Office of the General Assembly

How do you invite connection with lower governing bodies, i.e. the folks in the pews?

The Office of the General Assembly engages in several efforts to foster relationships with middle governing bodies and people in congregations. Every year OGA host the Fall Polity Conference that includes most of the presbytery and synod stated clerks and many presbytery executives. The Moderators Conference brings together presbytery and synod moderators from across the denomination. An online magazine Perspectives is produced to share articles on important issues of interest. From 2000 through 2004, The Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick and General Assembly Council Executive Director John Detterick held consultations in most of the synods and 115 presbyteries. The Stated Clerk has an e-mail letter that goes out over 2,000 ministers. MGB Connect is a web site that assist connections with the whole church by providing a resource of best practices for ministry. The staff of the OGA lead workshops, provide consultations, and answer hundreds of calls every day from congregations and middle governing bodies

A bit more information about the moderator will be useful. His/her functions.

The following is from the job description of the Moderator from the Standing Rules:

"The Moderator of the General Assembly is a commissioner of the General Assembly.

"When the Moderator presides at the assembly, it is to be a sign of the bond of unity, community, and mission in the life of the church.

During the period between assemblies, the Moderator serves as an ambassador of the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace, telling the story of the church's life and upholding the people of God through prayer.

"When the Moderator addresses the church and the society, s/he speaks pastorally and prophetically from within the standards of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), preserving the rights and responsibilities outlined in G-6.0108.

"The Moderator shall preside over the General Assembly that elects him or her, and over the meetings of the next General Assembly until a successor is elected. The Moderator possesses the authority necessary for preserving order and for conducting efficiently the business of the governing body (G-9.0202).

"The Moderator of the General Assembly is a voting member of the General Assembly Council and the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly. The Moderator of the General Assembly may attend and participate without vote in the meetings of all other entities of the General Assembly.

"The Moderator shall be the official representative of the church at gatherings and functions, both civic and ecclesiastical, at which the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is invited or expected to be represented, unless otherwise provided by the General Assembly. In the event that the Moderator is unable to attend, the Vice-Moderator, or some other person designated by the Moderator in consultation with the Stated Clerk, may represent the church.

What's the difference between OGA and the GAC?

The Office of the General Assembly has been called the ecclesiastical arm or "courthouse" part of the denomination structure. The General Assembly Council is seen as the mission arm.

The Office of the General Assembly is the ecclesiastical arm of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Under the leadership of Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick, the OGA staff carries out the directives assigned to the Clerk by the General Assembly, the denomination's highest governing body. Those directives are carried out by the departments that work on issues relating to the Book of Order, relationships with other denominations, the preservation of historical records and the planning for the meetings of the general Assembly. Other departments collect the annual statistical data, work with middle governing bodies and handle the correspondence of the Stated Clerk on behalf of the PC(USA).

The General Assembly Council is the mission arm of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Under the leadership of Executive Director John Detterick, the GAC staff carry out the mission directives approved by the General Assembly. Those directives are carried out through three divisions: Congregational Ministries, National Ministries and Worldwide Ministries. This web link will explain the priorities of the Mission Work Plan

What currents in Presbyterian life lead to the "Common Faith, Common Mission" conference and other events?

The Office and the General Assembly has been seeking to focus on the gift of our Constitution to the life of the Church and how we might together renew our Constitution to help make us a more faithful missionary church in 21st century America. We see this as a central task for the ministry of the Office of the General Assembly for the next three years and hope it will be a shared venture with all of our governing bodies.

It is time to lift up these four chapters and their core commitments as a foundational covenant document for the Church:

• That Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church and the Word of God
• That the Great Ends of the Church are our common calling
• That we uphold a generous orthodoxy growing out of scripture and the confessions that affirms the great themes of the Reformed faith
• That we hold to an ecclesiology built on covenant community and a commitment to Christian unity.

These commitments need to be the foundation stone of our Constitution. They are our shared ethos and the shared principles that in our diversity will set us free to be a missionary church in the 21st century.

Over the next three years the OGA hopes, in a variety of ways, to invite the whole church to discover again these gifts of our Constitution. Through a variety of conferences at our seminaries, consultations with our presbyteries (we hope you will invite us!), new books, videos and publications, and resources and curriculum for the training of church officers, we hope that every church officer will have had a fresh encounter with the theological and covenantal vision of our confessions and polity and be renewed by it. We hope you will join us in this endeavor and help us to find the best ways to enable the whole church to reclaim the richness of our constitutional vision

What currents in Presbyterian life lead to the Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church?

The 213th General Assembly approved the formation of the Task Force based on the following rationale:

Many in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) feel and fear the church faces a very serious impasse surrounding issues regarding such areas as biblical authority and interpretation, ethics, leadership, and issues relating to ordination and blessings.

Endless hours have been expended, relationships have been tested, and opportunities missed with the seemingly endless debates in the church surrounding these divisive issues.

One hundred and seventeen of this denomination's middle governing body leadership have sent a letter to the church urging, " . . . all leaders and members to continue what has begun and to help us find a third way. That way cannot be dictated by deadlines. The direction we seek will not come by judicial and legislative actions. It will come only by seeking the mind of Christ in prayer and discussion together . . .."

This great denomination has faced a moment like this once before, most recently in 1925, when many questioned whether unity could be found in the face of questions around ordination standards, "necessary and essential articles," and authority of the respective governing bodies of our beloved denomination. At that time, the 137th General Assembly (1925) appointed a special commission of 15 to "study the present spiritual condition of our church and the causes making for unrest" ( Minutes , PCUSA, 1925, Part I, p. 88).

That commission carefully did its work and brought recommendations to the 139th General Assembly (1927) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has benefited from their work ever since.

The Presbytery of John Calvin believes a different process other than asking 60 or so sincere commissioners to resolve such issues in two days at an assembly committee is necessary. We believe that a process is needed in prayerful discernment and is not so constricted by time.

The Presbytery of John Calvin urges the 213th General Assembly (2001) to create a new theological commission to lead us to clear unity in this new millennium.

Where does the discussion happen about the structure of presbyteries?

There are at least three possible ways to interpret this question.

The first interpretation of this question is how can a presbytery restructure. The discussion about the committee and staff structure of a presbytery happens inside the presbytery based on its own goals and mission needs. There are some Book of Order required committees that a presbytery should have but beyond that there is room for creativity.

The second interpretation is how do presbytery boundaries get changed? An individual presbytery could ask its synod to change its boundaries, (G-12.0101 k).

The third interpretation is how could the PC(USA) begin a conversation about restructuring the boundaries of its presbyteries and/or synods. That conversation could begin at the local or national level. However the authority to change all of those boundaries is the responsibility of the General Assembly, (G-13.0103l.)

What is the total number of volunteers serving on national boards or committees?

There are 320 people who serve on committees or boards that are nominated through the General assembly Nominating Committee.

What is the total number of employees for all PC(USA) organizations?

There are 991 people employed in the six agencies. In addition there are over 300 missionaries and over 400 volunteers in mission.

How will biennial assemblies affect OGA and COGA?

The move to a two-year cycle of General Assemblies will allow the OGA and COGA to more adequately respond to GA directives, conduct more grassroots type events and do longer range planning.

Will videos be available of the 216th Assembly?

A Compact Disk was created that has video footage of the GA. Commissioners and Advisory Delegates were sent a copy after the assembly. Others can purchase one from the Presbyterian Distribution Service. The item number is OGA-04-033.

What impact does the election of a Stated Clerk have on the staff and advisory committees of OGA and others?

The election of the Stated Clerk does not directly impact the employment of OGA staff. The OGA is not a large organization. As in any small organization the election of a new head of staff would have some impact based on his or her goals for the organization. The Stated Clerk or the clerk's designee staff the advisory committees that are the responsibility of the OGA. The Stated Clerk does not vote on any of those committees nor does the clerk appoint any of the members.

We need to pool our resources that commissioners and delegates spent making arrangements and use that money in mission, curriculum, and life of our local churches. Can the GA material be concise to nuts and bolts of the business of the church?

First we should say that the move to a biennial cycle will allow money to be freed up mission. Secondly, there are Standing Rules that limit the material that is sent to commissioners and advisory delegates. There are also standing rules that limit the censorship of overtures and commissioner resolutions by the OGA. The goal is to provide all of the information that is needed to make decisions. The increasing use of electronic means of informing commissioners and advisory delegates gives hope that we might eventually be able to limit the paper volume of the GA.

Will the divisions of the GAC remain the same or will it be changing?

At the present time the General Assembly Council structure will remain the same: Congregational Ministries, National Ministries, Worldwide Ministries and two support areas. However, in the future the GAC may consider how to align its structure more closely with the four goals of the Mission Work Plan.

How come the name of the Mission Initiative changed and how is it doing? What racial ethnic projects will it support?

The Mission Initiative is doing well! It has raised over $8 million in contributions and pledges toward the two aims: international mission and church growth. The Mission Initiative is still the Mission Initiative but the "tag" Joining Hearts and Hands was added to help make its intent more descriptive. In its history and tradition the Presbyterian Church has demonstrated a true heart for mission, especially international mission service and domestic church development, and its parishioners are active in accomplishing great things in mission especially hands-on work. The Mission Initiative is designed to help ensure those two things continue to maintain equal footing.

The 210th General Assembly (1998) approved a Racial Ethnic and Immigrant Evangelism Church Growth Strategy in which several programs were laid out for growing racial ethnic membership. Mission Initiative dollars will be used to increase the church's capacity to support this strategy, e.g., church development, leadership development, and the translation of vital educational and denominational resources.

What powers does the GAC have?

The powers of the General Assembly Council are spelled out in the Book of Order in G-13.0200. In general the GAC's primary responsibilities are to develop and implement the mission directions, goals, objectives and priorities of the church, and to coordinate the work of General Assembly agencies and governing bodies in light of the mission directions and priorities.

Who runs the inside of the shop? Who coordinates or pulls together the work of all six agencies?

The directors of the six General Assembly entities (General Assembly Council, Office of the General Assembly, Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Publishing, Presbyterian Foundation, and the Investment and Loan program) meet regularly to coordinate their work. For the General Assembly Council, a staff leadership team composed of the executive director, deputy executive director, deputy for Mission Support Services, the three ministry division directors, the Coordinator for Middle Governing Body Relations and the Associate Director for Communications meet regularly to coordinate the work of the GAC.

How are people selected to serve on the GAC?

The membership of the GAC is specified in the Organization for Mission , p. 9. Synods and presbyteries work with the General Assembly Nominating Committee (GANC) to recommend GAC members. At any given time 50 presbyteries have representatives serving on the GAC. The sixteen synods all have representatives on the GAC. To find out when your presbytery is eligible to have a GAC member, contact the GANC.

What does it mean for the GAC to "claim its leadership" and first priority to provide programs?

In 2003 the General Assembly Council engaged in a self-assessment. A key issue in the results of the assessment was the need to clarify the GAC's role, particularly in light of biennial assemblies. The GAC worked to reach a common understanding of its role and leadership responsibilities. This understanding is reflected in the 2005-2006 Mission Work Plan. The MWP articulates the GAC's role, vision, and mission, and sets out the mission priorities for the next two years. It was adopted by the 216th General Assembly.

How can we increase unrestricted giving?

Talk about the great things that happen because of unrestricted giving! Here's a sample: international mission personnel, youth and young adult programs, curriculum, women's ministries, and evangelism programs, to name a few. The GAC section of the annual report is a great place to start to learn more about these and other programs, and even more information is available at www.pcusa.org .

Another effort underway with the Communications Office of OGA and GAC's Executive Director's office is a "Dollars and Sense" Web site, the purpose of which is to provide a tool to educate and nurture Presbyterians to better understand the source and spending of mission and per capita dollars. The web site would serve to clarify questions and inspire Presbyterians to respond faithfully in service and giving as we recognize God's call to be at work in the church and the world.

Why don't we know about this information? Why don't some churches receive this material?

Every congregation receives a copy of the annual report. Much more information about the mission and ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) can be found at www.pcusa.org . However, there does not seem to be a universal point of entry for communication between the GAC offices and congregations. Most of our mailings to directly to pastors who are often buried under the stacks of "informational" mail they receive. Great information is available on line and we encourage people to seek out information on the Web site.

What impact does each General Assembly have on the budget by making new initiatives?

Each General Assembly considers and approves the mission budget for the General Assembly Council. The budget is a good indicator of mission priorities. An assembly sometimes approves new initiatives and priorities that increase the bottom line of the mission budget. Following the General Assembly, the GAC must decide how to pay for the new initiatives, primarily by making reductions in other programs.

Instead of cutting budgets, what can we do to enrich funds development, building on how professional, fiscally responsible the PC(USA) is, especially in light of corporate corruption?

For the fifth year in a row the audit for the PC(USA) has come back with no comments or exceptions. This is an indication of the quality professional financial management that the church enjoys. A major new funds development effort is the Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts and Hands. Joining Hearts and Hands is raising $40 million for new church development and for mission personnel. The GAC is also examining all of its various funds development efforts-ranging from directed mission support to extra commitment opportunities to special offerings-to learn how to better coordinate these multiple efforts. However, the cornerstone of mission work remains unrestricted shared mission dollars, generously sent by congregations and presbyteries to support the work of the whole church, all around the world.

Why does the church spend about $43 million on WMD and only about $27 million on NMD? What does this mean for our membership and growth?

All of the programs of National Ministries and Worldwide Ministries are important. Some programs benefit from restricted funds. Much of the difference between the budgets of National Ministries and Worldwide Ministries is due to restricted funding. Over $17 million in restricted funding, which comes from special offerings, a major bequest, and designated support for international mission co-workers funds the programs of the Global Service and Witness and People in Mutual Mission program areas. However, a significant portion of the One Great Hour of Sharing offering goes to fund mission in the United States.

What sort of cuts has the PC(USA) made during the economic strife our country has recently taken with the war and all?

Like many congregations and presbyteries, the PC(USA) felt the impact of the economic downturn in recent years. This impact was most evident in decreased giving to the unrestricted portion of the mission budget, shared mission giving. Since 2003, the GAC has reduced its unrestricted budget by over $10 million and eliminated over 100 positions.

Which organization, if any, can help small town presbyteries with financial issues? How? What needs to be done to receive that aid?

The first stop should be your synod. They may be able to help you with some financial assistance, or know of other resources.

What is the distribution of this annual report? Does each congregation get one?

The Annual Report is sent to every GA commissioner, congregation, presbytery and synod office. The other five GA agencies receive copies for mailing. Additional copies are available upon request from PDS. The entire book is also published at www.pcusa.org/annual .

How do we get information out to areas without Web access?

We use U.S. Mail. Also, people can request printed material. We make use of bulk mailings, such as the quarterly Info-Pak to all congregations and quarterly resource mailing to Resource Centers. Presbyterians Today , the denomination's magazine is mailed 10 times a year (subscription required).

Is there a prose summary of the workings of GA staff, one that explains structure and how funds are spent-not in annual report format.

One possible resource, to be available in the fall, is a new brochure "Where Do Your Per Capita and Mission Dollars Go?" Also, the annual booklet on Directed Mission Support, sent to all congregations, will have a pullout center section containing financial information in a narrative form.

Where can we find the MGB Web site?

www.pcusa.org/mgbconnect .

Would GAC consider a makeover of the PCUSA.org website more along the lines of this annual report? The current site is hard to navigate and find stuff. The annual report could be a good site map.

The Web site www.pcusa.org is designed to lead visitors to information through seven major navigation categories: Who We Are, Congregations, News and Events, Ministry and Vocations, Resources/Publications, Giving and Funding and U.S. & World Mission. It was intentional to organize the site along topical interest, not bureaucracy, hoping that this approach would improve the site's usability.

Designing Web navigation to mirror the Church's structure would require visitors to know, for example, that Youth Ministry is managed within the Congregational Ministries Division before they could find that program area's Web site (www.pcusa.org/youthministry).

We're always open, however, to new ideas and suggestions to improve our Web communications.

To present to people in our local congregation a "starting list" of resources that would guide them in exploring books, publications, Web sites, etc, what is the best hand-out of six pages or less?

There is a 4-page insert in the center of the Annual Report that addresses this in a small way.

What is a way we could promote knowledge about these programs in addition to GA?

It is a GA commissioner's responsibility to be an advocate for resources of the Assembly. General Assembly Council members and presbytery and synod staff are also charged with promoting programs and resources. Always seeking to improve the promotion of programs and resources the Office of Communication is establishing a communicator's network to augment and assist the other people listed above.

Will this presentation be available on DVD so that we can take back to the local church, or overheads for low techs?

No, not at this time. Good idea for the future, however!

The acronyms are confusing. How can the common ordinary Presbyterian deal with them?

We do use many acronyms. There is a dictionary of acronyms on our website, and you can find it at www.pcusa.org/gac/acronyms.htm

How has the evaluation of "We Believe" curriculum been done?

"We Believe" is designed to respond to constant feedback from its users. Therefore, the evaluation process is continuous. Some of the ways in which the materials were evaluated initially and continue to be evaluated include feedback from the introductory workshops that took place in 2002, feedback from the POINT (Presbyterians Organized for Nurture and Teaching) network, feedback from training sessions with educators at the annual Association of Christian Education Conferences, field-testing with particular congregations, and telephone surveys with churches placing standing orders. Other methods include on-going surveys-found in back of Teacher Book, churches participating in Marketing's field evaluations, telephone focus groups for particular pieces of the curriculum (one is scheduled for this fall to give evaluation of "So Great a Cloud of Witnesses"). All suggestions are considered for implementation by the editorial and marketing staff teams.

While racial-ethnic churches are growing, while the GA set the goal of racial-ethnic churches should growing to 10 percent and more by 2010, the staff cut and the budget cut of the racial ethnic curriculum seems against this goal. What will the PC(USA) do to deal with this problem? Why was Spanish curriculum discontinued?

Congregational Ministries Publishing along with other GAC offices is committed to providing resources for Hispanic Presbyterians. Resource options for materials in languages other than English continue to increase. The Spanish Language Resource Advisory Group will provide input for resources beginning in September.

What provisions will be made for officer development in light of recent budget cuts?

New materials for church officers are underway with anticipated publication date in 2005. Existing materials available from Congregational Ministries Publishing will be revised and continued until the new resources are available. Additionally leadership materials in this area are available from Bridge/Witherspoon Press, Congregational Ministries Publishing, OGA, and Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.

In addition, the Office of the General Assembly has just published a new resource for church officer training under the title "Common Faith, Common Mission." This resource is available from Presbyterian Distribution Service or downloadable from the OGA Web site.

Why doesn't "We Believe" follow the lectionary?

In the early days of We Believe, the editorial staff was asked to consider certain factors as we developed the proposal. These factors were largely reflective of the response to Covenant People-the church expects these to be addressed in the next curriculum. At the top of the list was "biblical literacy" and running a very close second was "by Presbyterians, for Presbyterians." Next on the list was "easy to use, easy to order," followed by "lectionary-based" and "pay attention to attendance patterns in our churches."

As the editorial staff began its work, we noticed that if we considered attendance patterns, especially during the summer months when many church schools close, strict adherence to a lectionary-based curriculum would impede our first goals of biblical literacy/Reformed identity. The Revised Common Lectionary for the summer months includes important Bible stories such as the Abraham through Joseph saga of Genesis 12-45. The editors believe that to be biblically literate, one ought to know these foundational stories. The summer months also include most of the non-Christmas and Easter portions of the Gospels-parables of the Kingdom, important miracle stories-and significant teachings of Paul that contribute to biblical literacy in a Reformed context.

The editorial staff decided to adopt a "lectionary-compatible" or "liturgical year aware" approach to We Believe. This allows for Christ cycle specific texts and stories to form the curriculum for the High Holy Days and festivals of Advent through Pentecost, and at the same time, opens the fall season and the time between Epiphany and Lent for the consideration of some of those texts only treated by the lectionary in the summer.

How many PCUSA congregations are using "We Believe"

To date, 2,977 churches have ordered some component of the We Believe curriculum.

How is the Office of Theology and Worship proposing to help the church in leading worship in new and contemporary ways that engage a younger constituency?

Through a program called "Equipping the Saints" initiated by Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, now in partnership with OGA and Congregational Ministries Publishing, newly ordained clergy receive a set of "basic materials" for ministry. These include:

• The Book of Common Worship
• The Presbyterian Hymnal
• The Book of Order
• A Book of Creeds and Confessions
• The Presbyterian Planning Calendar
• The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study
• www.pcusa.org

Will there be more evangelism using mass media?

Plans call for the church to continue to have a media presence, but only on a limited basis because these campaigns are very expensive. The current approach is for the national offices to produce spots that can be used by congregations and/or regional governing bodies in local markets. Given our current resources a national campaign would be cost prohibitive.

What is Jarvie Commonweal Service and how is it related to NMD?

Jarvie Commonweal is a private (church related) organization that provides direct social services to Metropolitan New York older adults of the Protestant faith. Its endowment is maintained by the Presbyterian Foundation and its governing board is appointed by the church.

What is the GAC doing to recruit African American and Hispanic pastors?

The GAC sponsored a Racial Ethnic Clergy Recruitment Task Force that specifically looked at this issue. It analyzed the current situation and in a report released this year made recommendations to the church on ways to improve it. Also, there are many programs throughout the organization that focus on racial ethnic leadership development, both lay and professional.

Please explain rationale for eliminating PW positions when PW gives so much mission money to church and other groups.

While the positions that were eliminated served PW they were also responsible for serving a host of other women's groups. It was determined that expectations for the positions were unrealistic and either more positions needed be added or the current arrangement should be revised. No resources were available to add additional positions and so the decision was made to look at new and innovative ways of providing this kind of support. There was no intent to single PW out in these reductions.

How can the church help Presbyterian college students? Are there loans or scholarships available, or other kinds of awards or sources of aid?

The GAC maintains a program of financial aid for studies in which loans, scholarships and other kinds of aid are made available. For more information consult the financial aid webpage at www.pcusa.org/financialaid .

Does the GAC oversee the publication of Horizons Bible Study?

The Horizons Bible Study is a publication of Presbyterian Women, and while PW is supportive of the church's mission program in many ways its programs are independent of the General Assembly Council. The GAC and PW share a covenantal relationship, and the PW staff subscribes to the church's employment policies and practices through the GAC personnel system.

Could we consider rearranging the letters of the acronym for Worldwide Ministries Division?

The acronym "WMD" is currently not very helpful, but the negative association with destruction may not be long lasting as political discourse changes. Nevertheless, there is a general restlessness about the use of the word "Division" to describe a unit in the church, and this topic will be raised for discussion. The removal of the "D" from the acronym would solve the issue the commissioner raised.

Explain more about Worldwide Ministries—how many countries, how many co-workers?

The total count of mission workers was 463 at the end of 2003. Of these, 85 were Young Adult Volunteers serving for one year. The mission workers were serving in a total of 71 countries. Of course, we are involved in some countries where we don't have mission workers. We have church partners in more than 80 countries.

Based on the 2004 budget of $124,812,804, the total of the programmatic divisions is $93,679,394 or 75 percent of the total budget. The percentage that is being spent on missionaries out of the programmatic portion of the PC(USA) budget is around 16 percent.

Why has designated giving gone from 30 percent to 70 percent?

The shift in percentages between undesignated and designated percentages is due to mainly to the trend of donors wishing to specify where their dollars go rather than give with no restrictions on use.

Could you define more fully the categories of income on the bottom of page 9?

• Basic Mission Support: Shared Mission Support, Directed Mission Support
• Churchwide Special Offerings: Christmas Joy, One Great Hour of Sharing, Peacemaking, Pentecost
• Other Specific Appeals: Emergency and Disaster Relief, Extra Commitment, Mission Initiative-Joining Hearts and Hands, Hunger, Theological Education Fund
• Additional Forms of Giving: Presbyterian Women, Bequests & Annuities (Unrestricted), Other Gifts, Validated Mission Support, Grants from Outside Foundations
• Interest and Dividends: PC(USA) Restricted Endowments, PC(USA) Unrestricted Endowments, Presbyterian Mission Program, Outside Trusts, Jarvie Commonweal Fund, Jinishian, Short Term Investments
• Conference Centers, Curriculum, & Programs Services: Conference Center Operating Receipts, Partner Churches And Other, Sales: Curriculum, Program Services, Resources, Per Capita Funds

What exactly is "related mission funding?" and what does the money for the executive director's office go towards?

Related Mission Funding reflects allocations made to area of other elated entities and overall mission functions of the General Assembly Mission Program. These allocations do not relate in anyway to the budget of the General Assembly Council programs. Examples to Related Mission Funding would be the Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Church Foundations, Allocations to Middle Governing Bodies (these are allocations from Restricted Endowments based on recommendations from the Restricted Endowment Funds Oversight Committee).

I am concerned about the 5 percent/1 percent "contribution" on designated giving. I would hope that the GAC would not implement this, but would find a better way to help fund mission.

Long term, the GAC is committed to looking for a better way. The GAC, in its Mission Work Plan, is committed to examining the entire mission funding system. The current funding system is causing financial stress to the General Assembly Council, as well as to many, if not most, presbyteries and synods. This stress, in part, rises from a mission funding system that has been patched and repaired over decades and is no longer relevant or responsive to the needs today.

In the meantime, however, the GAC is facing severe financial pressures. While administering a 5 percent /1 percent contribution on designated giving is not perfect, shared mission cost allocation does attempt to bring equity to sharing the cost of all expenses incurred to support the mission and ministry done through the GAC on behalf of the church.