WHAT'S NEXT?
THE FIRST
BOLD STEP
In 1852, a small group of Christians led by Rev. Andrew Tolmie, a Scottish immigrant and recent graduate in his first pastoral charge, established a brand new faith community in Melrose, Ontario, or what we know today as Innerkip. Those first church members couldn’t have known that through changes in location, leadership and liturgy, the good work that God started in them would still be thriving 172 years later. With God’s guidance and grace, we continue to prayerfully pursue What’s Next for His people in Innerkip by Introducing People to Jesus, Deepening Faith, and Serving Others until He has carried His work to completion. In recent years, our faith community has struggled to find peace in continuing that good work within a denomination that no longer aligns with many of our church’s founding core beliefs. We have known for a while that a bold step would eventually be needed in order for us to maintain the foundation of Jesus Christ upon which our church was built.
OUR
BOLD STEP
In January 2023, after an extensive process that included prayer, study, and feedback from our church family, our Elders recommended that we leave the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC). In May 2023, a vote by our membership affirmed that recommendation, with 92% in favour of separating from the PCC. We are confident that this decision has brought peace to our church, but it comes with one major obstacle. In the PCC, the denomination owns all church buildings and assets, regardless of how much congregational money was used to acquire them. This means that everyone in a congregation could agree to leave the denomination, but they couldn’t take anything with them. The congregation would leave to start something new, but the building would still be the property of the PCC to either sell or try to continue on. Thankfully, God has provided a path forward as we take this Bold Step By Faith.
THE
PLAN
In 2021, the PCC created a limited-time window to “buy back” the building and assets at 50% of their total value if a congregation chooses to leave. We firmly believe that keeping our 33,000 square-foot building (and everything in it), as well as the 10 acres of land it sits on, is an integral part of our mission going forward, both from a ministry perspective and when we considered the cost of replacement. After multiple independent assessments, the value of our land, building and assets is $3.6 million. Based on 50% of the total value, “buying back” everything from the PCC will cost us $1.8 million. We have a financial institution that is willing to mortgage the whole amount (meaning we aren’t at any risk of losing our building), but the increased mortgage payments would significantly restrict our ministry budget. When considering all this, we’ve determined that we must raise at least $900,000 over the course of our three-year campaign. We believe God is the ultimate multiplier, and we know He already has a plan for us. It’s up to us to seek His plan and consider how we will take a Bold Step By Faith so generations from now, others can look back and be grateful that we said yes to God’s plan in Innerkip!
OUR STORIES
1
The goal of the What’s Next campaign is to buy back our building while maintaining our mission. This means that any giving toward this campaign needs to be in addition to any giving to our general fund, not in place of.
2
Our goal has been chosen based on a 5-year financial analysis of our giving base, future giving projections.
3
The 3-year length of our campaign allows you to donate in a lump sum or through a payment plan.
PLANNING YOUR
NEXT BOLD STEP.
When considering how you will participate, remember that the size of the gift isn’t what’s important, but it’s how we follow after God’s heart through our actions. All of us will have different financial situations, but God calls us to give with joy no matter what we give. Often, fear, insignificance and doubt can set in when considering how to give to a campaign like this. You may feel your gift won’t matter because it’s too small, or God may call you to give more than you expected and bring you outside your comfort zone. When these thoughts arise, remember these two pieces of encouragement:
1) Fear writes its own fiction. When we are afraid of the unknown, we create stories that don’t reflect the work God is calling us to. This is the enemy’s work, and in the name of Jesus, we call the enemy to be silent in our hearts as we pursue God’s mission in Innerkip.
2) Prayer isn’t optional; it’s essential. We should not do anything without asking God what He’s calling us to do. We’re called to give with joy and peace in our hearts, and we know those things only come through the Holy Spirit. Make sure to invite God into this process.
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AMOUNT
PLEDGED
$0
AMOUNT
RECEIVED
CELEBRATION SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2024
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Will we join a denomination?
The best answer we have right now is maybe. Our leadership felt it was essential to leave the PCC well and ensure that everything inside our four walls was taken care of before joining another denomination or another group of like-minded churches. We also knew this was a big decision, and it wasn't worth rushing through it just to get it done. After we exit the PCC, we will take at least a year or two to operate independently. This dedicated time will help us discover who we are as a congregation and inform us what to do next. After that period, the elders will begin investigating all the options available to us, gathering information, and setting meetings with other churches and their leadership. Once we gather all that information, we'll bring it back to the congregation and take the next step.
How is our leadership structure changing?
For the most part, things will stay as they are, but we've made some changes to increase accountability and ensure that our church is led in more of a team-based model. Among these changes, the Lead Pastor role will remain on the board as ex officio but will no longer chair the meetings. The Lead Pastor and Chair of the Board will collaborate on meeting agendas, and the Chair will lead meetings. Some other changes, including increasing the percentages of passing some types of decisions, ensure that consensus is found when making significant decisions. A complete set of our revised By-Laws will be available soon.
Is there any stress in the relationship between us and the PCC?
No, there is not. The PCC has been helpful and collaborative throughout this process. They've answered our questions promptly, and we've had great meetings with their leadership. Although they are sad to see us go, they've been respectful of the process, and we've been grateful for their support during the transition.
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