Too Many UCG Chiefs, Not Enough Indians

From: Ministerial Services [mailto:ministerial_services@ucg.org]

Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 3:28 PM

To: Regional Pastors

Cc: vic_kubik@ucg.org; dennis_luker@ucg.org

Subject: Change in the Regional Pastor Structure

To the Regional Pastors --

We want to write to you about a change in the management of the RP structure.

The Regional Pastor structure for the ministry of the United Church of God in the United States has been extant for the past 15 years. Origins of this structure go back to 1993 when, after many years of no mid-management in the field, 14 Regional Pastors were appointed by Church Administration. They did not have line function. They were put in place to help Church Administration better serve the pastors in the field.

When the United Church of God started, 12 of the 14 Regional Pastors came over to the United Church of God and the entire structure was carried over as well. The 12 were later reduced to the 10 we have today.

In the Worldwide Church of God there were nearly 300 full-time pastors along with 700 local church elders. Each RP had an average of 21 full-time men and 70 local church elders to serve. In the United Church of God with about 90 pastors, each RP oversees an average of only nine pastors.

When United began in 1995, not only was the Regional Pastor system put in place, but a Ministerial Services team was added. It was recognized that this was perhaps too much structure, but we hoped that the Church would “grow into” this structure.

But, today, 15 years later, we have not grown. In fact, we have fewer full-time pastors than we did in the beginning , yet we have continued with this top-heavy structure. It served a much-needed function in its first years by helping write some of the Ministerial Services policies that are now more or less complete and available to the ministry on disk or in the notebook binder.

With the recent change of Presidency and Ministerial Services Operation Manager, it is a good time to reevaluate the Regional Pastor structure. We do not need ten RPs plus a ministerial team to oversee an experienced ministry totaling about 90 full-time pastors and 300 local church elders.

We believe that it is the right time to restructure the management levels within Ministerial Services.

We have decided to discontinue the regional pastor structure as it currently stands. A newly appointed ministerial team will function as regional pastors and perform many of the duties that the former RPs carried out. They will be actively involved in most aspects of current RP duties. Policies that related to the regional pastors will not be changed; they will be fulfilled by the Ministerial Services team who will now act as the new Regional Pastors.

Since United has experienced a downturn in revenue, this leaner management will afford savings as well. We thank all of you for your ministerial support functions over the years. This change will be effective Friday, October 15.

In Christ’s service,

Victor Kubik

Ministerial Services

Dennis Luker

President