18 Sep 2025, 07:07
BUC Stewardship Working Group meets to plan for the next quinquennium
The British Union Conference (BUC) Stewardship Working Group (elected directors and sponsors from all the regions) gathered over the weekend of 12-14 September to work on their departmental strategic framework for the next quinquennium, July 2026 – July 2030. This meeting was held virtually on Friday and in person for the rest of the weekend.
Facilitating the process was Dr Gifford Rhamie, pastor, theologian and management guru, who began the weekend by decoding the process of planning from a theological perspective. Drawing on the illustration in Nehemiah 1:4, he stated that the prophet prayed and fasted “for many days,” indicative of the soul searching and awareness of the challenge ahead. Rhamie concluded that in the theology of planning, church leaders should focus on “spiritual revelation and practical preparation” for effective outcomes and transformational impact. Prayer, both corporate and private, was central to the planning session, and the directors and sponsors were invited to “commit your plans to God” at every stage of the process.
Topics discussed over the weekend included defining stewardship priorities for 2026-2030, Creation Care and our custodial responsibility through ecological stewardship, “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15), the role of money in stewardship education, policy innovation, faith renewal and mission focus and, organisational trust and accountability, risks and mitigation, Adventist identity and stewardship and messaging for millennials and Gen Z.
A key session was held on the Sabbath around the theology of strategy development. Based on Habakkuk 2:2, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it,” he asked the question, “What does it mean to us as leaders to make God’s vision plain with clear plans and timelines?” Much valuable discussion, suggestions and practical solutions were explored and expanded with the team.
In preparation for the Giving Survey to be rolled out at the end of the year, Alex Mareniuc, South England Conference Stewardship Director, provided an interactive session to the team on some of the components of the Combined Offering Plan. Using cutting-edge technology and a virtual platform, the team was engaged not only intellectually but also spiritually, with a dose of humour.
Stewardship is so much more than just giving and education about tithes and offerings, and this was evident through the discussions and practical exercises over the weekend and confirmed by the holistic approach to stewardship of the team. However, generosity is at the heart of faithful stewardship. This subject was addressed by Victoria Ikechi-Ekpendu, who represented the Stewardship department of the North England Conference, who spoke about on Luke 6:38, “Give and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over…” “Giving is an act of worship,” she stated and “we need to bring to God, before we can truly be a blessing to others.”
Pastor David Neal, the newly elected Ministerial Association Secretary and Stewardship Director for the Trans-European Division, was the special guest in attendance. He welcomed the collaborative nature of the stewardship team in the UK and Ireland. He encouraged “strong, passionate and holistic nature of stewardship that can impact every area of life with Christian grace.”
Reflecting on the planning weekend, Catherine Anthony Boldeau, BUC Stewardship Director, said, “The Stewardship Working Group meet monthly on Zoom, but this is the first opportunity since three of us were elected last year to meet in person. I commend the team for the hard work and commitment over the past 14 months, and my deepest gratitude to Dr Rhamie for facilitating our sessions with such professionalism. As a team, we thank God for bringing us together and for the work that we will continue to do over the next nine months.”
The British Union Conference (BUC) Stewardship Working Group (elected directors and sponsors from all the regions) gathered over the weekend of 12-14 September to work on their departmental strategic framework for the next quinquennium, July 2026 – July 2030. This meeting was held virtually on Friday and in person for the rest of the weekend.
Facilitating the process was Dr Gifford Rhamie, pastor, theologian and management guru, who began the weekend by decoding the process of planning from a theological perspective. Drawing on the illustration in Nehemiah 1:4, he stated that the prophet prayed and fasted “for many days,” indicative of the soul searching and awareness of the challenge ahead. Rhamie concluded that in the theology of planning, church leaders should focus on “spiritual revelation and practical preparation” for effective outcomes and transformational impact. Prayer, both corporate and private, was central to the planning session, and the directors and sponsors were invited to “commit your plans to God” at every stage of the process.
Topics discussed over the weekend included defining stewardship priorities for 2026-2030, Creation Care and our custodial responsibility through ecological stewardship, “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15), the role of money in stewardship education, policy innovation, faith renewal and mission focus and, organisational trust and accountability, risks and mitigation, Adventist identity and stewardship and messaging for millennials and Gen Z.
A key session was held on the Sabbath around the theology of strategy development. Based on Habakkuk 2:2, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it,” he asked the question, “What does it mean to us as leaders to make God’s vision plain with clear plans and timelines?” Much valuable discussion, suggestions and practical solutions were explored and expanded with the team.
In preparation for the Giving Survey to be rolled out at the end of the year, Alex Mareniuc, South England Conference Stewardship Director, provided an interactive session to the team on some of the components of the Combined Offering Plan. Using cutting-edge technology and a virtual platform, the team was engaged not only intellectually but also spiritually, with a dose of humour.
Stewardship is so much more than just giving and education about tithes and offerings, and this was evident through the discussions and practical exercises over the weekend and confirmed by the holistic approach to stewardship of the team. However, generosity is at the heart of faithful stewardship. This subject was addressed by Victoria Ikechi-Ekpendu, who represented the Stewardship department of the North England Conference, who spoke about on Luke 6:38, “Give and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over…” “Giving is an act of worship,” she stated and “we need to bring to God, before we can truly be a blessing to others.”
Pastor David Neal, the newly elected Ministerial Association Secretary and Stewardship Director for the Trans-European Division, was the special guest in attendance. He welcomed the collaborative nature of the stewardship team in the UK and Ireland. He encouraged “strong, passionate and holistic nature of stewardship that can impact every area of life with Christian grace.”
Reflecting on the planning weekend, Catherine Anthony Boldeau, BUC Stewardship Director, said, “The Stewardship Working Group meet monthly on Zoom, but this is the first opportunity since three of us were elected last year to meet in person. I commend the team for the hard work and commitment over the past 14 months, and my deepest gratitude to Dr Rhamie for facilitating our sessions with such professionalism. As a team, we thank God for bringing us together and for the work that we will continue to do over the next nine months.”
