According to the Harvard Business Review, "The absence of a succession plan can put a firm at enormous risk." Succession plans are important investment criteria for experienced investors.
The investor desire for succession planning connected with my daily scripture reading along with fellow parishioners undertaking The Bible Challenge (see
SIM's alumni profile of the Rev. Marek Zabriskie, the entrepreneur behind The Bible Challenge):
http://simministry.org/alumni/alumni-profiles/. Reading the Old Testament chapter by chapter makes it readily apparent that the unfolding of salvation history greatly depends upon calling and developing sequential generations of future leaders for the Israelite community.
Deuteronomy 34: 9 is but one example:
"Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses."
The importance of succession planning is nothing new to the Lord! And the New Testament carries God's design on with the beginnings of apostolic succession that are embraced today with the laying on of hands in ordination ceremonies.
SIM's ministry is critical for that very reason of succession planning: the future of The Episcopal Church will be shaped by the caliber of those called, educated, trained and formed in preparation for the priesthood. The vision of eight founders who established SIM in 1857 to "find suitable persons for the Episcopal ministry and aid them in acquiring a thorough education" clearly comprehended offsetting the "enormous risk" of the absence of succession planning.
Augmented with your donations, SIM's financial, pastoral and advocacy support can be especially effective for recruiting highly gifted leaders called to the Episcopal priesthood. Donations to SIM are investments in successor planning for The Episcopal Church.
Faithfully,
Tom Moore
Executive Director
