We are a global church with a global mission, and we believe that every person, generation, church, and nation has a unique role to play. That's why a decade of harvest for a PCG 2.0 must involve these four imperatives.
Dr. Wayman Ming Jr.
January 20, 2020
Topic:
Mission & Vision
The year 2020 has arrived and apprehends us with deep spiritual implications! Of course, the number 2020 contains physiological significance because it speaks to “clarity and sharpness of VISION,” but it also represents spiritual significance, especially for a Pentecostal Church of God, because it speaks to “clarity and sharpness of MISSION” for the next decade. In other words, the year 2020 is the first year of a new Decade of Harvest for a 2nd-Century PCG.
In many ways, just like the children of Israel crossing over into the Promised Land, I believe that the PCG experienced a similar crossing-over moment. Isn’t it interesting that the children of Israel searched for their promises for forty years, but it only took three days to cross over the Jordan and experience them?
Actually, during our three-day Centennial Celebration, I believe that a God-moment took place, and the PCG crossed over into our promises—not just from one year to the next but from one century to the next. Is it possible that RIGHT NOW we are standing in our own Promised Land and have an opportunity to possess the ground of our forefathers and mothers from the preceding century? A 1st-Century PCG story was written on the other side of our history, and now we have the opportunity to write a 2nd-Century PCG story on this side of our destiny. The question before us is:
Will we look at the grapes or the giants? Will we identify with the Joshua and Caleb generation or the generation of unremembered names from the ten other spies? Will we possess our promises or pass on our promises?
At this very moment, I carry the weight of a divine assignment—to inspire our movement with 2020 MISSION for a Decade of Harvest! Now, please do not allow anything presented to be considered as a quid pro quo (pardon the allusion to current events). Honestly, there is no quid pro quo expectation here. In all sincerity, the only way we will write a new chapter for a PCG 2.0 is to answer the following two questions with affirmation: (1) Can we write a new chapter for a PCG 2.0 TOGETHER, and (2) Can we invite God to take precedence in the details more than our own personal preferences? If we can answer these questions with affirmation, we will possess the ground that God has given us.
During my personal report at the Centennial Celebration, I shared four imperatives that will enable us to live as One Mission—One Movement and have 20/20 MISSION for a Decade of Harvest. Allow me to provide more clarity concerning these imperatives by answering the questions of what, why, how, who, and when.
After traveling to many of our missional nations, an insatiable hunger to be a part of “One Mission—One Movement” is evident. This was witnessed in approximately forty-five nations that were represented in our three Continental Conferences in 2018 and also in the exuberance of our global church preparing to assemble for our first-ever PCG Global Conference during July 23-26, 2020, in Manaus, Brazil.
However, while these events represent growing partnership with the PCG, they won’t necessarily create Kingdom expansion. Expansion occurs through continually building relationship and providing global training for church multiplication. The bottom line is this: we must multiply ministers and churches across the globe.
Actually, the “why” is more important than the “what” in most cases. “What we do” is often predicated on “why we do it.” As Christ-followers, we’re not just working for the Lord. There are reasons why we are working for the Lord—to impact eternity and glorify God. So, the optimum question remains: why are we developing a global expansion strategy for the PCG? To expand the global church and advance the Kingdom of God around the globe.
Imperative #1: Develop regional/global events.
Imperative #2: Develop regional/global leadership teams.
Imperative #3: Develop regional/global training strategies and credentialing.
Candidly, we have some incredible momentum through One Mission—One Movement and our Centennial Celebration, but to continue this momentum, we must address the systems that are hindering our pipeline for minister multiplication. One of those systems is our Credential system which often tends to hurt us rather than help us.
For example, our credential system provides very few incentives to attract new ministers. We have very little to offer in resource support, insurance benefits, and retirement options. Other organizations make it attractive for ministers to apply and difficult for ministers to leave because of financial investments in ministerial benefits. I believe that we must once again take care of ALL of our ministers by providing various options for benefits.
Furthermore, we have a credential system that doesn’t inspire our greatest recruiters, which are our pastors and ministers themselves. The greatest pool potential for new ministers remains in our local churches, and yet, we haven’t created a credential system that inspires our pastors to pursue them. Actually, the opposite often occurs.
A potential minister will come to the lead pastor and express, “I’m thinking about applying for credentials with the PCG,” to which the pastor may respond, “Well, you know that your ministerial tithes will go to the district and not our church.” Until we create a system that allows all the minister’s tithe to stay in the local church and inspires our pastors to recruit new ministers, we will lose missional movement.
Finally, our credential system must be placed online with easy access and clear expectations. We’ve already seen the potential of this through the Forerunner Experience. How many ministers are we losing because we have offered no other alternative to our current hard-copy process of reading books and filling in the study guides? In fact, think about the potential of creating a baseline, online training program that would open the door to all ages engaging in the ministerial development process and convey our own unique PCG theology, mission, and values.
Our Movement will grow when the number of ministers grows.
Imperative #1: Offer ministerial benefits to ALL of our ministers.
Imperative #2: Offer pastoral incentives to recruit new ministers.
Imperative #3: Offer a simple and accessible process for online credential training/application.
One of the greatest threats to a 2nd Century PCG is a lack of biblical alignment in our finances, especially in two areas—biblical tithing and future-funded giving. Allow me to touch on the former first. If we really believe in tithing as the seventeenth foundational doctrine in our general bylaws and if we really believe that tithing is God’s answer for financial blessing, then let’s reform our financial system so that the International Mission’s Center, our ministry/missions departments, and our districts and churches model tithing.
Of course, the PCG remains fixed as a voluntary giving culture and mandating biblical tithing would NOT be well-received. So, please hear this:
I am advocating for voluntary biblical tithing, not mandatory biblical tithing. My prayer is that we would have such a passionate belief concerning biblical tithing that we would do so willingly and not because of bylaw mandate.
Furthermore, as a leader, I have such a such a strong belief in biblical tithing that I would not ask any department, district, or church to do something the International Mission Center of the PCG was not willing to do itself. So, what would happen if our International Mission Center and districts modeled tithing? What type of supernatural supply would be poured out from Heaven if we reformed our a 2nd-Century PCG from a minister’s-tithe model to a movement-tithe model?
Also, what would happen if we provided opportunities for our PCG family to future fund ministry for their local churches and the PCG? Interestingly, it only takes one donor to make a difference and change the financial trajectory of a local church and the PCG. However, some in our PCG family have ended up future funding academic institutions, hospitals, and other faith-based organizations because we haven’t provided an onramp for future-funded giving in the PCG through endowments, charitable giving, annuities, cost segregation planning, and private wealth management. To continue missional movement, we must align ourselves with biblical tithing and future-funded giving.
Imperative #1: Inspire Voluntary Biblical Tithing
Imperative #2: Inspire Future Funded Ministry (Legacy Giving)
Imperative #3: Inspire One Mission—One Movement Giving
Earlier I mentioned that our Movement will grow when the number of ministers grows. Allow me to say it another way: Our Movement will grow when the number of churches grows. Allow me to affirm the notion that the PCG must remain focused on growing ministers and churches. We must act intentionally and incrementally to multiply our ministers and missionaries, plant new churches, and grow our existing churches. With this in mind, our Ministry Intensives were launched in April of 2019 with the following tracks of training…
Church Coaching… for existing pastors
Church Planting… for new pastors
Church Ministry… for church leaders and ministers
Even though these tracks of training began at the national level, they must be moved from the national level to the district and local church level.
Imperative #1: Take the Ministry Intensives to the Regional Encounters in 2021.
Imperative #2: Launch a Church Multiplication Plan for approximately five districts in 2021.
Imperative #3: Launch a Church Multiplication Plan for more districts in 2022.
We are prepared and positioned to possess the promises of a 2nd-Century PCG. Our 2020 Mission for a Decade of Harvest remains missional. In fact, each area listed above reflects this…
Coming out of the Centennial, we have momentum as One Mission—One Movement, but we are also facing 2020 and the first decade of a PCG 2.0. Now we need some champions to lead the way, and I believe we have them!
Dr. Wayman Ming Jr.
General Bishop, PCG
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