Pacific Union Ministries

Some of the most important work that we do at the Pacific Union is carried out through our standing committees and workgroups. And while these carefully and representatively selected small groups of people generally take their tasks very seriously, not everyone loves committees.

We love ours.

Our committees gather people together from all across the Union’s geography to take on work that will benefit all of us. They are made up of people who are diverse in terms of race, culture, age, gender, and demographics. They include lay members and employees. They benefit from the wisdom of those who have been members for years and others who have been members for just a short time.

Our workgroups are very good at trying to understand the circumstances out of which their agenda items arise. They work hard at asking good questions, and seek to hear the details and the stories that might be lost if there wasn’t a group of thoughtful people taking up these topics. They work on narrowing the gaps between what we know and what we are given the opportunity to learn. They challenge the status quo while affirming the policies and procedures that have served us in the past. They create a dynamic, living history of the work of our organization, and while affirming what has been done that truly resonates with our mission, they also help us lift our eyes to God is calling us to do in the future. They keep at it, quarter after quarter, year after year, problem after opportunity after challenge after discovery. They begin their meetings with prayer, and they are generally still praying when they get the work done. They show us how Christians can come together with grace, conviction, and a shared love for the message of Jesus even on the mundane, the difficult, and the everyday. They demonstrate that when placed in God’s care, nothing is ordinary.