The vision of Matthew 25, before it had a name, was already embedded in our denomination’s spiritual DNA. Presbyterians, reformed and always reforming, have shown a deep concern for the flourishing of all people for quite some time. Jesus calls us to serve with and for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40) – not as a group to be pitied but as people deeply loved by Jesus. For instance, the Confession of 1967 condemns the evil of systemic poverty in our world. The Confession of Belhar from the 1980s challenges us to confront racism in church and society. The most recent Brief Statement of Faith imagines congregations fully alive in the glory of God.
The Matthew 25 movement of the Presbyterian Church (USA) came into focus over two years of work at the national level, starting in 2016 and culminating with our denomination deciding to focus its mission on three areas:
- Building congregational vitality.
- Dismantling structural racism.
- Eradicating systemic poverty.
Three “intersectional priorities” weave through all the focus areas: gender justice, climate change (or earth care), and peacemaking.
In April 2020, BPC voted to join the movement. Some observe that BPC was a Matthew 25 church before it was even a “thing”! We’ve been actively and passionately doing this work for nearly 20 years. Just consider how the work of BPC’s mission trips, food pantry, Helping Hands, Ageless Wonders, Soup Kitchen servers, Thanksgiving baskets, and a thousand other things are “caring for the least of these.”
In January 2024, Session voted to concentrate BPC’s efforts in three areas:
- Congregational vitality.
- Poverty, with a housing focus.
- Climate change.
PCUSA challenges congregations NOT to use worship attendance or member counts as a metric for success, but instead to use “civic engagement, civic action” as the metric for success in all focus areas. What matters is that after worship is over, we are out there in our communities caring for the least of these in our interactions with neighbors, friends, work colleagues, and strangers.
Working in conjunction with our community partners, church partners, and national partners, BPC doesn’t need to “invent much.” We just need to jump in, join forces, and be a part of the collective efforts of the Matthew 25 movement. There’s hope and excitement in PCUSA congregations across the country. We continue to pray for God’s guidance.
We hope you continue to read and learn about how BPC is embracing this movement. If you are interested in joining our Matthew 25 team, let us know!