Strengthening and Transforming Our Congregations to be
Missional, Pastoral, Prophetic
Our Vision is a New and Living Way:
Confident in the “new and living way” of Jesus Christ, we, the lay and clergy leaders
of The Detroit Presbytery, commit ourselves to hold fast to the confession of our hope.
We will encourage one another in love and good works:
“[B]y the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh),
and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has
promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, . . .” Hebrews 10: 20-24.
God’s Word will guide us, the sacraments will sustain us, and the Holy Spirit will empower us.
God will lead us to strengthen and transform congregations to embassies of mission, pastoral
care and prophetic proclamations. We will aim to glorify God in our actions and attitudes and
demonstrate the love revealed through Jesus Christ who is our Lord.
Emphasis through 2013 To implement our vision we will emphasize the following:
• We will provide care, oversight and accountability for pastors and educators, we will equip them
to perform ministry in such a manner that will strengthen congregations.
• We will challenge, equip and support our congregations and leaders in their discernment of God’s
invitation to join in the journey of a new way of living that will strengthen congregations.
• We will acknowledge and celebrate diversity among the citizenship of the Kingdom of God in a way
that will strengthen congregations.
• We will launch new communities of faith in cooperation with and to strengthen our existing congregations.
• We will serve as a catalyst for mission and seek to connect our congregations with common local, regional,
national and international mission interests and needs.
• We will provide a forum for our leaders and congregational members to reflect together theologically.
• We will provide a forum for social witness. We will bear a prophetic word to the powers and principalities
of the world based upon the love, justice and mercy of Jesus Christ.
• We will provide a ministry of nurture and spiritual growth which supports the name given to children and youth
at the sacrament of baptism.
