In an act of faith and commitment to stewardship, these gifts are received by the foundation solely in accordance with the donor’s request that their gift be managed for the purpose of serving Christ and the church-at-large. In 2003, $80 million was distributed by the foundation to entities within the church to support mission.
Throughout the history of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and of the foundation, there has been need for the board of trustees to make changes in the form of governance as well as structure to enable a continuation of faithfulness to the unique ministry intended in the very founding mandate: “To serve the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ through the ministry and the mission of our denomination.”
The board of trustees and staff of the foundation are presently working through this period of “change” — striving to be faithful to the foundation’s divine call to ministry. The foundation’s motto, “Bringing People and Mission Together,” is a beacon for decisions by the board as well as the administrative staff.
The foundation began to employ development officers in the 1980s. The staff expansion began in 1988 when growth in the financial markets increased revenue and the General Assembly provided financial support. Peaking at a total of 38 development officers, consultants and specialized development staff, staffing has decreased by attrition in recent years. Since funding was discontinued by the General Assembly and the market conditions decreased revenue, the foundation was forced to refocus its development work. With no additional funding from other sources, the foundation has found it necessary to locate development offices in areas with higher concentrations of Presbyterians in order to be most effective in generating gifts for the denomination.
The foundation recently closed seven offices in order to open five offices in new areas with higher concentration of Presbyterians. Development officers who served in the now closed locations were invited to apply for the new positions. By the end of 2003, 29 development staff will serve Presbyterians, churches and organizations throughout the denomination.
Development officers have been charged with the primary focus of developing gifts that will benefit churches for generations to come. Our partnership with the church-at-large and every local church within our denomination has not changed.
The board confidently supports the changes that have been made and consciously seeks to position the foundation so that it may continue to be of service to the entire church, responding to stewardship needs of individuals, local churches, presbyteries and synods.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth about “A wide door for effective work … has been opened to me {to do the Lord’s work}. There are many adversaries. . . . My beloved, I entreat you to be steadfast, immovable and always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your work is not in vain.” It is just so for us.
We face a time of unprecedented challenge to doing ministry in, for and by the church. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the foundation continues to change and be changed. In true and committed Presbyterian theology, we are a church reformed and always being reformed, inclusive of the foundation as it is, a vital part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the holy catholic church, the ecclesia. Thanks be to God!
Robert O. Hickman of Duluth, Minn., is a trustee for the Presbyterian Foundation and chair of its stewardship committee.
