SYNOD OF THE SUN

CROSS CULTURAL VISIONING

A Preliminary Report – April 2010
Background:
It is clear that the Synod is in dire need to
revision its identity and ministry. This is
especially true in relation to the
racial/ethnic, cultural, generational, and
socio-economic diversity of the south
central region of the United States – the
bounds of our synod. While the United
States has undergone significant
population change, the demographic of the
Presbyterian Church remains mostly
stagnant reflecting an insignificant
resemblance.

The Synod of the Sun during its November 2009 Assembly, assigned the Associate
Executive/Stated Clerk to convene a task force and carry out a Cross Cultural Visioning process to
guide the Synod’s ministry. A final report is to be presented to the Synod in October 2010.

The task force consists of the following Presbyterian leadership:

Six At-Large (R/E) Synod Commissioners 2010-2011:

- Debbie Kleinman New Covenant
- Aida Faris Mission
- Goy Thumasathit Grace
- Jesus (Jesse) Gonzalez Arkansas
- Alford Branch Pines
- Cleland Willis Eastern Oklahoma

Chairs of the 4 R/E Councils:

- Debbie Kleinman (AIM)
- Viet Ho (ACM)
- Noe Benites (HLM)
- Charmaine Price (AAM)

Presbyterian Leaders within the Synod bounds:

- Cyprian Guchienda Grace
- Betty Sicks Grace
- James Lee Mission
- Jose Luis Casal General Missioner, Tres Rios
- Greg Coulter General Presbyter, Eastern Oklahoma
- Liz Anzaldua Synod Mission Working Group Co-Moderator
- Shane Whisler Synod Director of Communications
- Raafat Zaki Synod Stated Clerk/Associate Executive

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Process:
Most members of the task force met face-to-face at the Synod office in Irving on Feb. 23, 2010.
Several teleconferences and email exchanges have followed. There seems to be decisive agreement
that the status quo will continue to weaken the ministry of the Church. New ways and approaches
must be followed by the Church (and the Synod). After much discussion, we established a web
link to post and streamline conversations among task force members.

The task force also agreed that Raafat will update and seek feedback from the Synod’s three
working groups during the April 30-May 1 meeting before proceeding with the task at hand.

Highlights:
The process has recently gathered feedback from members of the task force in response to the
following four questions:

1. How do we envision the Church in this region as diverse, welcoming, outward reaching
community/communities of faith?
2. What would we recommend the Church DO and BECOME in order to reach out and grow?
3. Given our vision of cross cultural diversity, how will the Synod glorify, encourage, support
and connect? (verbs are from the Synod mission statement)
4. How will the Synod lead, and what will presbyteries do, to accomplish this vision?

Summary of Feedback:
The following represent a summary of the feedback received:

1. How do we envision the Church in this region as diverse, welcoming, outward

reaching community/communities of faith?
2. The Church in our region will reflect the full diversity of all God’s people.
a. The Church will actively seek the wisdom and breadth of persons and cultures
unlike their own, that all may grow in faith.
b. The Church will protect those whose voices are less likely to be heard, not to
elevate one culture over another, but that the whole church may seek the fullness of
God’s peace.
c. Congregations will reflect on and counter the socio-economic changes of
globalization.
d. The Church will minister to all people regardless of country of origin, racial or
socio-economic differences.
e. The Church membership will be ready to be transformed by an understanding of on-
going and coming change.
f. The Church will be ready to sacrifice dearly held traditions and submit to the will of
God and turn its efforts toward a mission-oriented direction.
g. The Church will reflect the diversity of this nation and will unite its diverse
membership as the children of God and members of the same body that we are.
h. The Church will empower diverse communities to speak each in their own voice
while moving toward the one goal of unity and growth of the kingdom of God.
i. The Synod will develop a vision for leading the Church to meet the spiritual and
evangelistic needs of its multicultural communities/congregations.

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3. What would we recommend the Church DO and BECOME in order to reach out and
grow?
a. Form networks across all cultural boundaries, that all may share in, learn from, and
have equal access to the resources of ministry.
b. Form networks within current structures (synod/presbyteries), that all may develop
a greater awareness of cross cultural ministry.
c. To reflect and to adapt to the new socioeconomic factors, demographics, and
ethnicities.
d. Become sensitized to the realities and needs of varying age groups and the increase
of senior citizens and young adults.
e. Develop and adopt an open-minded approach to first accepting on-going changes in
the racial/ethnic makeup of the Church; to humbly recognize that as a result of these
changes and social pressures, congregations are aging rapidly and in some instances
are already dying.
f. The Church is to seek the direction of the Holy Spirit to define its role and
participation in diverse and inclusive congregations that may require different
ministries.
g. The Synod will fill that gap and connect various national networks and groups
formed by the national church.
h. The Synod will give the cross cultural communities a stronger voice if they are
united under the Church umbrella. These communities will help the Church to
grow in faith, numbers, and resources.
i. The Church will study and develop effective means to meet the spiritual and
evangelistic needs of the multicultural communities in this region and its
presbyteries. The Synod will lead in the efforts to help the Church meet these
needs.

4. Given our vision of cross cultural diversity, how will the Synod glorify, encourage,
support and connect? (verbs are from the Synod mission statement)
a. The Synod will maintain the current At-Large Racial/Ethnic Commissioners
formula until the composition of the Synod Assembly more fully reflects the full
diversity of its membership.
b. The Synod will empower the cross cultural representatives to seek dialogue within
their presbytery membership, to the end that presbyteries are better equipped to
encourage and support racial-ethnic (and more importantly, cross cultural)
ministries within their communities.
c. Presbyteries will have a Synod voice on their presbytery councils, through which:
i. The programs of the Synod are highlighted.
ii. Nominating and Representation committees/processes are empowered to
achieve their goal of full inclusion in the church.
iii. Each presbytery will become involved and participate more fully in the
ministries of the Synod.

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 d. The Synod will recognize and proclaim the multicultural reality of present society
theologically and pastorally that God’s creation is diverse and inclusive; in Christ
there are no differences.
e. The Synod is to support activities that educate congregations and train leadership,
and become instrumental in facilitating a process of acceptance of diversity and the
recognition that in an inclusive church, congregations may be different, with
different ministries and needs and with possible conflicts which the Synod must be
equipped to reconcile.
f. The presbyteries will assist the diverse communities to form their vision of the
Church, and will connect these communities and their vision to the Synod.
g. Synod will design and develop welcoming signs and brochures to be posted and
distributed by congregations, and house and maintain a blog site where
Presbyterians can log their experiences.

5. How will the Synod lead, and what will presbyteries do, to accomplish this vision?
a. The Synod will emphasize the connectional nature of our denomination in setting
the example with a vision that calls on presbyteries to help each other in
maintaining the unity of the body of Christ as well as their partnership as a regional
body.
b. The Synod is called to lead according to strategies, policies, and priorities put into
practice through the presbyteries. The Synod along with the presbyteries must
coordinate educational programs urgently needed to reach out and minister to
youth, to boost leadership, and to reach those aging congregations with a new
message of challenge, participation, and transformation.
c. The Synod must embrace the call to change the status quo of complacency in our
congregations into one of intentional, assertive, and inspirational response to
service and outreach.
d. 100 congregations will set up welcome signs in English and at least one other
language on their properties.
e. Even if they have no speakers of that language, we will create an attractive brochure
that welcomes people in that language and possibly additional relevant resources.
f. Synod and presbyteries must support with finances and resources to accomplish
these tasks.