On November 28, 2007, the Session of Rye Presbyterian Church passed a motion to direct the Budget Committee to include funding for the position of an Associate Pastor for Christian Education and Nurture in the 2008 church budget. This decision was based in part on the following proposal, brought forward by the Christian Education Committee in October. Session asked that this proposal and all appendices be made available to the congregation.

Proposal for an Associate Pastor for

Christian Education and Nurture

The Christian Education Committee (“CE Committee”) of Rye Presbyterian Church formally proposes that Session initiates and actively pursues the search for an Associate Pastor for Christian Education and Nurture as expeditiously as possible.

The CE Committee expects this calling to take up to a year. Therefore, Session urgently needs to set this process in motion so that this minister can be in place by the fall of 2008. The CE Committee hereby asks Session to adopt 1) a motion directing the Budget Committee to include funding for such a position, as well as proper funding for programming and secretarial support, and 2) a motion to establish a Search Committee to seek an Associate Pastor for Christian Education and Nurture.

Over the past few months, the CE Committee has conducted several meetings and discussions with members of the congregation to explore ideas and create a vision for Christian Education at RPC (Appendix A). The following summarizes the consensus of these discussions.

· We want our members to have many and varied opportunities to develop a strong sense of who they are as Christians in relationship with God, the church, and its mission.

· We want our members to know their Bible, understand what it means to be a Protestant and a Presbyterian, and have a working knowledge of church history.

· We want to provide small group opportunities for our members to share their spiritual journeys, participate in corporate prayer, and experience the joy of Christian fellowship and spiritual insights.

· We want to offer a “Teacher’s College” experience to our Sunday School teachers to deepen their own understanding of theology and moral discernment.

· We especially want our young people to have a strong sense of connection to God and the church and to be conversant in Christian theology and church history. We want to provide opportunities for spiritual discovery and mission experiences.

Based upon a careful reading of David Gile’s book, Rye Presbyterian Church 1956-1995, A Historical Update, it quickly becomes clear that RPC successes in Christian education during that time period – at least for those above the age of confirmation -- were tied to adequate staffing and clear priorities. Those successes, however, were too often brief in duration, despite Session’s repeated affirmations and previous Christian Education Committees’ laudable efforts emphasizing the centrality of Christian Education to the mission of the Church (Appendix B).

Notable in the history is the continual turnover of staff charged with implementing Christian Education programming. Reasons for the excessive turnover include:

· Failure to follow through on stated priorities in youth ministry and adult education in terms of time and budget.

· Lack of guidance from senior staff.

· Lack of status associated with the position by congregation and staff.

· Salary and housing issues.

· Lack of administrative support.

· Lack of consistent lay support.

It must be noted that RPC has attempted to rely on Directors of Christian Education and/or various Seminarian interns in the past. However, CE Directors, as far as could be determined, never carried any responsibility for high school fellowship or adult education programs. Hiring seminarians, while cost-effective and temporarily successful, particularly with regard to high school fellowship, required considerable pastoral supervision. Both approaches ultimately tended to compromise continuity and spiritual education. Adult education was largely ignored.

After years of less than satisfactory Christian Education programming, a significant shift in priorities is needed. Time and again, the RPC congregation has demonstrated a hunger for this ministry. Only a more comprehensive and consistent approach will help RPC avoid the disappointments of the past. The CE Committee therefore concludes that a third ordained minister is needed. To be effective, this minister must be fully integrated into the staff and embraced by the congregation. The attached draft of a job description, written by Dr. de Vries and Reverend Love, can help ensure that kind of integrated approach by emphasizing the significance of a shared sense of purpose and dedication to excellence regarding Christian Education (Appendix C).

When RPC’s previous Associate Pastor for Christian Education left the congregation in the summer of 2004, she was paid a cash salary of $39,000 annually plus a $20,320 housing allowance. She also had full benefits with the Board of Pensions. In order to attract excellent candidates, the Committee assumes a cash salary of $60,000 plus $20,000 in housing allowance. Benefits would run $24,570, based on the standard formula (cash salary x 1.3) x 0.315. Another $5,000 should be added for pastoral expenses. In total, including funds for secretarial support and programming, the CE Committee expects RPC to incur approximately $120,000 per year in incremental expenses.

Research into comparable congregations with high quality Christian Education programs reveals that the success of any education program depends entirely on adequate staffing, financing and lay commitment. Their success stories prove that youth ministry and adult education are viable even in this overscheduled society (Appendix D).

In her sermon on September 9, 2007, Dr. de Vries emphasized the high number of children in the congregation. She called them “a gift from Almighty God”, but also a “sacred trust” and a tremendous responsibility. She reminded us that our young people “are not incidental to the life of this church” and said: “our children need a solid rock on which to stand so that when the rains come and the winds blow, they will not fall” (full sermon available online at www.ryepc.com). This congregation makes a promise and a commitment to God at the baptism of each child. All members are called to live up to that promise. In a world that is increasingly torn between religious extremism and aggressive secularism, Presbyterians of all ages need to be secure in their faith and deserve the best possible programs to nurture their spirituality and Christian values.

In the fall of 2004, RPC quite suddenly went from three full-time pastors to just one. The unexpected death of Dr. Murdoch forced Session to focus on the search for a new senior pastor before addressing the open associate pastor position. Today, RPC is again able to attract qualified candidates who can implement its vision for the future of Christian Education. This Church needs three ordained ministers. Therefore, the CE Committee strongly urges Session to accept and act on this proposal. Thank you.

Rye, New York, October 24, 2007