The 48th Biennial Communications Team invited outgoing President Heyward to share his views on his time as President. Soon, you can view the full interview on https://www.youtube.com/@NationalNBPC.
 

Following is a summary of his two terms as President.

A.  Working with the Unified Interim Agency of the PC(USA)

During President Heyward’s tenure, he managed the leadership role of the NBPC with a focused plan. He shared that to get the work done; he organized the thought and the ministry in the following manner. How effective has the PC(USA), the national church been in its work?

• How effective is the PC(USA) structure for success?
• How is the National organization leading and managing the General Assembly?
• How is the national organization supporting the African American congregations?

At the current time, how does this strategy impact the National Black Presbyterian Caucus? The PC(USA) is currently experiencing its own transition with a resulting new structure. Rev. Heyward indicates that with the national transition, the NBPC needed to shift its lines of communication at the national level to ensure that they are working effectively with the proper corporate staff. Rev. Heyward has navigated that step with PC(USA) staff who are familiar with the congregational needs of the African American church and have offered their support. Heyward emphasizes “ I think we are on the front end of being in the right conversations with the right persons of the church’s agencies”.

B.  Reaching Every Member in the Pews

At the beginning of his term, it was critically important to President Heyward, that every African American Presbyterian is enabled to receive messages of its Leadership through various media format. Rev. Heyward states that “it is a matter of reaching every member sitting in the pews.” Even though the NBPC is not as large as many may think, his vision, over the past four years, has been… “to put a structure in place, put ministry in place, put communications in place, put gifts and talents in place, put resources in place, so that we’re not merely talking to the membership, the active membership of the caucus, but our communications, whether it be the website, whether it be the newspaper, whether it be workshop seminars online, we are reaching every member sitting in the pews on Sunday morning. That is the central goal – the responsibilities of the Sessions – to get the News to the People in the Pews!

C.  Impact of Unification

President Heyward, turning to the restructure effort at PC(USA), how can you help the NBPCaucus members comprehend the impact of the Unification. In his response, President Heyward speaks to the duality in the interpretation of the 48th Biennial theme. One side stakes the responsibility that we Christians have for ourselves, our personal ministry, and in understanding our own context within that ministry. It is not realistic for us to think that the calvary will come to rescue us as Black Presbyterians. And because of that, we need to circle the wagons and be as one with our common cultural, racial, economic, political, and religious concerns. And within that coming together, we remind those outside of the circle to come in because “your labor will not be in vain”. The other side is the continuing Unified voice to the National Church. The numbers of African Americans may be a small percentage of the national church; however, our voice is not small. We must continue to speak our concerns to the church with a strong, loud voice; a voice that shouts how the Black Presbyterian congregations are being impacted, that our PerCapita and Mission dollars are just as important as others who make up the congregations of the PC(USA). Pastors and Elders in our local congregations say that we, the Caucus members, have the responsibility to be the voice for our congregations. Those in the pews don’t see or hear all of the news of the Church unless we tell them and raise their awareness of the Unification and other pertinent news of the church. As we work for our local communities to enhance our strength, we call on our presbyteries, our Synod and the General Assembly to support and ensure that the Black Presbyterians get a fair share of the pie in the form of leadership and funding.

D.  Youth Succession into Installed Pastorships in our churches

Working with the Board of Pensions to address the financial affordability concerns of African American Pastoral leadership has been helpful, however, as the Black Presbyterian churches become better able to install Pastors, who will be available to answer the Call? Are our churches identifying up and coming young adult and young Pastoral Leadership in their congregations and nurturing them in discussion and counsel towards seminary and a Pastoral Call? This is why the NBPC education programming via ZOOM is one way we can expose, teach, and mentor our young adults. They may be the next Pastors Called into Seminary and ultimately into our Black church Pulpits. Development of the Youth Ministry and participation in church worship and governance is not a function of the NBPC. It is each church’s Session, Christian Education department, and congregation’s responsibility to support the Youth who step forward with these interests.

E.  SWAY – Youth Track at the Biennial

This 48th Biennial will offer a track, only for the Young Adult and Youth called SWAY. They will get a vibrant Presbyterian experience with African American Presbyterians. They will have their own speakers, worship, and Plenary Sessions. They will fellowship, enjoy meals together and share experiences of what the future of Black Presbyterianism will be. Registration materials are available on the NBPC website and part of the NBPC Special 48th Biennial Edition of the Newsletter.

F.  President Heyward’s Report Card

President Heyward graded his time in office with a B-. During his Term, he counts the following successes:

1. Increased usage of the NBPC Online/Media Platform to provide impactful knowledge to the membership

2. Offered several worship services and Lenten Series online

3. Support for NBPC sponsored and supported Overtures

a.  Lack of ordained installed Pastors leading African American congregations

b.  Assisting the Center for Repairs of Historical Harms in offering an approach for PC(USA) response

c.  Modifying the polity to accept ordination of Pastors from the LGBTQIA+ community

4. Sponsored a series on how to grow an African American congregation

Areas where President Heyward felt there was room for improvement:

1. Increased NBPC membership to 4,000 or 10% of the African American population of the PC(USA)
2. Increased support on the Media Team so that the Newsletter can sustain semi-monthly publications
3. Broadening the readership to grow a greater diversity of NBPC membership and non-member Black Presbyterians taking advantage of the offerings in the Newsletter

Thank You Reverend Dr, Charles Heyward for your Leadership over the past four years. We thank you for your time, your passion and your candor.

The 48th Biennial Communications Team of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus