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Merge Ministries Reworking Leadership Structure
MC ALLEN, TX (December 3, 2003) - Covenant World Mission-sponsored Merge
Ministries is developing a new leadership configuration that will ensure
quality mission efforts in the future, according to the organization's
executive
director, Dale Lusk.
Merge - which has been in existence for 11 years under the
administrative umbrella of Covenant Mission Connection - will branch out
from its Latin American sphere to provide mission opportunities
throughout the world. In the past, Merge led trips primarily to Mexico,
Guatemala and Honduras, Lusk notes. Next year, however, Merge is taking
mission groups to Jamaica and Costa Rica with hopes of organizing trips
to Spain and other sites in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Lusk says
numerous connections made with Nancy Reed, a representative for Covenant
World Mission and CIPE (Confraternidad de Iglesias del Pacto Evangelico)
are proving fruitful in expanding the mission trip opportunities.
Two new administrative additions and a third position that are in the
planning stage will help extend Merge's reach in mission. Edith Cardenas
of Leon, Mexico, is serving as an assistant director for Merge. She
began her work in September. Cardenas' cousin, Damaris Adame, is a
Christian Formation consultant for CIPE (which serves Latin American
Covenant churches) and is currently finishing studies at North Park
Theological Seminary in Chicago. Andrew Vanover from Thornapple Covenant
Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is the other assistant director. Both
are based in Mexico, leading various mission trips throughout Central
America and the Caribbean.
Another potential administrator, Carlos Sosa, is currently raising
support for a new ministry with Merge – if successful, he would become
regional coordinator for Mexico and Central America. Lusk hopes that
Sosa can begin his duties next summer. He also hopes that a new
seven-member advisory board made up of Covenant pastors and other
experts from inside and outside the Covenant can further strengthen the
administrative structure.
"We'll be able to increase our marketing and it would allow us to serve
teams better because there will be more communication with groups who
come down," said Lusk of the expanded leadership paradigm. "Of course,
it would also allow us to have more teams in more areas. I think many
people think we only do trips to Mexico and we only do youth trips. But
we do intergenerational trips, we've done a veterinarian mission trip
(based out of Davis, California) and we have talked about having a group
from Minnehaha Academy take a trip. Students would live with host
families in Guatemala and work alongside families and learn more about
that culture.
"This is allowing us more flexibility instead of a cookie cutter
(mission) experience," Lusk continued. "And it allows us to let God move
us in many directions without boundaries."
In January, Lusk will attend the Covenant's Youthworkers Connection in
Rosemont, Illinois, where he will have information available about
Merge. To contact Lusk, email him at covmerge@earthlink.net.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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