Faith in Motion: Building the Next 20 Years

A 90-minute presentation about the future of the Apostolic Faith work was given on July 6 entitled, “Faith in Motion: Building the Next 20 Years.” To begin, Sola Adesope explained that when he was appointed as leader of this work, the need to move the church forward was strongly conveyed to him. While we cherish our history and remain anchored in it, we must always be looking to the future. With that in mind, during that past two years nine committees have been formed to address important needs. Each committee is comprised of qualified members of our churches from around the world. Brother Sola emphasized that this is not a corporate strategy, but a prayerful response to God’s leading, with the goal of ensuring that our church remains spiritually vibrant, mission focused, and impactful for generations to come if the Lord tarries.

The presentation coordinator, Yvonne Wilson, introduced each committee before one of their members spoke briefly about their mandate, their work so far, and their goals. John Musgrave began by speaking on behalf of the committee for Business Development, which is charged with promoting the financial stability of our global churches. Their key initiatives involve: 1) Implementing regional tithing to headquarters; 2) Standardizing financial reporting; and 3) Generating sustainable income through wise investments that benefit our churches and workers. 

The next committee was Infrastructure Development, represented by Dave Andersen. That group’s purpose is to provide expertise in construction and property maintenance of our church buildings, offices, campgrounds, youth camps, and schools. When an infrastructure-related question arises anywhere in our global body, the committee will study the situation, research possible solutions, and then make recommendations.

Sam Fadiora of Toronto, Canada, spoke on behalf of the Information Technology (IT) committee. Its mandate is to help our churches leverage new technologies for furthering the Gospel. Their current projects include generating AI translations and audio versions of our literature, streamlining online event registrations, and developing AI Sunday school tools. A demonstration of their “Visitor Contact Management System” showed a new app that could facilitate communication between a church’s ministry team and new visitors.

On behalf of the Outreach and Belonging committee, Carrie Keju of Washington DC spoke about changes in society that require changes in methods of evangelism and discipleship. The committee’s charge is to listen to, learn from, and then equip local churches with strategies for outreach and spiritual growth. They are working on a framework for engaging new church visitors, starting small groups for fellowship, and writing a manual about spiritual growth, discipleship, and retention.

For the Museum of Faith, Catey Hinkle shared that their goal is to preserve Apostolic Faith history and inspire future generations. Having completed the opening exhibit, they will now focus on sharing its contents through tours, a companion website, and a new subscription series titled "Legacy of Faith.”

Gary Riler shared that the mission of the committee for Music Development is to establish shared standards and offer practical guidance to support our music leaders and encourage thriving music programs around the world. The committee was formed very recently and is working on copyright resources and a training session for next spring.

The Ministry Development committee was represented by Bill McKibben of Seattle, Washington. He explained that ministerial training has long been part of our work, but now it will be carried out in a more robust fashion through professional online training courses.

The committee for K-12 Education is exploring the possibility of opening a private Christian school in Portland. Rich Barrett explained that the committee has researched State requirements and the way other private schools have managed admissions, tuition, curriculum, and staffing. It is currently conducting a survey to assess interest among local families. If the decision is made to move forward, parents and educators from our congregation would help determine the details of how the school would operate.

The final committee was Youth Development, represented by Randal Lee of Medford, Oregon. That group’s goal is to encourage future generations to be Christ-centered kingdom workers. Their work so far has included organizing and supporting workshops and other special events; connecting young people with opportunities to serve; and developing a variety of materials to support the youth.

The work of these committees is exciting, inspiring, and also challenging. May we all pray for God to continue to lead and bless their efforts!

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