The Philadelphia Baptist Association’s 315th Anniversary Campaign
Rev. Maria L.H. Lewis
Min. Marie Pogue
The PBA is in the beginning of a fundraising campaign. Over the next few months members of the board of directors, led by moderator, Rev. Maria L.H. Lewis and campaign chairperson Minister Marie Pogue, will be contacting congregations to invite them to participate in the campaign.
This fundraising campaign will equip the PBA to hire a full-time staff person to lead the Christ and Cultural Humility Initiative into the future. We will need to raise $150,000 in this fundraising campaign. Already, we have received commitments for $75,000 which we are asking PBA congregations to match in 2022.
Establishing the staff position of Regional Pastor for Congregational Continuous Learning will help to bring our congregations together, as we work to clarify our perspectives, sharpen, and share our skills. Together, we will engage the demographic and generational shifts and the implications sampled below:
Aging of the US Population:
- by 2030 all boomers will be 65 years of age
- increased ministry to meet the needs of Seniors with an emphasis on engaging the younger generations simultaneously
- establishment of intergenerational congregational life
- engaging the wonderful source of volunteer support – training provision
- addressing the major transfer of wealth and developing creative church endowment strategies
Increasingly More Racial and Ethnically Pluralistic Society:
- an intentional response to all differently abled persons who make up ¼ of our congregations
- anticipating, responding, and welcoming the rapid increase in the number of persons with heritage of two or more races
- anticipating, responding, welcoming, the reality that Hispanics will become the largest minority in US
- anticipating, responding, and welcoming the reality that immigration/ migration will become the major source of population growth in the US- changes membership demographics and new church starts
- engage the dramatic shifts in neighborhood demographics e.g. gentrification, poverty in suburbia, etc.
- by 2045 white people will no longer make up the majority in US population – anticipate political shifts and the church response
- domestic terrorism threats increase as back lash by white supremacists – advocacy for justice ministries
- church must address Cultural Humility (sensitivity) becoming allies with disenfranchised persons
Generational Shifts:
- the younger generations bring their ethics to the table unapologetically and the local church should be prepared to engage them
- younger generations most ethnically diverse in US history – entering a largely segregated church
- younger generations (millennials and Z) are digital natives – increased technology imperative
- Generation Z and Millennials concerned with Global Warming – advocacy ministries
- Generation Z believes systemic racism is a reality – advocacy ministries
- 48% of Z and 47% of Millennials affirm Gay Marriage – informed church response
- the configuration of families (makeup) increasingly diverse, e.g., single parents, children living with grandparents, blended families, etc.
- Generation Z on pace to be the best educated generation in US – Discipleship Training