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Three Who Made Their Mark on CMA

Mark Cutshall | Outcomes, Jan/Feb 2007

Meet three leaders: a missions executive, an accountant and a fundraiser. Each has helped turn a page in CMA's unfolding history. While they're reticent to say how CMA has changed them, their singular contributions speak for themselves.

In the late 1960s, a simple lunch invitation actually fed the idea that eventually became Christian Management Association.

Bob Reynolds was the director for Far East Broadcasting in Manila, The Philippines, when he met Alan Bergstedt, who headed up the finance department for Wycliffe Bible Translators. "One day, I took Alan to lunch at a restaurant in the city. Around the table were several business managers of Christian ministries. We met weekly to swap information and ideas that had helped us in our work. If you had a customs problem, or a matter to resolve with the government, you could ask someone around the table, and get the help you needed."

The food and friendships agreed with Bergstedt. "When I returned to the U.S. as Chief Financial Officer for World Vision, I asked Bob if he knew of a similar group meeting in Los Angeles. When he said 'No,' I was prompted to help start a gathering of ministry leaders."

Bob Reynolds made sure he was part of that initial group of 20 people who gathered in Los Angeles to share management ideas and concerns. "What impressed me most," he says, "is that larger organizations like World Vision openly shared their expertise with smaller ministries. Nothing like this was happening, that I knew about."

Bill Altman was there, too, that day in 1976, as Christian Financial Executives Association was born. The association's corporate name was changed in 1978 to Financial Executives of Christian Organizations, then to Christian Ministries Management Association in 1983, and finally to Christian Management Association in 1991.

A CPA with Ernst and Whinney (now Ernst and Young), Altman wanted to see the new networking effort. "After we put out the invitations, we really didn't know how many would come to the first meeting," he recalls. "I guaranteed to make up the difference if we didn't reach 20, which is exactly how many showed up."

Though Altman didn't need his checkbook that day, he has participated regularly ever since. He's the only person who has attended all 29 annual conferences. CMA Palm Springs 2007 will be number 30. "And I don't even like to go to conferences," he admits. Still Altman lauds the quality of the event, especially plenary speakers like Dennis Bakke, Ravi Zacharias and Jerry White.