Ministry at the Local Level

RON HAMILTON, CCCC CONFERENCE MINISTER

The announced appointment of three new regional pastors created excitement at the 2019 Annual Gathering in St. Paul last month. Our Conference membership is now served by called and qualified pastors in the Northeast (Terry Shanahan), Mideast (Tim Dubeau), North Central (Ray DeLaurier), and West (Phil Noordmans). These appointments are another step in enacting the structure adopted with the revision of the CCCC By-Laws in 2016. Terry and Ray serve in a full-time capacity, Phil is part-time, and Tim is a volunteer. 

The restructured By-Laws were adopted to accomplish two main purposes. The ministry of the Conference is now centered on the three main priorities of Church Development, Church Multiplication and Conference Care. This also moves the focus of our ministry from a centralized Conference office to the local level where the Regional Pastors can relate to our member churches and pastors. This is aligned with our Congregational polity and supports the ministry of the Gospel in the local church.

The ministries of Church Development and Church Multiplication have also made changes to support local ministry.  The Church Development process is now designed for clusters of pastors and church leaders to go through the LifeFlow process using video teaching and planned coaching. The Church Multiplication process is driven by local hubs that utilize the resources of the national team to recruit, assess, train, coach and resource church planters. These steps strengthen and enhance ministry at the grass roots level.

The Conference Care ministry is focused on the development of Community Pastor groups that provide regular support and fellowship for pastors in local clusters. While this ministry is still developing, there are many testimonies of ways that the lives and ministries of our pastors are being strengthened and encouraged. The appointment of Regional Pastors will help develop this special ministry.

The ministry of our fellowship is led by the ministry staff. The administration of our work is overseen by the Board of Directors and committees. However, these all serve and support ministry at the local level where people are gathered under the Lordship of Christ and effective ministry is taking place.

We have stated the one way to view the CCCC is that we are “Connected in Christ…Changing Communities”.  This phrase reminds that we are bound together out of devotion to Jesus Christ and we share in His Kingdom work wherever He calls and places us.