VALLEY FORGE, PA (2/18/16)—Case Statements for the seven priority topics for American Baptist Churches (ABC), which surfaced at the 2015 Mission Table, are now available online for review and discussion at www.missionsummitconversations.com. The seven priorities include: Next Generation of Leaders, Violence, Discipleship, Poverty, Gospel in a Rapidly Changing Society, Women in Ministry, and Innovative Models for Pastoral Ministry.
The case statements were put together by working groups that originally met in discussion groups around the priorities at the second ABC Mission Table, November 9-11, 2015, at the Double Tree hotel in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The Mission Table brought together representatives from American Baptist regions, affiliated ministry partners, national staff, executives and officers, to join in conversation with one another and highlight denominational priorities. The website where case statements are posted was created in spring of 2015 for use to continue conversations about these and other highlighted topics: www.missionsummitconversations.com.
An anticipated outcome of the 2015 Mission Table event was that these seven topics would be championed by ABC following the 2015 Mission Table, leading up to the Biennial Mission Summit in Portland, Oregon, June 30-July 2, 2017, and beyond.
Mission Table participants, along with American Baptist local churches, American Baptist regions, national partners, and affiliated organizations, are asked to continue to support ministries associated with the final priorities.
The seven priorities were identified from 21 topics, originally a part of the Mission Summit Conversations held at the 2015 Biennial Mission Summit, June 26-28, 2015, in Overland Park, Kansas.
All topics discussed at the 2015 Biennial Mission Summit continue to be important ministry areas to address and lift up, but these seven topics will be focused on as denominational priorities by American Baptist Churches USA as a whole.
Read the original release about the Mission Table, here.
Or, view a video collage from the event, below.
American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with over 5,200 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.