08120
February 14, 2008
Unrestricted mission revenues exceeded budget in 2007
Special offerings and curriculum sales also higher than expected
LOUISVILLE — Following years of decline in unrestricted financial giving, a vital source of funding for the General Assembly mission budget, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders got some encouraging news this week.
Receipts for all unrestricted gifts — money that is not designated for a particular purpose and can be used where needed to fund the church’s mission — exceeded last year’s budget projections by $254,000.
Likewise, receipts for Shared Mission Support contributions, another type of unrestricted gift, exceeded expectations by $32,000.
The findings were included in the PC(USA)’s year-end financial report for 2007, which was distributed to the denomination’s General Assembly Council Executive Committee at a meeting here on Wednesday (Feb. 13).
The news was equally good in the area of expenses, with the level of unrestricted expenditures coming in $1.6 million under budget, according to the year-end report.
The unrestricted portion of the mission budget represents about 30 percent of the total budget.
At one time much of the church’s income was unrestricted. However, in recent years a steady shift to designated giving has forced the PC(USA) to reexamine how it receives and distributes mission funds.
In 2006 a shortfall in unrestricted funds contributed to the GAC reducing the mission budget by $9.15 million, in part by eliminating 75 national staff positions in Louisville as well as 55 overseas mission co-worker positions.
It was not immediately clear what impact, if any, the additional unrestricted funds might have in preventing any future staff reductions.
Meanwhile, Special Offering receipts were $491,000 above budget in 2007. This includes $415,000 in receipts over the budgeted amount for the Christmas Joy Offering, which provides assistance to programs for church workers and their families in times of need and support for Presbyterian-related racial-ethnic schools and colleges.
The sale of PC(USA) curriculum and other resources produced a surplus of income over expenses of $139,000 in 2007. It was the first time in nine years that the GAC has been financially successful with curriculum sales.
GAC executive director Linda Valentine attributed the positive results to the council’s focus on collaboration, accountability, responsiveness and excellence.
“I think we have shown that when we are transparent in our processes, collaborative in our approach and produce excellent resources, the church will respond,” she said.
Relief and Development
The GAC executive committee approved recommending that the General Assembly Council, which is meeting here Feb. 13-15, approve moving the Jinishian Memorial Program and International Health Ministries from the PC(USA)’s Relief and Development Ministry to World Mission.
The Jinishian program is an endowed ecumenical program of the PC(USA) supporting ongoing initiatives that benefit Armenians in need in Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Jerusalem. International Health Ministries coordinates the ministries of the PC(USA) in international health and development.
The change in organizational structure, if approved by the GAC on Friday, would combine the remainder of Relief and Development — Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Self Development of People, National Health Ministries, and Jarvie Commonweal Service — with the Peace and Justice Ministry.
It would name the newly combined areas the Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministry. It would also authorize the procedures sub-committee of the GAC Executive Committee to make any changes necessary to update the proposed General Assembly Council Manual of Operations (Appendix 2, Section 2, “General Assembly ministries”) prior to the 120-day deadline for business to this summer’s 218th General Assembly.
The PC(USA)’s current organizational structure, adopted in September 2006, has provided opportunities over the past year that suggested the need for several adjustments, the executive committee said in information about the proposal.
From 1993 through 2006 the International Health Ministries and the Jinishian Memorial Program were lodged in the Worldwide Ministries Division. In 2006 these programs became part of the new area called Relief and Development because of their close alignment with relief, development and capacity building.
However, unlike the other programs lodged in Relief and Development, they are completely international in nature, Valentine said. International Health Ministries provides support to more than 40 mission personnel engaged in health ministries and works very closely with area coordinators and other staff in World Mission. The coordinator for the Jinishian Memorial Program also serves as the PC(USA)’s area coordinator for the Middle East, which is part of the PC(USA)’s World Mission program area.
This has meant the person staffing these two positions has had two supervisors and two offices. Shifting these two programs to World Mission will maximize efficiency and strengthen support for mission personnel working with these ministries, according to the GAC executive committee. Shifting International Health Ministries and the Jinishian Memorial Program to World Mission would also create the opportunity to combine Relief and Development and Peace and Justice in new ways.
According to the GAC executive committee, creating a “Compassion, Peace and Justice” Ministry would:
- maximize the General Assembly Council’s ability to respond more effectively to overlapping networks, such as the PC(USA)’s Hunger, Peacemaking and Environmental Justice programs;
- coordinate development of resources and other materials that equip congregations for ministries of compassion, justice and peacemaking;
- strengthen the advocacy component of relief and development ministries by aligning them with the advocacy components of peace and justice ministries;
- provide the opportunity for a creative and integrated response to national and international events that require coordination;
- demonstrate effective stewardship of time, talents and resources of the various programs and staff.
Mission Work Plan
The GAC executive committee approved a recommendation asking the GAC to consider a new “Mission Work Plan,” which would guide the council’s work for the next four years. The council is currently considering the broad outlines of the Mission Work Plan, which, according to information presented here, “provides the framework for directing, supporting, and evaluating the ministries of the General Assembly Council.”
The plan includes some broad commitments, such as the council being collaborative, accountable, responsive and excellent in its work. It also describes the focus in each of the council’s goal areas — such things as “assisting all people to discern and respond to vocational call” and “working to alleviate poverty, hunger, illness, and the effects of disaster and suffering.”
There was discussion, in the council’s executive committee, of the need for the council both to be flexible and to plan long-term. “We are constantly dealing with change and looking forward,” said Jill Hudson, the PC(USA)’s Middle Governing Body Relations coordinator. “I think four years is good” as a framework for considering the PC(USA)’s fiscal realities and ongoing mission priorities.
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