Community Developers Program

Community Developers are recruited locally and serve on the staff of traditionally Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American congregations. Community Developers are identified and hired, and are often lay persons who find that this program affords them the opportunity to explore possibilities for professional careers within the church. The Community Developers program (CDP) is dedicated to building, maintaining, promoting, and strengthening racial ethnic minority congregations of the United Methodist Church and advancing the church’s capacity to be in mission through local congregations. Each community developer engages the community and the local church in a variety of activities depending on existing or perceived issues, needs, resources and conditions. Some activities are more visible than others, and some may be considered more successful than others. Some receive support, while others are seen as too controversial. Activities are in the following categories: Advocacy, Social/Political Action, Community/Social Service, Economic/Racial Justice, and in all areas of focus, coalition/relationship building is at the heart of the activity. The local congregation’s effectiveness is increased through this partnership, and the community is nurtured and strengthened.

Specific project goals depend upon local opportunities, challenges, needs, conditions and resources. Goals: 1. To strengthen racial ethnic congregations of The UMC to be in mission. 2. To develop racial ethnic leadership throughout The UMC for involvement in mission. 3. To ensure the empowerment of racial ethnic communities for witness and mission. 4. To empower racial ethnic youth, young adults men and women for leadership in mission. 5. To strengthen the involvement of racial ethnic United Methodists for witness and mission. 6. To develop networks between community developers, local congregations, general church, ecumenical institutions, caucuses and secular entities. 7. To engage in and facilitate constructive social change. 8. To seek justice through educational, social, political, environmental and economic justice in racial ethnic communities. 9. To relate to international, regional and local movements which foster racial ethnic minority empowerment, self determination, consciousness and economic, social and political development for racial ethnic communities. 10. To develop networks between community developers, local congregations, caucuses, the general church, secular, ecumenical institutions and agencies.