A New Model, Same Mission: Healthy Churches, Healthy Leaders
West Regional Agape Fellowship Gathering at Newnan Presbyterian
EP CORNER
September 1, 2025
“A New Model, Same Mission: Healthy Churches, Healthy Leaders”
Aisha Brooks-Johnson, Executive Presbyter
I want to invite you to learn more about a new model we have adopted as the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. In July 2025, the presbytery’s council voted to shift to a Regional-Strategic model of how we relate to one another in our presbytery. The shift to this model means that we will be adjusting our staffing structure from having Congregational Consultants to having Ministry Connectors who will support the regions in our presbytery. The staffing shift for this new model will be voted on by the full presbytery at the Fall Stated Meeting on November 8, 2025. I wish I had the time to sit with each of you over a cup of coffee or tea to talk about what these changes mean for us. Instead, I will try to address some common questions I have heard in various places and spaces.
Why are we making this change? It is no secret that our presbytery must be financially faithful by reducing our $1.6-million budget to a $1.1 million budget over the next few years. The shift in our model will encourage a few things. First, it will encourage congregations, leaders, new worshipping communities, partners, and connectional institutions to relate to one another in a particular region and beyond. Second, it will allow the staff to encourage and equip volunteers to support the commissions and committees of the presbytery to carry out our mission to nurture healthy leaders and healthy churches. Third and finally, this model will allow us to be less staff dependent and encourage a healthy balance of paid leaders and volunteers to work and serve together.
What are the regions and are they geographically accurate and perfect? There are four regions labeled as East, West, Central, and North. The four regions are not perfect but they are purposeful. We did our best to divide the regions in a way to maintain 15-20 congregations per region. We were also intentional to keep our ECKAM (Evangelical Coalition of Korean American Ministries) churches together in the North region and to recognize our historically Black Presbyterian churches by keeping them together in the Central region. To find your region, click here.
What is the difference between a Congregational Consultant and a Ministry Connector?
For the past fifteen years, Congregational Consultants have built a deep reservoir of relationships, trust, understanding and support for churches and leaders. They have been the first point of contact for many leaders in our presbytery. They have staffed committees and commissions and been on call for many needs in the ministries among us. It is now time for us to more deeply embody our tag line that says we are called to “growing healthy, vital congregations” and committed to “equipping healthy, innovative leaders.” A local pastor cannot carry out the mission of the church alone. It takes the elders, deacons, teachers, musicians, tech crew, family ministry teams, and every member in the pew. In the same way, the presbytery staff must work with the volunteers of the presbytery to carry out the mission of being salt and light to the world and proclaiming the good news of the gospel in word and deed.
What is a Regional Agape Fellowship and who should attend? It is a staff and volunteer led gathering hosted by the presbytery staff and a local congregation. Email invitations and reminders were sent to the local pastoral leader of each congregation and new worshiping community in each region. The pastoral leader has the option to invite an additional key leader to the gathering. The gatherings will be happening Saturdays from 9:30-11:30am in September and October. They are as follows: WEST- September 6th; EAST - September 20th; CENTRAL – October 11th; North – October 25th. If you are concerned that your pastoral leader is unaware of these gatherings, please have them email me at ep@atlpcusa.org
What else do I need to know? There will also be a Zoom Town Hall gathering to talk more in-depth on the new structure and ways we can deepen connections across the presbytery. Please be on the lookout for this invitation. If you are unsure of your region, you can see the overall list by clicking on this link here. (Again, please note that ECKAM churches are geographically situated in the NORTH region).
What else do I need to do? Be flexible, be curious, and remain open to relating to your siblings in Christ in new ways around the presbytery. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus calls his disciples the salt of the earth and the light of the world. I believe this new model is an invitation to be salt and light together, in our regions, across this presbytery, throughout the state, denomination, and world. I ask that you pray, encourage your leaders to join a fellowship gathering, attend a town hall meeting, and think of ways we can shine our light more closely together to glorify God and spread the good news of Jesus together.
Alleluia and Amen!
ABJ #BeyondTheBuilding #Deconstruction #Rebuilding