The Vision of the PBA

We inspire and equip the congregations of the Philadelphia Baptist Association to support and strengthen American Baptist witness and mission for our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ through dynamic, multicultural and diverse relationships.

PBA Goals to reach by 2010

1. Strengthening Communication
   • We will assist each PBA congregation to develop and implement their own strategy for promoting, interpreting and building ownership of the mission and ministries of PBA and ABCUSA ( with at least 80 percent of their members cross generationally, including new members).
   • Various communication resources will be provided by PBA and ABCUSA.
2. Enabling Visionary Leadership
   • We will keep congregational life vibrant by identifying, publishing and promoting resources and opportunities that enhance and encourage leadership training for congregations, both clergy and laypersons to address critical needs , thereby creating "vision communities" in 30 percent of PBA congregations.
3. Revitalizing Congregations
   • We will develop annual forums and a variety of other resources to assist congregations in understating changes in modern society, so they may effectively communicate with the Gospel, assimilate new members, and move toward developing and maintaining healthy systems and structures. We will document and publish the new strategies and structures that PBA churches develop and provide instruments for the analysis of the health of the local church.
4. Nurturing Spiritual Development and Discipleship
   • We will encourage the movement of devotional life and the relational aspects of faith to the center of the work and ministry of the association, congregation and individual life. We will promote, model, nurture and sustain a personal spiritual vitality that will under gird and support abundance and excellence for life and ministry through retreats, sabbaticals, historical Christian spiritual disciplines, discipleship training, worshipful work fellowship, vibrant worship and recreation. We will evaluate our progress annually.
5. Enabling Responsible Mission and Stewardship
   • We will encourage PBA congregations to engage in ministry beyond their local church and demonstrate faithful management of God's resources through ongoing stewardship education, investing at least 10 percent of their annual income in mission.
   • 80 percent of our congregations will institute a twelve month stewardship education program that is cross generational to support the ministry of the local church.
   • 70 percent of our congregations will increase their financial support of ABCUSA mission by at least 10 percent.
   • 80 percent of our congregations will participate in volunteer ministry opportunities through ABCUSA and/or PBA annually.
6. Providing Relevant Resources
   • We will insure that all PBA congregations are aware of the resources of the PBA and ABCUSA which support local congregations. We will encourage mutual support and networking through publications, communications and technology, and we will review effectiveness annually.
   • We will be intentional in supporting excellence in ministry, clergy leadership, conflict resolution and adequate support for healthy PBA congregations (professional/clergy).
7. Encouraging Fellowship
   • We will identify young adults and youth from PBA congregations to lead the way in creating strategies that encourage member congregations to build and sustain "kononia" (authentic community) evaluating the impact on moving beyond the usual ways we tend to divide ourselves in congregational life.
   • At the Association level we will build church to church partnerships/relationships, geographic mission emphasis, suburban-urban mission partnership develop region-wide fellowship events, singles forums, youth forums, intentional assimilation of new racial/ethnic communities into PBA life. The board of directors will provide an annual evaluation of our effectiveness.
8. Promoting Evangelism
   • We will utilize local church, PBA and National Ministries evangelism models to tell the Good News of the transforming and liberating love of Jesus Christ.
   • We will develop a comprehensive new church planting strategy for the region that engages existing congregations as partners.
   • We will build a network of 15 churches in congregational transformation by 2010.
   • We will enthusiastically invite Baptist congregations in the region to consider joining the PBA/.ABCUSA mission enterprise.
9. Mobilizing Advocacy and Outreach
   • We will enhance the region's ability to address peace and justice issues locally and globally. We will sustain a visible witness and measurable impact in addressing the issues that affect the quality of life in our region - most specifically poverty, public education and health care issues.