Regional Ministries Departmental Report 2016–2020

Fast Facts:

• Churches and Groups: 11
• Membership: 3018
• Tithe: $ unknown
• Pastors (full and part-time): 10
• K–12 Teachers: 6

Development Initiatives:

With the collaboration of pastors, lay leaders, conference and union leaders, several targeted organizational changes and programmatic initiatives have been instituted to support new growth and stop membership decline.

• The Union Regional Advisory Committee (which meets twice yearly) is composed of representatives from each conference and includes gender and cultural diversity and persons representing important institutions such as K–12 Education, Walla Walla University and Adventist Health, as well as auxiliary organizations such as the Northwest Adventist African American Local Elders Federation and Daughters of Zion.
• Local Conference Regional Advisory Committees are active in the larger conferences.
• Regional Growth funding is available to conferences that have Regional churches.
• A union-wide strategic plan has been developed, highlighting 5 Elements: Major Reaping Evangelistic Meetings, Church Planting, Congregational Revitalization, Church Building (construction) and K–12 Education.

Operational Leadership:

• Volunteer Coordinators have been recruited to focus on specific ministries including: Youth Ministry, Young Adults, K–12 Adventist Education, African American Health, Regional Development Fund, Evangelism, Church Planting and Church Building.

Accomplishments:

• Major reaping evangelism scheduled for the Seattle and Portland 2022–2023.
• Fall 2021, local church reaping evangelism involving 6 churches netted 24 baptisms.
• COVID response activities: Community food distribution increased at churches in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Seattle churches hosted vaccination and testing activities.
• Church plants in progress, now or in the near future: Seattle Ghanaian; Missoula Community; Walla Walla Valley; Ethiopian Oromo Group and Boise, Idaho.
• Church Buildings in progress: Portland Oromo Church and Anchorage Community Church
• 46th Annual Regional Convocation theme and focus: “I Will Go – Mission Together” 
• A weekend Youth Ministry Spiritual Revival was held with 72 youth and leaders in attendance.
• Pastoral Transitions due to retirements and moves: 10 churches affected
• Visitation of NPUC students at Oakwood and Walla Walla Universities.

Alignment:

We have worked to strengthen the collaboration and engagement with the following:

• NPUC Ministries: K–12 Education, Youth and Walla Walla University 
• NAD ministries: Evangelism, Adult Ministries, Health Ministries
• Office of Regional Conference Ministry resulted in:
  • Enhanced funding for Church Building and Educational Scholarships
  • Collaboration on funding summer Business and Ministerial Internships for 2023 and 2023.
  • Sharing of personnel for reaping evangelism.
• West Coast Black Administrator’s Caucus resulting in:
  • Planning for the West Coast Youth Conference scheduled August 9–13, 2023
  • Planning the West Coast Pastor’s Conference
  • Summit to develop new ideas to improve ministry among West Coast conferences.

Opportunities:

• Support major evangelistic meetings in Portland and Seattle.
• Growing four church plants to church status.
• Completing the construction of two new church buildings.
• Growing the Regional Development fund and the initiatives it supports.
• Recruiting more Black students and teachers to Adventist K–12 schools.
• Building connection and engagement with young adults in our colleges and churches.
• Support over 100 Northwest youth to attend the West Coast Youth Conference.
• Document the history of Regional Ministries in the Pacific Northwest.
• Support the recruitment of faculty and students at Walla Walla University.