The Life and Mission Agency Committee met outside of Ontario for the first time, gathering at Surrey Presbyterian Church in British Columbia in November. The Korean congregation offered the invitation, and hosted the meetings. Committee members visited area congregations, missions and schools. Mary Fontaine, founder of the native Hummingbird Ministries mission in Vancouver, visited the committee.
General Secretary Rev. Rick Fee said religion is becoming deinstitutionalized and the LMA must change along with it. He also mentioned strategic planning, and the need for increased cooperation among departments in the national office, and called for a new focus on targeting seniors as volunteers. Finding ways for the national office to better serve congregations was also mentioned, as was the need to stay in touch with the church's ethnic ministries and congregations.
- The committee is considering translating Leading With Care into Korean. Presbyterians Sharing and Planned Giving brochures have already been translated. Some materials have been translated into Hungarian as well, along with wedding, communion and baptismal services. Living Faith and a statement on offering sanctuary have been translated into French.
- Lori Ransom, the Healing and Reconciliation Animator, encouraged congregations to set aside one Sunday in May or June to focus on healing and reconciliation. An advisory committee to assist Ransom was to meet in December to discuss how to move forward and how to sustain initiatives once Ransom's one-year contract is up.
- A review of the regional staffing model by the LMA and WMS is in the works, in preparation for the report to General Assembly in 2008. The committee decided to hire an external consultant to begin the review which will consider things like job descriptions, stipend and the effectiveness of the current regional staffing model, and will involve reviewing previous documentation, interviewing regional staff, the regional staff advisory committee conveners and members of the LMA, WMS and the Atlantic Missionary Society.
- An online Sunday school teacher-training program was endorsed by the committee. The ecumenical endeavor involves five North American denominations: the PCC, PC(USA), Moravian Church in America, Reformed Church in America and Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
– with files from Keith Knight
