At General Assembly, this Facebook post by Hope Partnership President Gilberto Collazo followed immediately upon the impassioned defense by Charlie Wallace, Hope Partnership minister for new church strategies, of the New Church resolution to celebrate and reaffirm the priority of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to establish 1,000 new congregations by the year 2020:
A day of mixed feeling and emotions. Elation because the attendees at our General Assembly received with great celebration and joy the news of the fruitful efforts of the new church movement through Hope Partnership. Glad for the reception of the video that was used for our Pentecost Offering promotion and the many requests of the people there for the link to access and share it with their congregations. The applause with which the video and the message were received was so uplifting.
And then… let down. The plan had been to end our time before the Assembly celebrating and thanking Charlie Wallace for his years of service as Minister of New Church. After almost 12 years of ministry, his passion and full engagement with our new church efforts are in part a major reason why today we can celebrate almost 850 new Disciples churches worshiping in 28 languages. A missed opportunity as the moderator called for a vote on the resolution celebrating new churches before we could address the Assembly with words of thanks and celebration for Charlie’s ministry. Words can’t begin to express my disappointment at this missed opportunity.
Charlie, so many planters today planting because of your work; many regional and area plants because of your lobbying and networking; so many regional and area new church committees working and engaged in new church projects because of your training. And so much more we could lift up.
We are a church blessed by your ministry. We are a church that reflects the demographic diversity of the United States because of your ministry. Our team is a better team because of your passion, commitment, unending energy and humor.
Let all know that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a living incarnation of God’s kingdom, thanks in part to Charlie’s ministry.
Friend, fellow minister and, yes, even partner in crime, THANK YOU. Hope Partnership missed its opportunity at the General Assembly in Columbus, but what better way to honor his ministry and legacy than to post this testimony of celebration and thanks and encourage all those blessed by Charlie’s ministry to repost this note and let Charlie know that he will not go into his next place of ministry without the accolades of his sisters and brothers in Christ, who love and respect him and celebrate his ministry. Gracias Charlie, and blessings on the journey.
