Chesapeake Conference Unveils New Strategic Plan

Story by Evan Knott

The Chesapeake Conference has unveiled its new strategic plan for 2023–2027, identifying five priorities as areas of focus. The five priorities outlined by the new strategic plan are the following:

• Evangelism, Church Planting, and Church Revitalization
• Children’s, Youth, and Young Adult Ministries
• Adventist Education
• Community Services and Outreach Ministries
• Church Leadership Training and Equipping

Jerry Lutz, president, elaborated on the driving force behind the plan: “Our mission, vision, values and priorities are driven by, and rooted in, the Great Commission of our Lord to ‘make disciples of all nations’ and to baptize and teach ‘everything’ He has ‘commanded’ (Matthew 28:19–20). It is our objective in Chesapeake to faithfully do the Lord’s will by using the gifts of the Holy Spirit to do what He has called us and equips us to do. The message is the mission: Jesus saves, and He is coming soon. There is much to be done in our conference territory to get out the Word.”

Since the onset of the current quinquennium in May 2022, the conference administration and the executive committee have followed a thorough fourstep method to develop the new strategic plan: pray, listen, review, and prioritize. As part of that process, feedback was actively sought from a broad spectrum of constituent groups, including conference department directors, school principals, teachers, pastors, local church leaders and the general Chesapeake Conference membership.

“We aim for the entire Chesapeake Conference family to be part of this plan,” says Andre Hastick, executive secretary. “We earnestly invite everyone to not only be informed but also actively participate in advancing the mission forward.”