JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Adoption of a new strategic plan — and a new structure and budget to support it — highlighted the business portion of the recent Churchnet Annual Gathering.
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Meeting at First Baptist Church in Jefferson City, Mo., Churchnet (Baptist General Convention of Missouri) members approved “Vision 2020: Engaging the Future with Hope,” the strategic plan for 2015-2020, with new mission and vision statements.
Planning began with Churchnet’s first priority to serve churches, Executive Director Jim Hill noted. “We decided we needed to take a fresh look at what that means,” he said.
The plan includes the mission to serve churches “by fostering collaboration and hope for engaging new generations and cultures,” and the vision to be the “preferred partner” for congregations in Missouri.
The entity formulated a new structure around four strategic initiatives — to facilitate missional collaboration, develop hope-filled strategies, engage new generations and cultures and expand community involvement.
Under the new structure, Churchnet will operate with five teams and five paid staff leaders, down from six. Gary Snowden will lead the missional collaboration team, with Bob Perry leading the strategy development team. Brian Kaylor will spearhead the generational engagement team, and Owen Taylor will head up the community involvement team. Hill will continue to oversee the administrative team.
Jeanie McGowan, who had led the old leadership development team, and Verlyn Bergen, head of the former resources and relationships team, now will be contract workers for specific projects, events and ministries.
Churchnet set its budget at $400,500 for the 2015-16 fiscal year to reflect its strategic priorities. Partnership missions, peer groups, disaster relief and collaborative projects are the priorities for the missional collaboration initiative.
The hope-filled strategies initiative will concentrate on demographics and assessments, strategic planning consultations, training events and resources and discernment practices.
Funding priorities for the new generations and cultures initiative will focus on training events and resources, identifying models for best practices, digital communications and storytelling evangelism.
The community involvement initiative will center on community advocacy, training events and resources, community assessment and hands-on projects.
Churchnet members elected their officers to another term each. Donna Potts, a laywoman from St. Charles, was chosen as president, with Forestal Lawton, administrative pastor of Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Kansas City, vice president, and Melody Pryor, pastor of First Baptist Church in Stanton, as secretary.
In addition, Cheriese Nims of Lee’s Summit, Rich Boyd of St. Louis, Bill Miller of Farmington, Mike Cosgrove of St. Joseph, Ken Chapman of Jefferson City and Try Hathcock of Springfield were elected as directors. Mark Conyers of Savannah and Nolan Carrier of Springfield were reelected to second terms.
