By Phyllis Gregg, 
Presiding Bishopric office director

For many years, the Presiding Bishopric and other church leaders have shared about the declining number of contributors to worldwide mission tithes and the dependence on those 65 and older to provide the majority of funding for local and global missions.

For some, this has been interpreted as a lack of generosity from younger generations. However, according to 2023 survey by the Barna Group, Boomers and elders feel that—all things considered—they can stay consistent in their levels of charitable giving. But younger adults, especially Gen Z and Millennials, are more likely than their elders to believe the economic moment calls for them to be more generous than usual in contributing to nonprofits.

In fact, half of Gen Z (51 percent) say they have given financially to charitable organizations, including churches. And Millennials (61 percent), just ahead of Gen Z, already are on par with Gen X (58 percent) and Boomers (64 percent) in charitable giving.

So our challenge is perhaps not an issue of generosity, but of engagement. For decades participation in organized religion has been declining in nations with developed economies. Younger individuals express interest in spirituality and community, but not church.

These studies highlight a funding challenge for religious institutions. The challenge is not finding new and creative approaches to giving or creative communication. The primary challenge is first engaging younger generations in spiritual community and then in mission.

Barna and Pew Research studies highlight growth in the “unaffiliated group” when it comes to religious self-identification. For the first time the Gallup organization reported only 47 percent of Americans said they belong to a church, synagogue, or mosque, down from 50 percent in 2018 and 70 percent in 1999.

These studies highlight a funding challenge for religious institutions. The challenge is not finding new and creative approaches to giving or creative communication. The primary challenge is first engaging younger generations in spiritual community and then in mission.

In the June 2023 Financial Update, the Presiding Bishopric said: “This missional and financial challenge is our top priority as we work with leaders to create entry points and missional expressions where new generations can encounter Christ’s transforming mission and respond through whole-life stewardship.”

We need to create new entry points where younger individuals and families can connect with and respond to the church’s message and mission in a changing world. This is the first strategic priority of the Presiding Bishopric. Steps are being taken to align resources with this priority. This includes the hiring of two new mission-development ministers thanks to the generosity of a family that also saw the need to more actively pursue a plan to connect and engage people younger than 65.

We need to create new entry points where younger individuals and families can connect with and respond to the church’s message and mission in a changing world. This is the first strategic priority of the Presiding Bishopric.

Erin Cackler brings a background in advertising as well as previous work for Community of Christ and its seminary. She has a deep love for Community of Christ and sharing her testimony. In her own words, “I have a love of relationships, connection, developing bonds with people, and having honest conversation.”

Noelle Gaffka has a diverse background in fundraising, business management, and program investment. She is a seventy, bringing a combination of sharing the gospel in relevant ways with the invitation to respond generously. She says, “I’m passionate about finding out others’ passions and connecting them with one another and opportunities in community.”

With their professional backgrounds and focus on relationship-building and invitation, Cackler and Gaffka are bringing energy, creativity, and enthusiasm to their new roles.

Finding creative approaches to engaging new generations in spiritually formed communities that foster a deep sense of belonging and stimulate generous response is a challenge bigger than two people can accomplish alone. So, Cackler and Gaffka will work with church leaders and a team of advisors. The advisory teams have been selected from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

This will help them reconnect, revise, and re-create compelling expressions that inspire people from all walks of life to engage and invest in Community of Christ’s divinely instilled call and vision.

The advisory teams’ primary purpose is to help envision, identify, and experiment with creative ways for individuals and families under 65 to connect with the church’s mission and engage in that mission locally and globally. They also will provide insights and recommendations on innovative ways to teach generosity and connect younger generations how to support the church’s mission financially.

The shape and form of specific initiatives that come from the work of the advisory teams alongside Cackler and Gaffka and the Presiding Bishopric largely will be determined by the individuals and families we seek to reach. This will take time. But, a great deal of energy already is being generated around the expectation that the initiatives created will be new entry points for younger generations.

This will help them reconnect, revise, and re-create compelling expressions that inspire people from all walks of life to engage and invest in Community of Christ’s divinely instilled call and vision.