Superintendent's Report 2007
"We re-affirmed our commitment to speaking up for those who have no voice..."
Increasingly we are dealing with the prevalence of mental illness, the complexities of welfare-dependent unemployed, the impact of
new illicit drugs on our youth, the neglect faced by our homeless elderly and the profound and lifelong impact of early childhood abuse. The complex and constantly shifting needs of our community require a modern day gospel response.
Jesus himself provides us with a pattern of Christian care and compassion which, in its timelessness, inspires us today. At the heart of His teaching is the importance of the individual.
In a society where the gap between the rich and poor is ever widening and people feel disempowered, those who stand to lose the most are the poor and marginalised. Jesus ministered without fear or favour to the destitute, the shut out, the disabled, the disadvantaged, outcasts and those on the periphery of life. The ones we can so easily pass on the street today.
A vision for the future
In last year’s Annual Report we signalled a significant shift in our thinking and shared our vision for the future, by introducing a new strategy of 'Joined Up Thinking and Practice.' In the following pages we review our progress.
This year’s report recognises that to effect transformative change, Wesley Mission must be elastic enough to address society’s needs through three spheres of action: working with individuals at their point of need, embracing people’s needs from within the context of their relationships, family or cultural situations and also addressing broader societal pressures through advocacy and engagement with both government and corporate sectors. In the pages that follow you will meet people whose stories show 'Joined Up Thinking and Practice' in action and give evidence to our endeavours, putting human need at the heart of all we do.
Courageous commitment
Our aim is to become more complete in our provision of care. As the needs of the people we help become more complex, we are working towards networking our services more effectively to enable them to access the full range of expertise and support they need to achieve their goals.
Naming a vision for the future and fundamentally embedding it within the culture and practice of an organisation are two very different things. We don’t pretend it is going to be easy or quick. But we declare our dedication to staying the path. This year we developed a new vision and values and we are committed to developing a leadership programme to support them. We also spent time reviewing the organisational structure of Wesley Mission, seeking to use people in the most effective way, and to ensure we are best placed to deliver on our strategy.
We re-affirmed our commitment to speaking up for those who have no voice with the release of the first of our six-monthly 'Wesley Reports'. This report very successfully brought the impact of a modern consumer society and the resultant financial stress on families to the fore of public debate and comment. As a result, we have found ourselves regularly turned to for comment and help in this particular area. It is a pattern that we look forward to replicating in the coming year.
The increasing success of our Easter Mission, the growth of some of our congregations and the development of our media activities are all part of our growing witness, reminding us of our responsibility not only to maintain but also advance our work.
Christlike servanthood
Hudson Taylor, a Methodist Local Preacher and founder of The China Inland Mission, wrote, “When God wants to do his great works, he trains somebody to be quiet enough and little enough, then he uses that person.” I pay tribute to the ongoing selfless work of our many dedicated staff, volunteers and members who make our life-changing work possible. The nature of our servanthood finds its focus in Jesus Christ and it is against this measure that we begin to look at the issues of how we face the challenge of change, as well as communicate and co-operate within Wesley Mission and in our delivery of services. Serving others is the single most constructive feature of Christian mission and is linked to our evangelism as we seek to point to God’s love in Christ.
Unfailing integrity
It must be a clear objective of any Christian community to live out its calling and to shape its message in the context of ‘having nothing to hide’. This does not mean to say that every piece of information is equally available to everyone, but rather there is nothing within all we do that does not ultimately live up to our values.
It is my own conviction that our supporters and stakeholders need to be fully aware of the financial and ethical challenges we face. Wesley Mission has faced financial issues for many years and this Report will give you some insight into the nature of how we are seeking to address the matters and build for a secure future. In the same way that issues generally do not arise overnight, they also require strategic direction and time to provide a solid base for further growth and development.
Sustainability – a responsibility beyond the economic bottom line
Organisational change to integrate social and environmental, as well as economic performance into modern management practice is an ethical imperative, and entirely consistent with our values and future direction.
The community is looking for leadership in ethical business practice and management of environmental impacts and faithbased not-for-profits need to be at the forefront of changing accountability expectations.
The sustainability path for Wesley Mission continues to be a learning journey. We have seen further expansion of measurement against key indicators in this year’s report. During the year we said “Farewell” to Dick Menteith, who served the Mission for many years, and I have been pleased to welcome Andrew Watson as our new Chief Financial Officer. So thank you for the past – and welcome to the future.
A closing thank you to our supporters
When reading this year’s annual report I hope you feel a sense of combined achievement. Naturally, I am indebted to my Officers and the Senior Executive Leadership Team, but Wesley Mission could not have the impact it does in the community without the sustained support of our loyal donors, corporate partners, government, staff and our members. John Wesley coined the words, with which I close –
“The best of all is, God is with us!”
Warmly yours in Christ,
Rev Keith Garner
Superintendent
.
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