The Foundation for Evangelism is pleased to recognize the first-ever recipient of the Culture of the Call Church Award -   Swartz Creek United Methodist Church, in Swartz Creek, Michigan. This annual award recognizes one local congregation of The United Methodist Church with a history of helping young people 35 or younger experience God’s call to full time Christian service as a result of affiliation with that church.

Swartz Creek United Methodist Church has a history of sending people into the ministry. The pastor and church leaders help to identify young people with gifts for ministry and empower them by placing them in positions of learning and leadership in order to experience what ministry in the church is like. The pastor, Rev. Dr. John Landis and church leaders follow candidates for ministry through their candidacy process and ordination or consecration. Service to sister churches, district, and conference ministries are encouraged. In addition, over 25 persons from the church have gone through lay speaking training and seven persons have gone into the ministry.

District Superintendent Eugene Blair’s nomination praises the Swartz Creek UMC culture where, “young people continually see ministry as a positive and viable option for their lives because of what they see and experience in evangelism and discipleship ministries.”

The Culture of the Call Church Award is part of the vision of The Foundation for Evangelism to raise up generations of leaders with a passion for evangelism.  We are pleased to join Bishop Keaton and Dr. Blair in recognizing the 2010 Culture of the Call Church, Swartz Creek United Methodist Church, for intentionally equipping young people to fulfill the call to make disciples to transform the world. The award will be presented at the Detroit Annual Conference in May.