April 11, 2003

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - When the Rev. R. Randy Day pushes for asset-based development in mission, he's not talking dollars and cents.

The new chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries is looking beyond the agency's financial constraints to find ways to achieve its goals. He believes the church's assets of faith, hope and love can propel it forward.

"Our spiritual assets equip us to utilize material resources in ways that achieve the goals of mission: making disciples and making a difference for Christ in the world," Day said during an address at the April 7-10 Board of Global Ministries meeting.

He considers the agency's greatest challenge not to raise funds but to lead a mission revival within the denomination. "The will and the determination to make disciples, to make a difference, is strong but not strong enough - not as strong as it must be if we are to fulfill our mission mandates," he told board directors. "Money for mission is a means, not a motivation or an end."

Day did acknowledge that significant investment income and other financial contributions in the 1990s helped make that decade "one of unprecedented mission accomplishments for us around the world." But he believes such momentum can be sustained even in a time of lower economic expectations.

He called upon mission leaders to "be on fire for mission," to make strategic use of financial and human resources, to further cultivate mission partnerships through the United Methodist connectional system and to use effective communication to spread the gospel.

Difficulties remain at the agency, however, because of "the ongoing financial challenge," he said. The loss of nearly 100 staff members over the past two years, coupled with the layoff of 18 missionaries and the inability to appoint new missionaries during 2003, has been painful.

"It hurt to tell 18 missionaries that their terms would not be renewed," Day said. "It hurt to skip a year of new US-2s (youth missionaries). It was painful for the missionary community, active and retired, which we hold in such high regard. It was painful for churches that support individual missionaries and projects associated with them."

He pledged to "move quickly" to resume the assignment of new missionaries, especially the youth categories of US-2s and mission interns, and reaffirmed the importance of the entire missionary community. "Missionaries represent a vital aspect of our commitment to God's vision for wholeness, peace and justice," he said.

Day also declared his desire to strengthen the board's commitment to mission volunteers and to undergird the organizations "that form the backbone of the Volunteers in Mission movement."

He considers global mission partnerships, with entities ranging from congregations to conferences to other denominations, as being "among our best options for growing the United Methodist investment in mission." Strengthening relationships with other denomination's national boards and agencies is a priority as well, he said.

United Methodist News Service