During the General Conference Public Campus Ministry Summit and Symposium, delegates were divided into 8 groups to discuss the building blocks of PCM as determined by the GC PCM Director, Dr. Jiwan Moon.
Each group brought forth recommendations to be approved by the larger body of delegates.
The following are the recommendations voted by the delegates. These recommendations will be sent to the AMiCUS Committee which oversees PCM and is composed of the Youth, Education, and Chaplaincy departments of the GC.
Through this committee, the most pressing recommendations will be submitted to GC Administration and a select few will proceed to the upcoming General Conference Session in San Antonio.
That the symposium produced so many recommendations is in itself a great accomplishment. That any of these get voted at the GC Session will also be a pretty good accomplishment. Congratulations to Dr. Moon and AMiCUS on a successful summit and symposium–this is a great accomplishment for less than a year in office.
Here is the unedited version of the document:
Group 1:
The role of the local church in Public Campus Ministry Recommended:
- That every church appoint a PCM/student leader.
- That the PCM leader should be on the church board.
- That each church should implement a model of becoming a PCM/student friendly church. That every conference/mission is to have a PCM director who will work with the local churches in training, promoting, and implementing a model for PCM friendly churches. The values of PCM friendly church are to foster relationships, spiritual growth, mission, and empowerment.
We believe that it is the responsibility of every church to care for college/university students, whether studying locally or away from their home church, and to those students moving to study in close proximity to the church. There is a need to work with every church Pastor so as to get their commitment to build their church/es to be student friendly churches.
Group 2:
PCM on Campuses
- We recommend that the GC PCM and AMICUS be responsible to share the VISION of the importance of PCM, and each Division and Union would then define how to start a ministry in that particular area taking the context into consideration.
- We recommend that the GC PCM and AMICUS create an incentivizing program for starting chapters with few resources. Call a pool of creatives to create a platform that generates a grassroots clearing house of projects and resources for the purpose of awarding grants in the following categories: starting a group, service programs and resources creation.
Group 3:
Role of Communitieis/Mentors in Public Campus Ministry
- Union PCM Directors will assist Conference PCM Directors to establish Mentor/Mentee programs at the local PCM level. They will establish and manage a database of potential mentor professionals to be accessed by local PCM Leader.
- Every local PCM establish a Mentor/Mentee program of professional and non-professional mentors and work with the Conference PCM Director to train mentors and mentees how to effectively advantage students for their spiritual/counseling, educational and professional training.
Group 4:
PCM Chaplains Endorsement
- Public Campus Ministry has specific training guidelines and a certification process of Chaplains and PCM practitioners (candidates/interns) recommended to the Division PCM/AMICUS committees and/or Adventist PCM Associations.
- (GC Working Policy FA30 Ecclesiastical Endorsement.)
- Hold a Ministerial license or Commissioned Ministerial credentials and in regular standing of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
- With a recommended 2 years of pastoral experience, or a proven equivalency, as determined by the ACM committee.
- Note – change “minimum” to “recommended.” Delete – post-graduation.
- General Conference consider including under the categories of endorsement candidate chaplains or intern chaplains.
Group 6:
GC PCM Follow ME/Dialogue/Division PCM Manuals:
- Recommend a brochure and a manual/handbook that is also available online to be prepared by PCM with the content suggested.
- Recommend a further engaging dialogue about the roles of PCM website and the “updated Dialogue journal.”
Group 7:
PCM Adventist Identity Infusion
- GC PCM to make available a curriculum in collaboration with the Division and other Departments for mission/service on Public Campuses.
- Design a PCM leaders kit including condensed information about: ideas for on campus and community service directory of resources by category calendar with worldwide events and cultural awareness tips.
- GC PCM to develop a mission service model that includes a vision and rationale for systematic projects and a yearly theme.
- Develop a multiplatform marketing and informational material for PCM chapters
- (Print, video, podcast, social network profiles )
Group 8:
- We recommend that the Youth Department and Public Campus Ministries collaborate to produce a leadership development programme specifically for students. This would focus on Adventist identity, heritage (particularly the founder’s young leadership) and apologetics.
- We recommend that AVS and Public Campus Ministries collaborate to create a short term mission track where students can be involved in exchange programs between campuses in order to partner with them in engaging in evangelism and service.
- We recommend that there is specific training for pastors and local churches to build confidence in University students regarding their Adventist identity.
To better achieve all these goals
Produce a handbook that is also available online that is prepared by the GC PCM office.(6.1)
Set up a GC PCM advisory consisting of a representative group of students and chaplains from the world field, to assist the PCM director in his leadership functions.
Request that 25% of the 2015 GC Session at San Antonio youth/children “Give Them the Keys” offering, be set aside for the development PCM grass root mission projects.
