PRESBYTERY OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
A UNIFYING VISION – DOING MISSION TOGETHER
GOD’S CALL FOR PWNC?
Churches Large and Small; Different Theologically, Different Geographically
PRESBYTERY OF
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
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112 Churches
18,521 Membership
39 < 50 Members
61 < 100 Members
80 < 150 Members
10 > 500 Members
PWNC spans east to Gastonia, north to Banner Elk and west to the Tennessee line.
Presbytery of Western North Carolina’s Mission
Strengthen churches to witness to Jesus Christ
Equip Churches for Ministry
Witness to God’s Love
Build
Relationships
Strengthen People
Make Disciples
Witness to God’s Love
God’s Calling to
the Presbytery
• Guatemala Partnership
(17 years)
Strengthen Churches
Witness to
God’s Love
Build
Relationships
Make
Disciples
• Dr. Barbara Nagy/
Nkhoma Hospital, Malawi
(7 years)
Equip
Churches
Strengthen
Leaders
What is God Calling PWNC to Do and Be?
Is Our Mission Focus Part of God’s Call?
IS IT –
Effective for others? (Witnessing to God’s Love)
Strengthening the congregations? (Equipping them,
making them disciples, strengthening leaders)
A valid focus for today’s world?
A valid way to spend resources?
If our focus is right, what about the
way we are doing mission.
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Both technical and adaptive
How should we be defining things differently?
What could we do better?
What should we be doing differently?
What can we learn from other Presbyteries?
PWNC’s MISSION AREAS
 17 Year Guatemalan Partnership
 80% Support for PCUSA Pediatric Doctor in Malawi
 Support PCUSA Mission Co-Workers/Other
Missionaries
 Disaster Relief and Work Crew Project
 Hunger Work & Local Mission
 Youth, Camp Grier, Homes for Children
 Other
Guatemalan Partnership
17 Year Relationship
Partner With Two Presbyteries
• Suchitepequez (Suchi) and Sur Occidente (Sur)
• Different in size
• Different in theology
• Similar in their extreme poverty
• West Coast Presbyteries
Covenant Vision (5 Year Commitment)
Together we
•Affirm our integral faith in Jesus Christ
•Work as partners in support and mission
•Learn from each other
•Encourage one another
•Share our joys and pains
•Experience God’s abundant life
•Demonstrate Christ’s reconciling love
•Appreciate the gifts that each church offers*
*Condensed from 5 year Covenant
The Focus is Relationship Building
• We stay in the villages in primitive conditions
• Our focus is mutual support; not building projects
Guatemalan Partnership
31 Church-to-Church Partnerships
All Sizes – Different Theologies
PWNC has Coordinator/Executive Committee
• PWNC sponsored church to church visits each year
• Churches also visit their church
• Guatemalans visit partner churches/PWNC
• Partnership Banners in every church
• Letters go back and forth
PWNC churches are limited to $300 per year
•Guatemalans determine its use
•Plus children’s scholarships
•Plus projects approved by Partnership
PWNC Church Partners gather every other month
Guatemalan Partnership
Three executive committees meet each year
• Reports discussed/decisions made
• Projects are prioritized
• Plans for education, health & youth
Communication is
Constant & Frequent
Partnership
•Coming to the table as equals
•Always a growing experience
•Moderating rotated
•Agenda setting together
•PWNC not in control – A Real Partnership
Partnership is Time Consuming/Costly
• Paid Coordinator in each of the 3 Presbyteries
• Three Partnership Committees
• Budget for 2011 - $31,500
Guatemalan Partnership
Impact on PWNC Mission Members
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Our faith grows and deepens
Individuals are changed
Awareness of Christians around the world
New eyes to see ourselves/others
See our abundance
Experience the Holy Spirit at work
Know people who must depend on God
Want to experience God more
See gratitude “Gracias” prayers
Seen the face of Christ/heard Christ speak
Youth changing their future work
Changing majors
Immigration lawyer
Different perspective on role of USA
More concern for Hispanics in USA
See partnership as God’s call to ministry
Learn to be a partner
Bring change to the congregation/PWNC
Guatemalan Partnership
Impact on Guatemala
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Worshiping/praying together-united in Christ
Experiencing caring from PWNC
Thinking in new ways
Opening possibilities – the baptism of children
Women being elders/pastors
Enabling more children to go to school
Improving and/or having a church building
Improving water in a few places
Having a missionary in Africa
Guatemalan Partnership
PWNC Focus Broader then Church Partners
At Presbytery Meetings
 New Pastors are given Guatemalan stoles
 Teams are commissioned/report
 Partnership covenant is signed
 Weavings on lectures/communion table
 Guatemalans are welcomed and speak
Other Exchanges
Youth Trips
Kevin Frederick – discusses family abuse
with the men
Guatemalan Youth to Triennium
Prayer request in PWNC & Guatemala
Throughout the Year
Alternative Christmas Giving
Children’s Scholarships, Seminary
Scholarships, Nutrition
Monthly mailings include reports & letters
Triangle of Love
Malawi, Guatemala, PWNC
Seven Year Relationship
Three Presbyteries support 80% of a PCUSA Mission Co-Worker
oDr. Barbara Nagy from the Presbytery of Western NC
oPediatric doctor at Nkhoma Hospital, Malawi, Africa
o“Triangle of Love” mural in PWNC meeting room
Triangle of Love
Malawi, Guatemala, PWNC
Guatemalan Participation
 The first mission trip had a Guatemalan Doctor
 Medical Protocols from Malawi went to
Guatemala
 Letters are translated into Spanish
 Guatemalans collect money at their presbytery
meetings for Dr. Nagy
 Children in Guatemala collect cans at soccer
games for the children in Malawi
 Guatemalans have a missionary in Africa
 They are giving, not just receiving
 Churches in Guatemala are praying for Dr.
Nagy and Nkhoma Hospital
PWNC Seven Year Partnership with
Dr. Barbara Nagy, Nkhoma Hospital &
Ebenezer School
PWNC Support – Nkhoma Hospital
Toilets for Children’s Ward
Electrical Work
Consistent Oxygen for the Hospital
X-ray Boxes, More Oxygen Concentrators
Create a Children’s Examining Room
(children don’t have to wait – saves lives)
New Laboratory Equipment & Training
Housing for Medical Staff
 3 Houses for Medical Staff
 Plus Matching Grant for 2 More Houses
PWNC Seven Year Partnership with
Dr. Barbara Nagy, Nkhoma Hospital &
Ebenezer School
Health Centers
 Mission Vision signs at all the village
health centers
 Health Center staff housing renovation
 Repairs at a few Health Centers
 Health Center Equipment improvement
Relationship Building
 Establishing a relationship of caring
 We return to Malawi even when Dr.
Barbara Nagy is in the USA
 Consistent Visiting
Finance
 $100,000 kept Nkhoma Hospital operating
 Responding to emergency financial
problems
Ebenezer School
For Children of Hospital Staff and the Community
Keeps Staff at Hospital
Idea/Grant Developed by Malawian Parents
First Principal – 80 year old Member of PWNC
A New Grade Each Year (3 yr olds to 3rd Grade)
Sent Long-Term Volunteers to Help
 A Principal
 A Teacher
Ebenezer School
Funded – Construction
•School Buildings
•Teachers’ Housing
•Furniture/Supplies
•Curriculum
•Library (coming soon)
Staff House
Jan 2011
Staff House
May 2011
Classroom furniture
New Curriculum &
Supplies being delivered
by PWNC Mission Team
Triangle to Circle of Love - Korea
 PWNC Retired Missionary to Korea
 Challenged Korean Graduates of a
Missionary School
 They Funded Second Building-Plus More
 Korean Graduates Part of Mission Team
Strengthening Churches
Everyone in PWNC knows Dr.
Barbara Nagy and her children
• She is here when home
• One of our own
For Interpretation
• Everyone had an opportunity to hear
Barbara Nagy-even the smallest churches
• Barbara spoke at Presbytery meetings and
Women of the Church gatherings
• About 60-80 engagements in all
Strengthening Churches
Churches Support Barbara Nagy financially
•All churches could meet/hear Barbara Nagy
•Members in churches knit caps for infants
•Members collect supplies for the school
•Members help with medical supplies
•Give to Barbara Nagy’s support
•Alternative Christmas for hospital, school, nutrition
programs, mosquito nets
•Nickel a Meal grants go for fertilizer and children’s
nutrition
•Members support the Ministry of Hope, a crisis nursery,
started by the Dimmocks, also mission co-workers from
PWNC
•Church cluster groups hold fund-raisers for hospital
projects (BBQ and pastor talent show, bowling with
basketball star, etc
•Malawi team videos at Presbytery meetings
•Prayer requests in churches for Malawi
•Church members remaining at home wear prayer wrist
bands during mission trips
•Build Relationship – 7 years of mission trips
PWNC Supports PCUSA Mission Co-Workers
Becca Young
Professor, Systematic Theology
Jakarta, Indonesia
Frank & Nancy Dimmock
Health Ministry
Lesotho, Africa
John McCall
Spiritual Formation/
Pastor Development
Taiwan
Barbara Nagy, Pediatrician
Nkhoma Hospital
Malawi, Africa
Disaster Recovery
Local Home & Church Repair
 PWNC Disaster Mission Teams
• Any church
• Small churches
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Support Churches’ Mission Trips
Built a Shower Trailer
Publicize PDA Information
Local Teams Renovate Homes, Paint
Churches, Work at Camp Grier
 Housed Work Teams in PWNC after floods
 Churches Together Build Habitat Houses
Hunger
Nickel a Meal
Fight Hunger Locally & Worldwide
Provide grants to
Malawi, Haiti,
Guatemala and more
Provide grants to
Local Sponsored
Agencies
Checks to Agencies are Presented at Sponsoring Church’s Worship Service
by Members of Hunger Committee
Souper Bowl of Caring
58 Churches Participated in 2011
PWNC adds .50 for every $1 collected
$13,803 matched by PWNC in 2011
Total collected for hunger - $41,409
Hunger – Local Churches
Food Pantries
Community Gardens
Feeding/Shelters
for Homeless
Backpacks (Weekend Food for Children)
Grace Covenant has a community garden on
their beautiful front lawn. They and some
people who eat at the McDonalds next door
tend the garden. The produce is shared with
local food banks. They deliver over 100lbs of
broccoli one week. The garden is a visible
sign of God’s grace at work.
Impact on the Presbytery of PWNC
A Unifying and Helpful Impact – Mission Involvement
Mission Involvement
•Builds relationships across theology, church size, and geography
•Contributes to unity and trust
•Helps people see God at work
•Mission involvement grows other mission involvement
•Churches are more open to strangers
Part of PWNC’s identity as being a “mission oriented Presbytery”
•Even churches not directly involved know about/care about mission
and co-workers
•People look forward to the 2 day meeting with a mission emphasis
•Mission contributes to pastors wanting to stay in PWNC
Mission Focused
PWNC Operating Budget*
*Contains mission giving
911,471
Benevolent Giving
Guatemala Partnership
Barbara Nagy (Malawi)
Becca Young (Indonesia)
Other Missionary Support
Nickel-a-Meal (Hunger Relief)
PC(USA) Offerings
Supported by Committee
Other PC(USA) Offerings
Total
$103,579
$158,340
$ 29,782
$ 83,867
$113,855
$ 78,431
$ 48,430
$616,284
Total Institutes & Agencies
(Does not include gifts from churches)
$12,000
Total Synod Giving
Total GA Giving
13,428
$180,004
Grand Total
$821,716
What is God Calling PWNC to Do and Be?
Is Our Mission Focus Part of God’s Call?
IS IT –
Effective for others? (Witnessing to God’s Love)
Strengthening the congregations? (Equipping them,
making them disciples, strengthening leaders)
A valid focus for today’s world?
A valid way to spend resources?
If our focus is right, what about the
way we are doing mission.





Both technical and adaptive
How should we be defining things differently?
What could we do better?
What should we be doing differently?
What can we learn from other Presbyteries?