Mission to North America (MNA) reported to the General Assembly today that during 2008, the organization has made significant progress toward its stated goal of seeing “the PCA, beginning with its leadership, reflect the demographic makeup of North America.” The report states that MNA “wants to see churches planted and people coming to Christ from the many diverse communities and people groups in our land.” It goes on to say that advances were made in reaching out to African-American, Hispanic, Haitian, Korean, Native American, Portuguese-speaking, and urban communities last year.

“Ours is a constantly changing culture,” the document stated. “The majority of PCA churches are ministering among the predominantly Anglo and middle to higher income people groups. However, to impact centers of influence in North America with the gospel of Jesus Christ demands that the PCA sharpen its focus on “concentrations of cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity.”

The Assembly’s commissioners learned that MNA offers services designed for this purpose, including annual conferences for training and networking, resources for mentoring and coaching leaders, and consultation to foster development of new ministries.

A number of milestones for specific cultural and ethnic communities were cited in the report:

• Two African-American teaching elders were ordained, raising the total of African-American teaching elders in the PCA to 37. In addition, two African-American church planters were placed in the field, two new Reformed University Fellowship campus ministries led by African-American teaching elders were launched, and two congregations led by African-American teaching elders were organized as particular churches. 
• Along with 18 Hispanic-Americans currently serving as teaching elders, nine more men are preparing for PCA ordination, 20 Anglo men are actively involved in Hispanic ministry within the denomination, and 69 teaching elders (not including overseas missionaries) are equipped to provide theological instruction in Spanish. 
• MNA’s Haitian Ministries has worked primarily in Haiti, providing financial support and volunteer teams for El Shaddai Ministries International. During 2008, 12 mission churches were launched, raising the total of PCA-based Haitian churches to 40, and 13 seminary students graduated in Haiti. Most of them will be involved in church planting. 
• Urban and Mercy Ministries, led by Randy Nabors, continues to provide training and consultation services for establishing and strengthening ministry to low-income communities. The PCA also had more than 100 individuals representing local congregations and related ministries at the annual Christian Community Development Association conference in Miami.

Overall, MNA placed 52 church planters and six church-planting apprentices across the PCA during 2008 to start new mission churches.

To download MNA coordinator Jim Bland’s presentation to the Assembly, please click here.