 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR LEADING CONGREGATIONS |
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On a bright Sunday morning in September, the congregation of Turner Memorial AME Church gathers at its Hyattsville, Maryland, building. A pastor is delivering an impassioned message. Applause crackles through the space as worshippers lift their hands under the sanctuary's vaulted ceiling. But the person speaking from the pulpit is not the Rev. Dr. D.K. Kearney, Turner Memorial's pastor since 2015. The preacher is the Rev. Cesar Moreno, a minister originally from Guatemala, who is sharing the day's word -- in Spanish. For nearly two years, the pastors' churches -- one an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) congregation more than a century old, one a largely Latino nondenominational congregation established in 2010 -- have been sharing the Turner Memorial building. It's more than just a transactional arrangement. Church members have worked carefully and intentionally to build the relationship between the two congregations, which includes regular shared services and, this fall, the "Soul Saving September Revival," a four-week joint endeavor. It involves the close friendship of the two pastors, as well as the efforts of 16-year-old interpreter Josary Moreno Mejia (a preacher in her own right and the granddaughter of Cesar Moreno). "In Christ, there is no Jew or Gentile. There is no race or color," Kearney says later that Sunday from the pulpit, after Moreno's message concludes. "We cannot allow the world's culture of division to separate us. We cannot allow the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy to separate us," Kearney continues, getting louder. "We are one in Christ Jesus." |
A recent international story speaks to the power of unlikely partnerships. As the Everest climbing season came to a close, a twenty-four year old Israeli law student is the Good Samaritan from 26,000 feet, an elevation known instantly to expert climbers as the "death zone." A mere 1,000 feet from the world's roof, Nadav Ben-Yehuda noticed a 64 year old Turkish man, Aydin Irmak, lying in the snow with no gloves, no oxygen, no shelter as other climbers streamed past him in their quest for the summit. In an instant, Nadav relinquished his summit bid and put all efforts into Aydin's rescue. Nine hours later, Nadav arrived at base camp having saved the life of Aydin. Here's the hook: Nadav and Aydin's story is receiving international press because the relationship between Turkey and Israel is as icy as the slopes of Everest. Nadav's act not only saved a life, but also bridged a distance between inimical countries. When asked why he stopped to help when all others gave Irmak up for dead, Nadav answered, "Because we had shared a meal together." |
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| | FROM OUR ARCHIVE: COLLABORATIVE MINISTRY |
We live in a time of innovation and collaboration. People, institutions and organizations are coming together to create systems and businesses that improve our environment, our democratic processes, and the lives of the poor in our communities and in our world. Much of this work comes under the umbrella of "social entrepreneurship," but often, they happen without the church. An Episcopal priest wonders how it could be otherwise. |
| The opening of a Whole Foods in the Englewood neighborhood was the culmination of a congregation's multilayered efforts to respond to community needs. Top among them: Fresh, healthy food. |
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A large and growing number of congregations are setting up church-based nonprofit organizations in order to operate community development or educational programs. Once formed, the nonprofit structure allows for new opportunities for accessing additional funding and drawing new collaborative partners and volunteers into the ministry. Joy Skjegstad outlines the step-by-step procedures for setting up a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization connected to a congregation using simple, easy-to-understand terminology and plenty of examples from churches that have already taken on this task.
Whether your congregation is setting up a new program or has an established nonprofit that needs to be restructured or redefined, congregations will find helpful guidance in this practical, experience-based book.
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