THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

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THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

• A model for doing and being mission, ABC style.

9/25/2008
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WHAT ARE WE DOING?

• Restructure of representative process
• Restructure of governance bodies of ABCUSA

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WHY NOW

• We seek to enable quick responses to mission
  opportunities with a streamlined board structure.

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WHY NOW

• We seek to reduce costs of representational
  system.

5
WHY NOW

• We seek to resolve tension for general board
  representatives caused by wearing multiple board
  hats.

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WHY NOW

• We seek to create a mission venue that allows
  greater flexibility, networking, focus and
  accountability.

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MANAGING THE TENSION
AUTONOMY
INTERDEPENDENCE
MISSION MOVEMENT
INSTITUTION
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PROPOSED MODEL REVIEW
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Current Representative Process of ABCUSA
National Program Boards


National Nominations for approximately one
-
fourth of ABC/USA


Regional Nominations for ABC/USA Representatives
(pursuant to
Representatives (supplied by ABC/USA Nominating
Committee
e)

Region plan monitored by Credentials Caucus
Committee)
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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
Biennial/Mission Summit
Mission Table
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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
Biennial/Mission Summit
Mission Table
Board of General Ministries (BGM)
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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
International Ministries National
Ministries MMBB
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
Biennial/Mission Summit
Mission Table
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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
International Ministries National
Ministries MMBB
Leadership Pool
Biennial/Mission Summit
Board of General Ministries (BGM)
Mission Table
National Leader Council
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SUMMARY IMPLICATIONS OF PROPOSED MODEL
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WHAT WOULD END

• Legislation as a primary emphasis in our
  governance
• Large numbers in our board structures
• Inter-locking board structures
• General Board concept

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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

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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

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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

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Mission Summit

• Held in conjunction with the Biennial Aims
• Awareness of critical trends practices
• Receive local church input on key issues
• Offer educational pieces on timely topics
• Create opportunities for networking
• Generation of ideas and programs
• Focus to our ABC-wide mission

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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
International Ministries National
Ministries MMBB
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
Leadership Pool
Board of General Ministries (BGM)
National Leadership Council
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MISSION TABLE

• Purpose
• Leveraging resources for greater mission impact

Creative Networking
Hearing the Voice of the Local Church
Brainstorming Ideas
Prioritizing Mission Emphases
Sharpening our Focus
Mutual Accountability
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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
• Exec Dir President 2 each from IM and NM
• Exec Dir President 1 from MMBB
• 33 Regional Executive Ministers

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MISSION TABLE MAKE-UP (continued)

• 8 Representatives from ABC Caucus Network
• 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 Womens Ministries and the Ministers
  Council
• 3 Reps from ABC Seminaries 3 Reps from ABC
  Colleges

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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
International Ministries National
Ministries MMBB
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
Biennial/Mission Summit
National Leadership Council
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BOARD OF GENERAL MINISTRIES

• 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

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BOARD OF GENERAL 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

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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
International Ministries National
Ministries MMBB
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
Biennial/Mission Summit
Mission Table
Board of General Ministries (BGM)
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NATIONAL LEADERSHIP POOL

• Purpose
• 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

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NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (NLC)

• Purpose
• 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

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NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (NLC)

• Membership
• Regional Executive Ministers
• BNM, BIM, MMBBExecutive Director 3 others
• General Secretary 3 other staff from OGS
• Executive Directors of Associated Ministry
  Organizations
• American Baptist Women Ministries
• Ministers Council
• American Baptist Assembly
• ABEC
• Interim Ministries
• American Baptist Foundation
• American Baptist Historical Society
• President of ABC/USA

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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
International Ministries National
Ministries MMBB
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
Leadership Pool
Biennial/Mission Summit
Mission Table
Board of General Ministries (BGM)
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NATIONAL NOMINATING COMMITTEE MAKE-UP

• 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)

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NATIONAL NOMINATING COMMITTEE FOR MISSION TABLE
FUNCTION

• 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 from the five to select a total
  group which is representative of the denomination.

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NATIONAL NOMINATING COMMITTEE BGM FUNCTION

• 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 is 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.

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THE PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURE
Regions
International Ministries National
Ministries MMBB
Associated Ministry Organizations and Caucuses
Leadership Pool
Biennial/Mission Summit
Mission Table
Board of General Ministries (BGM)
National Leadership Council
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UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE

• Smaller boards
• Focus on skill and expertise in selection of
  board members
• Representation still valued

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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

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RELATIONSHIP OF NATIONAL BOARDS TO EACH OTHER

• Interrelated but NOT Interlocking

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2 TYPES OF DIRECTORS SERVE ON NATIONAL BOARDS
Regular Director
If bylaw change affects relationship with ABCUSA
Authority to conduct affairs of corporation
including revision of bylaws
Special Director
Board of General Ministries (BGM)
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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 Womens Ministries
• Inter-Caucus President

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ASSURING DIVERSITY JOINT BOARD NOMINATING
REVIEW COMMITTEE

• FUNCTIONto 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

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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

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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

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WHATS NEXT?
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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

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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