Presbyterian Church (USA) Closes Missions Agency

Theologians are not surprised given the liberalization of the denomination.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has shuttered its World Missions agency and ended all of its mission co-worker roles.

Photo by Nicole Geri / Unsplash / Creative Commons

The move comes amid financial cuts at the dwindling mainline Protestant denomination.

First announced in January as part of a restructuring that included $5 million in cuts, mission co-workers were told to expect either a different offer of employment or a severance package.

Presbyterians have long been involved in foreign mission endeavors. They were very involved in evangelistic efforts in both Ghana and Sudan, Jeff Walton, communications director for the Institute on Religion and Democracy, told MinistryWatch.

Such historic missionary efforts make the closing of their mission agency sad, but not unexpected.

Walton sees it as primarily a financial decision based on the contraction of the PCUSA, which has about 1.09 million members, down from 3 million in 1983, Walton said.

With the reduced membership, revenue has dropped and has required budget cuts.

According to talking points sent to all World Mission staff, “the new expression of global ecumenical engagement will be housed within the Office of the Stated Clerk and Executive Director of the Interim Unified Agency (IUA),” the Presbyterian Outlook reported.

The National Hispanic Latino Caucus of PCUSA wrote a letter expressing concern about the dismantling of the missions agency. “We fear that these decisions can inflict irreparable damage to the relationship of mutual respect and interdependence we’ve built over the years,” the letter said.

Another letter signed by 81 mission co-workers questioned the denominational decision to close the mission agency.

“When progressive Christians, communions, and mission-sending organizations leave a mission field, their absences are inevitably and invariably filled with voices, personnel, and mission partners who view Jesus and his ministry differently, in less inclusive and liberating ways,” the letter stated. “Specifically, this impacts work with women and the ordination of women, with people in the queer community, and with communities on the margins.”

Walton noted that this letter didn’t “lament missionary cuts resulting in less people hearing the gospel message,” but instead emphasized that the mission roles would most likely be filled by evangelicals.

The PCUSA mission agency, as recently as 2010, had 200 missionaries, but was down to about 60 when the cuts were made.

As the denomination has become more liberalized, it has moved away from evangelistic urgency and is effectively operating on a presupposition of universalism, Walton said.

Ed Stetzer, Dean of the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, agreed. He has watched as the PCUSA has been “drifting away from its historic theological roots.”

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“As the mainline missions movement lost its focus on proclaiming the gospel, making disciples, and planting new churches, it moved to community transformation ministry. So, the PCUSA’s theological shifts make this decision unsurprising—yes, I would even say inevitable,” Stetzer told MinistryWatch.

“When the gospel starts to get muddy, the mission motivated by the gospel starts to get lost,” he added.

When asked about what a decision to eliminate a missions agency communicates about a denomination’s priorities, Stetzer said, “It reveals at the very least questionable priorities, if not entirely misplaced priorities. [A] mission agency isn’t ordained by God for his mission, but the mission has been ordained and church has been called to that mission. A group of churches that doesn’t focus on the mission misses out on God’s calling.”

“What is now the PCUSA was once one of the great mission movements of our time—and the ending of their mission agency speaks to the lost priority of a once great missions focus,” he added.

On March 26, the denomination held a chapel service to honor the work and ministry of those who served with Presbyterian World Mission.

“We gather to give thanks to God for World Mission, which concluded as a ministry area on Monday,” Ellen Sherby, World Mission’s associate director for Global Connections, said.

“Today, we lift up people, places and partnerships that have been life-giving, and we thank God and honor colleagues whose service with the Interim Unified Agency ended with the closure of World Mission,” Sherby said. “Their commitment and contributions, together with global partners, have been invaluable. We acknowledge and celebrate all work well done, and the friendships and shared work of colleagues and partners. Let us worship God together.”

Walton noted that not as many denominations have centralized mission agencies as they did 40 years ago. He noted that the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention is one that still remains.

Often missionaries are with a parachurch ministry working alongside and supported by a denomination or congregation. You can find a list of foreign mission agencies rated by MinistryWatch here.

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), an evangelical denomination formed after breaking away from mainline Presbyterianism in 1973, still has a missions agency—Mission to the World.

It has missions teams in Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South America, Europe, and the Caribbean.

According to a recent article in byFaith, the PCA grew by about 1.34% from 2023 to 2024 and has about 400,000 members.

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