ABCUSA Survey 2022

ABCUSA General Secretary Survey 2022

The Board of General Ministries, American Baptist Churches governing board, is currently in the process of seeking information regarding the priorities for the next General Secretary, whose term will begin in 2024. The following survey will take approximately 5-7 minutes to complete. We value your responses and we thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. The survey will remain open until March 5, 2022. All feedback received by the deadline will help the current General Secretary search committee develop a profile of a desired candidate.

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* 1. Comprehensive duties of the General Secretary. The General Secretary carries out many large-scale activities related to the whole ABC family. On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), please rate these activities below in terms of how you think that they should be prioritized.

	Not important at all	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very important	Extremely important
Celebrate our American Baptist identity	Celebrate our American Baptist identity Not important at all	Celebrate our American Baptist identity Somewhat important	Celebrate our American Baptist identity Moderately important	Celebrate our American Baptist identity Very important	Celebrate our American Baptist identity Extremely important
Present a current overall picture of who we are as American Baptists	Present a current overall picture of who we are as American Baptists Not important at all	Present a current overall picture of who we are as American Baptists Somewhat important	Present a current overall picture of who we are as American Baptists Moderately important	Present a current overall picture of who we are as American Baptists Very important	Present a current overall picture of who we are as American Baptists Extremely important
Initiate dialogue on topics not currently addressed by other ABC entities	Initiate dialogue on topics not currently addressed by other ABC entities Not important at all	Initiate dialogue on topics not currently addressed by other ABC entities Somewhat important	Initiate dialogue on topics not currently addressed by other ABC entities Moderately important	Initiate dialogue on topics not currently addressed by other ABC entities Very important	Initiate dialogue on topics not currently addressed by other ABC entities Extremely important
Seek the welfare of the whole denomination	Seek the welfare of the whole denomination Not important at all	Seek the welfare of the whole denomination Somewhat important	Seek the welfare of the whole denomination Moderately important	Seek the welfare of the whole denomination Very important	Seek the welfare of the whole denomination Extremely important
Promote American Baptist distinctives such as soul liberty, autonomy of the local church, interdependence, and separation of church and state	Promote American Baptist distinctives such as soul liberty, autonomy of the local church, interdependence, and separation of church and state Not important at all	Promote American Baptist distinctives such as soul liberty, autonomy of the local church, interdependence, and separation of church and state Somewhat important	Promote American Baptist distinctives such as soul liberty, autonomy of the local church, interdependence, and separation of church and state Moderately important	Promote American Baptist distinctives such as soul liberty, autonomy of the local church, interdependence, and separation of church and state Very important	Promote American Baptist distinctives such as soul liberty, autonomy of the local church, interdependence, and separation of church and state Extremely important

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* 2. Narrative roles of the General Secretary. Below you will find a variety of narrative titles embraced by previous General Secretaries. Please rank these narrative roles from top (the role you most agree with) to bottom (the role you least agree with).

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* 3. Functions of the ABCUSA Office. The General Secretary also oversees a staff team of personnel who work together to carry out several functions of the Office of the General Secretary. On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), please rate the importance of each of these functions for which the General Secretary provides oversight.

	Not important at all	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very important	Extremely important
Provide resources and services to the regional offices and their executive ministers	Provide resources and services to the regional offices and their executive ministers Not important at all	Provide resources and services to the regional offices and their executive ministers Somewhat important	Provide resources and services to the regional offices and their executive ministers Moderately important	Provide resources and services to the regional offices and their executive ministers Very important	Provide resources and services to the regional offices and their executive ministers Extremely important
Support denominational stewardship and ministry funding efforts	Support denominational stewardship and ministry funding efforts Not important at all	Support denominational stewardship and ministry funding efforts Somewhat important	Support denominational stewardship and ministry funding efforts Moderately important	Support denominational stewardship and ministry funding efforts Very important	Support denominational stewardship and ministry funding efforts Extremely important
Provide leadership, fundraising, and accounting services for American Baptist Mission Support funds.	Provide leadership, fundraising, and accounting services for American Baptist Mission Support funds. Not important at all	Provide leadership, fundraising, and accounting services for American Baptist Mission Support funds. Somewhat important	Provide leadership, fundraising, and accounting services for American Baptist Mission Support funds. Moderately important	Provide leadership, fundraising, and accounting services for American Baptist Mission Support funds. Very important	Provide leadership, fundraising, and accounting services for American Baptist Mission Support funds. Extremely important
Provide conference planning for national events such as the Biennial Mission Summit and National Leadership Council	Provide conference planning for national events such as the Biennial Mission Summit and National Leadership Council Not important at all	Provide conference planning for national events such as the Biennial Mission Summit and National Leadership Council Somewhat important	Provide conference planning for national events such as the Biennial Mission Summit and National Leadership Council Moderately important	Provide conference planning for national events such as the Biennial Mission Summit and National Leadership Council Very important	Provide conference planning for national events such as the Biennial Mission Summit and National Leadership Council Extremely important
Relate to ecumenical agencies on behalf of the denomination	Relate to ecumenical agencies on behalf of the denomination Not important at all	Relate to ecumenical agencies on behalf of the denomination Somewhat important	Relate to ecumenical agencies on behalf of the denomination Moderately important	Relate to ecumenical agencies on behalf of the denomination Very important	Relate to ecumenical agencies on behalf of the denomination Extremely important
Oversee the World Relief Committee that distributes One Great Hour of Sharing funds	Oversee the World Relief Committee that distributes One Great Hour of Sharing funds Not important at all	Oversee the World Relief Committee that distributes One Great Hour of Sharing funds Somewhat important	Oversee the World Relief Committee that distributes One Great Hour of Sharing funds Moderately important	Oversee the World Relief Committee that distributes One Great Hour of Sharing funds Very important	Oversee the World Relief Committee that distributes One Great Hour of Sharing funds Extremely important
Provide for a common database system for American Baptist clergy and congregations	Provide for a common database system for American Baptist clergy and congregations Not important at all	Provide for a common database system for American Baptist clergy and congregations Somewhat important	Provide for a common database system for American Baptist clergy and congregations Moderately important	Provide for a common database system for American Baptist clergy and congregations Very important	Provide for a common database system for American Baptist clergy and congregations Extremely important

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* 4. Supporting pastors. Below is a list of some of the ways that various ABC organizations are supporting local church pastors. On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) please rate each of these types of support in terms the level of emphasis that you believe should be placed upon these overall.

	Not important at all	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very important	Extremely important
Supporting ABC chaplains	Supporting ABC chaplains Not important at all	Supporting ABC chaplains Somewhat important	Supporting ABC chaplains Moderately important	Supporting ABC chaplains Very important	Supporting ABC chaplains Extremely important
Supporting seminarians financially as well as other ways	Supporting seminarians financially as well as other ways Not important at all	Supporting seminarians financially as well as other ways Somewhat important	Supporting seminarians financially as well as other ways Moderately important	Supporting seminarians financially as well as other ways Very important	Supporting seminarians financially as well as other ways Extremely important
Promoting mental health and self-care of pastors	Promoting mental health and self-care of pastors Not important at all	Promoting mental health and self-care of pastors Somewhat important	Promoting mental health and self-care of pastors Moderately important	Promoting mental health and self-care of pastors Very important	Promoting mental health and self-care of pastors Extremely important
Encouraging the financial health of pastors	Encouraging the financial health of pastors Not important at all	Encouraging the financial health of pastors Somewhat important	Encouraging the financial health of pastors Moderately important	Encouraging the financial health of pastors Very important	Encouraging the financial health of pastors Extremely important
Providing support for our bi-vocational pastors	Providing support for our bi-vocational pastors Not important at all	Providing support for our bi-vocational pastors Somewhat important	Providing support for our bi-vocational pastors Moderately important	Providing support for our bi-vocational pastors Very important	Providing support for our bi-vocational pastors Extremely important
Helping more congregations to afford to call a full-time pastor	Helping more congregations to afford to call a full-time pastor Not important at all	Helping more congregations to afford to call a full-time pastor Somewhat important	Helping more congregations to afford to call a full-time pastor Moderately important	Helping more congregations to afford to call a full-time pastor Very important	Helping more congregations to afford to call a full-time pastor Extremely important
Experimenting with creative models of pastoral ministry for local congregations	Experimenting with creative models of pastoral ministry for local congregations Not important at all	Experimenting with creative models of pastoral ministry for local congregations Somewhat important	Experimenting with creative models of pastoral ministry for local congregations Moderately important	Experimenting with creative models of pastoral ministry for local congregations Very important	Experimenting with creative models of pastoral ministry for local congregations Extremely important

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* 5. Congregational Needs. Below is a list of some of the ministries currently being carried out by various ABC organizations to support local churches. On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) please rate each of these needs in terms the level of emphasis that you believe should be placed upon these overall.

	Not important at all	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very important	Extremely important
Navigating new ways of being church as a result of the global pandemic	Navigating new ways of being church as a result of the global pandemic Not important at all	Navigating new ways of being church as a result of the global pandemic Somewhat important	Navigating new ways of being church as a result of the global pandemic Moderately important	Navigating new ways of being church as a result of the global pandemic Very important	Navigating new ways of being church as a result of the global pandemic Extremely important
Making disciples	Making disciples Not important at all	Making disciples Somewhat important	Making disciples Moderately important	Making disciples Very important	Making disciples Extremely important
Worshiping with creativity and inspiration	Worshiping with creativity and inspiration Not important at all	Worshiping with creativity and inspiration Somewhat important	Worshiping with creativity and inspiration Moderately important	Worshiping with creativity and inspiration Very important	Worshiping with creativity and inspiration Extremely important
Calling out more young people into the pastoral ministry	Calling out more young people into the pastoral ministry Not important at all	Calling out more young people into the pastoral ministry Somewhat important	Calling out more young people into the pastoral ministry Moderately important	Calling out more young people into the pastoral ministry Very important	Calling out more young people into the pastoral ministry Extremely important
Encouraging more neighborhood involvement among local congregations	Encouraging more neighborhood involvement among local congregations Not important at all	Encouraging more neighborhood involvement among local congregations Somewhat important	Encouraging more neighborhood involvement among local congregations Moderately important	Encouraging more neighborhood involvement among local congregations Very important	Encouraging more neighborhood involvement among local congregations Extremely important
Empowering the next generation of leaders to lead now	Empowering the next generation of leaders to lead now Not important at all	Empowering the next generation of leaders to lead now Somewhat important	Empowering the next generation of leaders to lead now Moderately important	Empowering the next generation of leaders to lead now Very important	Empowering the next generation of leaders to lead now Extremely important
Strengthening a sense of community within local congregations	Strengthening a sense of community within local congregations Not important at all	Strengthening a sense of community within local congregations Somewhat important	Strengthening a sense of community within local congregations Moderately important	Strengthening a sense of community within local congregations Very important	Strengthening a sense of community within local congregations Extremely important
Incorporating new technology in all aspects of church life	Incorporating new technology in all aspects of church life Not important at all	Incorporating new technology in all aspects of church life Somewhat important	Incorporating new technology in all aspects of church life Moderately important	Incorporating new technology in all aspects of church life Very important	Incorporating new technology in all aspects of church life Extremely important
Reaching out to marginalized persons	Reaching out to marginalized persons Not important at all	Reaching out to marginalized persons Somewhat important	Reaching out to marginalized persons Moderately important	Reaching out to marginalized persons Very important	Reaching out to marginalized persons Extremely important

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* 6. What is the greatest global need that ABC congregations should address?

	Not important at all	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very important	Extremely important
The systemic causes of racism	The systemic causes of racism Not important at all	The systemic causes of racism Somewhat important	The systemic causes of racism Moderately important	The systemic causes of racism Very important	The systemic causes of racism Extremely important
The systemic causes of poverty	The systemic causes of poverty Not important at all	The systemic causes of poverty Somewhat important	The systemic causes of poverty Moderately important	The systemic causes of poverty Very important	The systemic causes of poverty Extremely important
Creation justice issues	Creation justice issues Not important at all	Creation justice issues Somewhat important	Creation justice issues Moderately important	Creation justice issues Very important	Creation justice issues Extremely important
The need for people to be civil and kind to one another	The need for people to be civil and kind to one another Not important at all	The need for people to be civil and kind to one another Somewhat important	The need for people to be civil and kind to one another Moderately important	The need for people to be civil and kind to one another Very important	The need for people to be civil and kind to one another Extremely important
Addressing international conflicts through advocacy and humanitarian aid	Addressing international conflicts through advocacy and humanitarian aid Not important at all	Addressing international conflicts through advocacy and humanitarian aid Somewhat important	Addressing international conflicts through advocacy and humanitarian aid Moderately important	Addressing international conflicts through advocacy and humanitarian aid Very important	Addressing international conflicts through advocacy and humanitarian aid Extremely important
Adjusting to life after the global pandemic	Adjusting to life after the global pandemic Not important at all	Adjusting to life after the global pandemic Somewhat important	Adjusting to life after the global pandemic Moderately important	Adjusting to life after the global pandemic Very important	Adjusting to life after the global pandemic Extremely important

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* 7. Regarding ordination…

Ordination of the candidate should be required

Ordination of the candidate should be preferred, but not required

Ordination of the candidate should not be a critical issue

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* 8. Regarding education…(select only one)

There should be no minimum education requirement

A Bachelor’s degree should be the minimum level of education required

A Master’s degree should be the minimum level of education required

A Master of Divinity degree should be the minimum level of education required

A Doctorate degree should be the minimum level of education required

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* 9. Regarding pastoral experience… (select only one)

Experience as a local church pastor should be required

Pastoral staff experience in a local church should be required

Leadership in a religious setting should be required, but not necessarily in a local church

Pastoral experience should not be high on the priority list

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* 10. Spiritual Maturity. Please complete the following sentence, “I would like to see the next General Secretary express spiritual maturity by…”

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* 11. What else would you like for the Board of General Ministries to know as we conduct the search for the next General Secretary?

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* 12. Please indicate what ABC region you are in by checking the appropriate box below?

LOS ANGELES, SOUTHWEST, AND HAWAII

CENTRAL REGION

METRO CHICAGO

CLEVELAND

CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST

CONNECTICUT

DAKOTAS

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

EVERGREEN

GROWING HEALTHY CHURCHES (WEST)

GREATER INDIANAPOLIS

GREAT RIVERS REGION

INDIANA KENTUCKY

MASSACHUSETTS

MAINE

MICHIGAN

MID AMERICA

METRO NEW YORK

NEBRASKA

NEW JERSEY

MISSION NORTHWEST

NEW YORK STATE

OHIO

PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE

PHILADELPHIA

PUERTO RICO

ROCHESTER/GENESEE

RHODE ISLAND

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

SOUTH

VERMONT NEW HAMPSHIRE

WISCONSIN

WEST VIRGINIA

I do not know what region I am in

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* 13. What is your age?

Under 18

18 to 24

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 54

55 to 64

65 to 74

75 or older

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* 14. Are you clergy or laity?

Clergy

Laity