The Book of Discipline, 1992, assigned to the General Council on Ministries (GCOM) the responsibility of evaluating the performance of the general program agencies in assisting them with the process of fulfilling and supporting their ministries (¶¶ 1005.3, 1006.13, 1006.14, and 802.3). In response to these requirements, the GCOM has coordinated a comprehensive self-evaluation of all general agencies and submits this report to the General Conference (¶ 802.3).
Process of Evaluation
During the 1993-96 quadrennium, the Division on General Agency Relationships of the GCOM was given the evaluation responsibility. Evaluation panels were organized for each of the nine general agencies to be evaluated. Each panel included GCOM members and staff, and general agency representatives and staff. (Appendix I)
The Model of Evaluation used for the 1993-96 quadrennium was built upon the method of evaluation evolved since 1972 and adjusted each quadrennium to meet the evaluation requirements. The operating principles for the 1993-96 quadrennium adopted by the council were:
1. The purposes for agency evaluation are: (a) to provide a management tool and to assist the agency in fulfilling and supporting its ministry, including the areas of program, administration, and budget, and (b) to fulfill the accountability requirement assigned to the General Council on Ministries by The Book of Discipline, 1992 (¶ 802.2).
2. A responsibility of the GCOM is to review and evaluate the effectiveness of general agencies accountable to it in the fulfillment of the ministries assigned to them (¶ 1006.14). Also the GCOM is to keep under review the concurrence of the agencies with the Social Principles (¶ 1006.15). The evaluation process and its results shall be reported to each General Conference (¶ 802.3).
3. This Model of Evaluation was developed by the GCOM in consultation with the agencies being evaluated. The voting members of the agency being evaluated were involved in the evaluation process.
4. The process was understood to be comprehensive and continuous, however for purposes of reporting to the 1996 General Conference, the agency reports cover the years 1991-1994.
5. The model calls for evaluation of the effectiveness of agencies in performing ministries assigned to them and programs as defined in The Book of Discipline, 1992 (¶ 803.11).
6. The evaluation reports were used to inform those who prepared the agency budgets for the next quadrennium.
A common set of evaluation criteria was used to provide a uniform way to measure each agency's written evaluation:
1. Clear understanding of theological and biblical basis for ministry.
2. Clear goals for addressing the Disciplinary responsibilities and guidelines to measure the achievement of those goals.
3. Goals and a plan for addressing new or special assignments made by the 1992 General Conference.
4. An ongoing process for the agency to vision, plan, implement, and evaluate its program and ministry.
5. Priorities for ministry and accomplishments.
6. Consistency with the Social Principles in all actions.
7. Prudent fiscal controls.
8.Inclusiveness (age, race, national origin, gender, theological perspective, global perspective, ecumenical, and handicapping condition) in the life of the agency.
9. Maintenance of communication with the constituencies (responsive and proactive) and a process for responding to feedback from the various constituencies.
10. Organization, staffing structures, and personnel practices appropriate to the accomplishment of the mission of the agency.
11. Implementation of the quadrennial theme: "Celebrate and Witness, Celebrate God's Grace, Witness for Jesus Christ."
12. Incorporation of the concerns of the Ethnic Local Church within the ongoing life of the agency and its program.
13. An intentional concern for communicating with, and answering the concerns and needs of the local church.
Using these minimum criteria as a model, each agency was encouraged to develop a self-evaluation document, which would become a management tool to make its ministry more effective on an ongoing basis.
At the spring 1993 meeting, each agency presented its goals and plans for the quadrennium. During the quadrennium each agency conducted a survey of its constituency groups. The agencies submitted a preliminary written report in the fall of 1994, for review by the GCOM Evaluation Panel members and then a final written report was submitted in April 1995. Each agency provided a focused review of its work and ministry through a formal presentation during a GCOM plenary session. GCOM members submitted questions and topics of concern to be covered during the formal presentations.
Certification of Agency Evaluations
The General Council on Ministries certified that the criteria for evaluation as described in the Model of Evaluation have been met by the following general agencies:
General Board of Church and Society
General Board of Discipleship
General Board of Global Ministries
General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
General Commission on Archives and History
General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns
General Commission on Communication (UMCom)
General Commission on Religion and Race
General Commission on Status and Role of Women.
Documentation for this certification is found in the reports of the Division on General Agency Relationships which are on file at the GCOM Office.
General Comments about General Agency Self-Evaluation Reports
Each of the general program agencies has fully cooperated with the General Council on Ministries in the evaluation process. Each agency developed its own process for defining its mission statement or purpose, its major objectives, specific goals, and action plans. Each agency evaluated its own performance and reported the results. Since each agency has followed the Model for Evaluation of the General Council on Ministries, there is general uniformity in the self-evaluation reports all across the church. GCOM members reflected on the evaluation process and provided valuable input to each agency as it implemented its evaluation process.
It is important for the whole church to know that all the agencies are fully accountable to the church and are using the same criteria for evaluation. The criteria are established by the General Council on Ministries, and revised each quadrennium to reflect current concerns of the whole church. In this quadrennium, for example, an addition to the criteria was an intention to respond to the concerns and needs of the local church.
Fiscal constraints have been difficult for all of the agencies in this quadrennium. There have been staff reductions in almost all agencies, and reallocation of funds have been necessary in each agency. Those changes have resulted in increased demands on the remaining staff persons. As an agency responded to new assignments from the 1992 General Conference or new emerging needs, other programs and services were reduced. The agencies are to be commended for making painful choices and living within their budgets.
There is a high level of inter-agency coordination in place in many areas. There are other areas however, where coordination could be improved in the coming quadrennium.
Each agency has developed a statement of the theological and biblical basis for its ministry, and written clear goals for addressing its Disciplinary responsibilities. All the new and special assignments from the 1992 General Conference have been addressed by the agencies. Each agency has been careful to see that its actions are consistent with the Social Principles and that the church's goals for inclusiveness have been taken seriously in all areas of its life.
General Board of Church and Society
The General Board of Church and Society is the smallest of the four general program boards, yet it is assigned an enormous task to "equip the saints" for involvement in justice ministries. The Board represents The United Methodist Church in advocating for our Social Principles and the material in The Book of Resolutions. It resources annual conference boards of church and society, and responds to local church concerns as fully as possible.
The Board coordinates its work with other general agencies, especially the General Board of Global Ministries and with other coalitions working on justice issues.
Some examples of the recent work of the Board include the following: During this quadrennium the Board has expanded its anti-gambling program and assisted a number of annual conferences in statewide legislative campaigns, sometimes assisting ecumenical coalitions. It has developed major efforts in drug and alcohol abuse programs. It has continued the highly effective Seminar Program in Washington, DC, in cooperation with the New York Seminar Program, operated by the Women's Division. It has worked on environmental issues and toxic waste concerns. It has continued its work on HIV/AIDS ministries in cooperation with the Interagency Task Force on AIDS.
The Board provided major leadership in highly publicized efforts to deal with emerging issues in genetic science. The Board has expressed the church's concern for minorities and the poor in the midst of recent national legislative debates.
General Board of Discipleship
The vision of the General Board of Discipleship is that every United Methodist congregation will fulfill its primary task to:
-reach out and invite persons
-help them relate to God through Jesus Christ
-nurture them in the faith
-send them out into the world to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ
To this end, the General Board of Discipleship has endeavored to help leaders throughout the connection to "equip the saints" in many different ways.
Listening to the people and responding to the needs have resulted in various resources and training models. Some examples of these are Disciple Bible Study, Vision 2000, Quest for Quality, Native American School of Evangelism, and Youth `95 Convocation. During the quadrennium, the Board has revamped church school curriculum and developed additional resources for spiritual formation.
Two special projects completed for presentation at this General Conference are the Spanish Language Hymnal and the study guide to accompany the Baptism Study. Additional accomplishments included the organization of the Committee on Older Adults, development of resources and models to equip faith community missioners for Hispanic ministries, and investing major portions of time of two staff members to help in strengthening the black church.
The Board continually worked to help church leaders rebuild systems that can enable United Methodists to participate with God in the transformation of the world.
General Board of Global Ministries
The General Board of Global Ministries is the missional instrument of The United Methodist Church, its annual conferences, missionary conferences, and local congregations in the context of a global setting (¶ 1401).
During the quadrennium, the Board opened major communication channels throughout the church through annual conference/GBGM dialogues. It also instituted an 800 toll-free telephone line, "fast fax" service, and constituency surveys. In addition to informing and energizing annual conferences, the Board prioritized effectively the missional needs of the church in its Comprehensive Plan for Mission.
The Board provided missional education to theological seminaries in cooperation with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. A major priority continues to be recruitment, training, and evaluation of persons for mission service, including Volunteers in Mission. The US-2 and Mission Intern Programs continue to expand.
Major achievements included the establishment of mission thrusts in Russia, as well as numerous new and increased missionary and church/program relationships around the world. The Board represented the church in partnership with Central Conferences in the midst of war, famine, and disease. UMCOR response to disaster relief was phenomenal and Health and Welfare Ministries continued to respond effectively through programs such as Computerized AIDS Ministry Resource Network that provides constituents with the latest HIV/AIDS information.
The Board was responsive to Central Conference concerns such as disasters from hurricanes, floods, acute needs in Eastern Europe and the refugee crisis in Africa. The Global Mission Partner program provided greater visibility to emerging leadership of partner churches and conferences.
As the Board maintained its program functions, a restructured organization was designed; a general policy of workforce reduction by attrition was initiated; and prospects for relocation of the agency made recruitment of personnel abnormally difficult.
The accomplishments of the Board demonstrate a knowledgeable assessment of world and national issues, an understanding and appreciation of the Social Principles, and the importance of accurate and realistic budgeting.
General Board of Higher Education and Ministries
The multifaceted goals of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry encompass two areas: ministry and education. The Board assisted persons in fulfilling their ministry, whether ordained or diaconal; and provided general oversight and resources for campus ministers, the United Methodist institutions of higher education, chaplains, and United Methodist loans and scholarships.
The Board had many highlights this quadrennium. United Methodists around the world celebrated the inauguration of Africa University and the graduation of its first class in 1994. While the Board usually operates in four divisions, this project involved the entire Board. The "Campus Ministry: Mission at the Center" special program rejuvenated ministry with students in universities and colleges with special attention to inclusivity. The Exploration `92 and `94 events encouraged young people to hear the call to ordained ministry. These events were overfilled each time, and enrollment of young seminarians increased. In 1993, more than 4,223 United Methodist students received a loan or scholarship. A certification in youth ministry for diaconal ministers was created. The Board opened new areas of ministry for chaplains, such as in industrial settings. During this quadrennium, the Board has been busy educating the church for ministry.
General Commission on Archives and History
As stated in ¶ 1803, the General Commission on Archives and History is mandated "to promote and care for the historical interests of The United Methodist Church at every level." Throughout the quadrennium, the limited but efficient staff were faithful servants and stewards of God in collecting, preserving, and disseminating information about the history of the denomination.
A major accomplishment has been to increase services to local churches, annual conferences, and jurisdictional leaders. This was accomplished through a newsletter, a training video, a traveler's guide to historic shrines and landmarks of United Methodism, a resource packet for heritage celebrations, a genealogical pamphlet, and a video for church historians.
The new Archivist/Records Administrator enabled the Commission to accelerate the cataloguing of the archival collection as well as services to constituents. A Project Archivist for Women's History upgraded the records and documents of the historical role of women in United Methodism. The Commission continued to focus on the ethnic local church through the work of a standing committee on ethnic history and heritage.
The Commission continued to explore means of preservation of extensive photographic collections; to study its function, membership and operation; and to seek means of funding basic needs and improvements.
General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns
The General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns works toward Christian unity in every aspect of the church life and ministry to unify the unity of the Body of Christ, and to strengthen relations with other living faith communities. (See ¶ 2002).
Highlights of the Commission's work this quadrennium included work on the Consultation on Church Union Covenanting; ecumenical advocacy in United Methodist seminaries; ecumenical dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Church in America, and the Episcopal Church; interfaith dialogues with Jewish and Muslim leaders; and dialogues among Christian and Traditionalist Native Americans. The Commission also was intentional in listening to annual conferences; distributed a regular newsletter to conference leaders and persons who share the Christian unity responsibility; established a local initiative fund; and conducted two consultations with Ecumenically Shared Ministries towards the development of guidelines and resources for congregations, district superintendents, and bishops. The result of these dialogues and listenings were statements such as "Our Muslim Neighbors" and "Holy Living, Holy Dying."
The Commission continued its active participation with ecumenical organizations such as the World and National Councils of Churches and the World Methodist Council. It participated in the Hearings of Racism as a Human Rights Violation in the U.S., and encouraged congregations to become involved in the World Council of Churches' Theology of Life program. The Commission engaged in dialogue with persons within The United Methodist Church from diverse theological perspectives during its commission meetings, and developed a statement on "Our Yearning for the Unity of the Church".
Believing that Jesus Christ is the hope and life of the world, the Commission works for the wholeness and unity of all people. The work of the Commission reflects this belief.
General Commission on Religion and Race
The General Commission on Religion and Race is charged with monitoring the progress in racial inclusiveness at all levels of the church (¶ 2108). The Commission's ministry is rooted in the theological understand- ing of the equality of all persons in Jesus Christ.
The Commission reprioritized its resources and endeavors toward helping annual conferences to achieve greater effectiveness in addressing racism in order to become more inclusive. The Commission conducted 21 on-site reviews in annual conferences and reviewed 45 other conferences through reports and documentation. The Commission reviewed all general agency self-monitoring processes for the elimination of institutional racism through on-site visits and written reports.
The Commission administered the Minority Group Self-Determination Fund on behalf of The United Methodist Church. It processed 745 proposals and provided funding to 241 projects in ethnic minority communities totaling $3,178,623 between 1991 and 1994.
The church at all levels was sensitized to the needs of ethnic minority communities by the extensive use of the Commission's network and by the empowerment of the four national ethnic caucuses in The United Methodist Church. The Commission held two, week-long training events on "Breaking Down Walls, Building Bridges: Education Against Racism", and developed a network of persons committed to anti-racism activities in The United Methodist Church.
The Commission continued to monitor theological schools with on-site and desk audits, using Commission members from the jurisdiction where the school is located.
The Commission created the Task Force on Racism in Rural Areas, mandated by the 1992 General Conference, and held hearings at strategic sites around the country.
General Commission on Status and Role of Women
The General Commission on Status and Role of Women is continuing to fulfill its mandate to challenge the church in continuing its commitment to the full and equal participation of women in the total life and mission of the church.
During the quadrennium, the Commission conducted an extensive survey of local churches to determine the current status of women in local church leadership and developed and distributed a monitoring instrument for annual conference commissions. Other materials developed by the Commission included new guidelines and program suggestions, "The Flyer" newsletter, and a packet of information and resources on sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. The Commission co-sponsored a national ecumenical video conference on the subject of sexual misconduct. The Commission also held a national training event for annual conference advocates who will work with victims/ survivors of sexual harassment and clergy sexual misconduct. A study guide on biblical images of God is in process for use in local congregations.
It is notable that the Commission has helped many conferences in dealing with sexual harassment and clergy sexual misconduct through education, development of resources, review of annual conference policies, and through staff consultation in specific situations.
The General Commission on Communication
The General Commission on Communication's Mission Statement, "We Help The Church Tell Its Story!", reflects its Purpose and Responsibilities in The Book of Discipline, (¶¶ 1905-1906).
During the quadrennium, the Commission improved the denomination's visibility in the secular media; trained staff to keep current on industry standards and new technology; hired a photographer to handle photo assignments for other agencies; produced videos to highlight and support ethnic ministries; developed a "Celebrate and Witness" promotional plan for 1993-96; and provided an informational link to local churches through its three journals: The Interpreter, el Interprete, and United Methodist Family (Korean).
The Commission will continue to listen to the needs of the church and the world, to interpret the general church programs, to promote giving to all general funds and to share Christ's message with the Church and the world. The Commission will continue to create communication systems, print, electronic and audio-visual resources; and to market communication resources to United Methodists, the wider Christian community and the general public.
Summary
The General Council on Ministries affirms the Model of Evaluation used in this accountability report. The process has been consistently improved to meet the changing needs of the agency ministries and continues to be a cooperative effort between the Council and each agency or board.
GCOM panel members acknowledge with appreciation the efficient work done by the agency representative panel members who effectively carried out the self-evaluation on schedule. The final documents were descriptive of important, critical ministries representing the entire Church and expanding the work of the local church which otherwise would not be possible.
The Council affirms the special effort of general agencies in improving relationships throughout the quadrennium with annual conferences, central conferences, jurisdictional conferences, and local churches. Commendable also is the integration of evaluation into each agency's planning process, and the use of evaluation reports in budget planning.
In cooperation with the General Council on Ministries, each agency has assessed its mission and ministry according to its mandates, goals, and funds. The Council, therefore, commends to the 1996 General Conference the excellent work of the general agencies on behalf of the whole Church.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21687-GJ-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference