Cooperating Churches
Region
Boards*
Region Annual
or Biennial
Meeting**
NEC
National Secretaries
SLC
Mission Vision
Planning TF
ABCUSA Representatives/
General Board
Staff Leadership Council
GEC
Denominational Secretaries
ABHS
MMBB
BIM
BNM
OGS
REMC
Regional Secretaries
National Program Boards
* National Nominations for approximately one-fourth of ABC/USA
Representatives (supplied by ABC/USA Nominating Committeee)
** Regional Nominations for ABC/USA Representatives (pursuant to
Region plan monitored by Credentials & Caucus Committee)
THE PROPOSED NEW
STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
THE PROPOSED NEW
STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
Biennial/Mission
Summit
THE PROPOSED NEW
STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
Biennial/Mission
Summit
Mission Table
THE PROPOSED NEW
STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
Biennial/Mission
Summit
Mission Table
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
THE PROPOSED NEW
STRUCTURE
Regions
International
Ministries
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
National
Ministries
Biennial/Mission
Summit
Mission Table
National
Leadership
Council
MMBB
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
American Baptist
Historical Society
THE PROPOSED NEW
STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
International
Ministries
Leadership Pool
National Nominating
Committee
Biennial/Mission
Summit
Mission Table
National
Leader
Council
National
Ministries
MMBB
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
American Baptist
Historical Society
SUMMARY
IMPLICATIONS OF
PROPOSED MODEL
WHAT WOULD END…
 Legislation as a primary emphasis in our



governance
Large numbers in our board structures
Inter-locking board structures
General Board concept
WHAT WOULD REMAIN
THE SAME…
 ABC commitment to a gospel based mission
 ABC commitment to the local church
 Representation is still important, although

not in the same ways
National Boards: NM and IM and MMBB
WHAT WOULD BE NEW…
 Mission Summit and Mission Table
 Mission as primary emphasis
 Smaller boards chosen for skills and



diversity and greater use of technology to
facilitate meetings resulting in reduced costs
Ability to respond more quickly to mission
opportunities
Development of diverse leadership pool
Board of General Ministries
BIENNIAL/MISSION SUMMIT
Biennial/Mission
Summit
 Purpose








Celebration of mission
Dynamic preaching & worship
Showcase ABC heroes/heroines
Networking
Training, education, sharing best practices
Theological Reflection on important issues
Listening to constituency
Governance tasks
Mission Summit
in conjunction with the
 Held
Biennial Aims:
Awareness of critical trends & practices
Biennial/Mission Receive local church input on key issues
Summit
 Offer educational pieces on timely topics
 Create opportunities for networking
 Generation of ideas and programs
 Focus to our ABC-wide mission

THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
International
Ministries
Leadership Pool
National Nominating
Committee
Biennial/Mission
Summit
Mission Table
National
Leadership
Council
National
Ministries
MMBB
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
American Baptist
Historical Society
MISSION TABLE
Mission Table
 Purpose

Leveraging resources for greater mission impact
Creative Networking
Hearing the Voice of
the Local Church
Sharpening our
Focus
Prioritizing
Mission
Emphases
Brainstorming Ideas
Mutual
Accountability
MISSION TABLE MAKE-UP
 33 Local Church laity and clergy (1 from

each Region)
President and Vice President of ABCUSA
and General Secretary + 3 others from the
Office of the General Secretary
Mission Table
 Exec Dir & President + 2 each from IM and


NM
Exec Dir & President + 1 from MMBB
33 Regional Executive Ministers
MISSION TABLE MAKE-UP
(continued)
 8 Representatives from ABC Caucus



Network
Mission Table
One each from: AB Men, American Baptist
Assembly, American Baptist Historical
Society, ABEC, and American Baptist Homes
& Caring Ministries
Executive Director & President of American
Baptist Women’s Ministries and the Ministers
Council
3 Reps from ABC Seminaries & 3 Reps from
ABC Colleges
THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
International
Ministries
Leadership Pool
National Nominating
Committee
Biennial/Mission
Summit
Mission Table
National
Leadership
Council
National
Ministries
MMBB
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
American Baptist
Historical Society
BOARD OF GENERAL
Board of General
MINISTRIES
Ministries (BGM)
 Purpose








Seek welfare for whole denomination through vision,
leadership and coordination
Legal Board for ABCUSA and American Baptist
Historical Society
Calls and evaluates performance of General Secretary
Formation and celebration of ABC Identity
Support for stewardship and fundraising
ecumenical functions
Staffs Missional Summit, Biennial, Missional Table,
National Leadership Council and Covenanting Partners
Supports Regional Ministries
BOARD OF GENERAL
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
MINISTRIES
 45 Members





33 Regional Members - Selected By Nominating
Committee from pool of 5 nominated by Regions
3 Officers - Elected by Biennial Delegates
(President, Vice-President, Budget Review Officer)
5 Board Members Selected By BGM
(For Diversity and Skill Sets Needed)
3 Ex-Officio Members With Full Rights
(Past President, President of Inter-Caucus Group and
General Secretary)
1 Director elected jointly by IM, NM & MMBB
THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
International
Ministries
Leadership Pool
National Nominating
Committee
Biennial/Mission
Summit
Mission Table
National
Leadership
Council
National
Ministries
MMBB
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
American Baptist
Historical Society
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP POOL
 Purpose


Leadership Pool
Identify present & emerging leaders for denominational
service
Develop leaders through training and orientation events
 Nomination Process

Every ABC entity submits names & identifies key
persons for leadership opportunities
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
COUNCIL (NLC)
 Purpose






National
Leadership
Council
Relationship building
Continuing education for executive role
Facilitate implementation of ideas from mission table
Self-evaluation of progress on identified priorities
Conduct trend analysis
Participate in theological reflection
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
COUNCIL (NLC)

Membership






Regional Executive Ministers
BNM, BIM, & MMBB—Executive Director + 3 others
General Secretary + 3 other staff from OGS
Executive Directors of Associated Ministry Organizations
 American Baptist Women Ministries
 Ministers’ Council
National
 American Baptist Assembly
Leadership
 ABEC
Council
 Interim Ministries
 American Baptist Foundation
American Baptist Historical Society
President of ABC/USA
THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
International
Ministries
Leadership Pool
National Nominating
Committee
Biennial/Mission
Summit
Mission Table
National
Leadership
Council
National
Ministries
MMBB
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
American Baptist
Historical Society
NATIONAL NOMINATING
COMMITTEE MAKE-UP
National Nominating
Committee
 ABCUSA President (chair) and Immediate



Past President
3 Appointed by Regional Executive Ministers
Council
Inter-Caucus President
6 Representatives from Board of General
Ministries (3 clergy / 3 lay)
NATIONAL NOMINATING
COMMITTEE FOR MISSION TABLE –
FUNCTION


National Nominating
Committee
For the Region Member at the
Mission Table and Board of
General Ministries, each Region
will suggest 5 people to the
National Nominating Committee
National Nominating Committee
will provide one for each Region Mission Table
from the five to select a total group
which is representative of the
denomination.
NATIONAL NOMINATING
COMMITTEE – BGM FUNCTION
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)

Nominates a slate for 3 designated ABC officers
that meet current rotation of male/female and
lay/clergy
 National Nominating Committee will select one
for each Region from the five nominated by the
Region in order to offer a slate which isNational Nominating
Committee
representative of the denomination.
 Nominating petition endorsed by at least 50
congregations may be used to bring name before
Biennial for any offered by slate.
THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry
Organizations
and Caucuses
International
Ministries
Leadership Pool
National Nominating
Committee
Biennial/Mission
Summit
Mission Table
National
Leadership
Council
National
Ministries
MMBB
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
American Baptist
Historical Society
UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF
EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE…



Smaller boards
Focus on skill and
expertise in selection
of board members
Representation still
valued
SMALLER PROGRAM
BOARDS
 International and National Ministries would


both become sized to meet their
responsibilities
Both would find members to accomplish
their missions
Both would be protected by membership to
assure their ABC relationship
RELATIONSHIP OF NATIONAL
BOARDS TO EACH OTHER

Interrelated but NOT
Interlocking
2 TYPES OF DIRECTORS SERVE ON
NATIONAL BOARDS
Ministers and
Missionaries
Benefit Board
Regular
Director
Board of National
Ministries (BNM)
Board of Int’l
Ministries (BIM)
If bylaw change
affects relationship
with ABCUSA…
Board of General
Ministries (BGM)
Special
Director
Authority to conduct
affairs of corporation
including revision of
bylaws…
ASSURING RELATIONSHIP OF
NATIONAL BOARDS
 National Program Boards IM, NM and

MMBB will have two types of Directors.
Usual business will be handled by Regular
Directors elected to their positions on the
program boards.
In cases of consideration of the ABC
relationship, members of the General
Ministries Board become Special Directors
of the particular program Boards with full
vote.
GENERAL SECRETARY
 Head of communion continue to be known


as General Secretary
Responsible for implementation of
responsibilities of the Board of General
Ministries
Elected by Board of General Ministries upon
nomination by National Nominating
Committee augmented by member chosen
by NM, IM & MMBB
PUBLIC WITNESS
STATEMENTS
 Current Policy Statements & Resolutions


remain as official ABCUSA statements.
Under new structure, to become an ABC
Statement, it must be proposed by a
National or Regional Board and approved by
¾ of covenanting Regional and National
Boards (with exception of MMBB).
BGM responsible for voting process &
publishing statements approved.
RESCINDING STATEMENTS
 Any of the boards that originally voted in
favor of an American Baptist Public Witness
Statement may initiate action to rescind it.
 A majority of the boards voting is required to
rescind.
ASSURING DIVERSITY –
CORE VALUE
 National Nominating Committee will
encourage names based on the following:
•
•
•
•
•
urban, suburban, rural,
large, small, and
mega church;
race;
gender;
age;
•
•
•
•
•
•
geography;
language;
culture;
clergy/Lay;
physical ability;
and economic class.
ASSURING DIVERSITY – JOINT
BOARD NOMINATING REVIEW
COMMITTEE
 MAKE UP





Vice-President of ABCUSA (chair)
Presidents of National Boards
President of REMC
Presidents of Ministers Council, AB Men, and
American Baptist Women’s Ministries
Inter-Caucus President
ASSURING DIVERSITY – JOINT
BOARD NOMINATING REVIEW
COMMITTEE
 FUNCTION

to examine makeup of national boards and
Mission Table to determine if they reflect the
makeup of the Denomination
REPORT
to the NLC and Nominating Committees
ASSURING DIVERSITY
 The National Nominating Committee will be


mandated to ensure that the diversity of the
Mission Table accurately reflects or mirrors
the diversity of ABCUSA
The Nominating Committee will review
names for diversity and report back to each
Region & NLC.
We will be intentional about building and
strengthening leadership capacity
FINANCIAL IMPACT
SUMMARY…
No cost shifting to regions
Expense Pool made available to help fund local
church reps attendance at interim Summit
meetings
National Boards fully fund their own board
meetings
National Boards receive reimbursement similar to
other ABC entities for their participation in the
Mission Table
WHAT’S NEXT?
SUBSEQUENT STEPS
 Presentations made at regional meetings
 Presentations available to executive

ministers/board members/executive
officers/local churches on ABCUSA web
Speak about change of rep process rather
than ABC restructure
AND THEN
 At November 2008 meeting, General Board
hears second reading of by-law changes
and, if approved, those changes will be sent
to biennial meeting in Pasadena, CA, June
2009
 Continue education of constituency so they

are ready to vote those changes.
By-laws sent for action by 2009 Biennial
delegates