Together, the two administrative councils of the church, (the General Council on Ministries and the General Council on Finance and Administration) have been assigned an important responsibility on behalf of the seven program agencies of The United Methodist Church. The financial support which each program agency receives from the World Service Fund is critical to enable them to fulfill their disciplinary mandates and provide programs that spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and carry out ministry in many different ways. Therefore, the level of the financial support from the World Service Fund for these agencies will make the difference in effective ministry!
The Book of Discipline gives the General Council on Ministries (GCOM) and the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) a mutual responsibility. Ultimately, these two Councils will recommend to the 1996 General Conference the amount of World Service funding for the program agencies for the next quadrennium.
Specifically, The Book of Discipline, ¶ 1006.2 provides that:
"a) The General Council on Ministries shall, in consultation with the General Council on Finance and Administration and the general program agencies, develop recommendations to the General Council on Finance and Administration on needs of the general program agencies for the programs, missional priorities, and special programs.
b) The General Council on Ministries shall receive the recommendation the General Council on Finance and Administration proposes to make to the General Conference as to that portion of the total World Service budget to be available for distribution among the general program agencies."
History Regarding World Service Funds for General Program Agencies
Many believe that funding for general agencies has consistently increased and thus depleted financial resources available to annual conferences and local churches. While it is true that several areas of cost, including health care costs and other important maintenance items for local churches and annual conferences have risen, at the same time funding levels to support the mission and ministry of the church through the general church agencies have consistently decreased.
The General Council on Finance and Administration has carefully researched the history of expenditures and the impact of inflation since 1973. That research shows that when viewed in terms of actual purchasing power of funds spent for ministry at all levels in the church, funds administered by local churches, districts, annual conference and jurisdictions have increased in purchasing power while for the same period, the level of funds administered beyond these areas has decreased.
What is particularly significant in relation to the general program agencies of the denomination is that since 1973, the purchasing power of funds allocated for these vital ministries has decreased by over one-third. Purchasing power of other general funds has also declined in substantial ways as well.
As this General Council on Finance and Administration considers the level of funding necessary to support the essential ministries of the church through the seven program-related general agencies, it cannot ignore these objective facts. GCFA must act responsibility through its funding recommendations to the General Conference with adequate support for these agencies through the World Service Fund to enable God's mission in the world to remain vital.
Background and Process
To fulfill its dual responsibilities on behalf of the general program needs in the church, GCOM and GCFA have followed a unified procedure contained in the policies and internal structures of each Council. Guidelines and criteria were developed to evaluate the program and budget request of each agency. Task Forces of each Council engaged in extensive work on behalf of the program agencies of the denomination.
By December 1994, each program agency submitted to GCFA and GCOM extensive written material describing their program needs for the next quadrennium. This material, containing approximately 300 pages of information, was carefully studied by the task force members.
The next very important step in the program development process occurred. In February and March 1995, the GCOM and GCFA Task Forces met together with the leadership of each program agency. These meetings involved several hours of discussion, questions, and answers about their program plans and needs. Each consultation occurred at the offices of the agency, with the exception of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women who met with the subcommittees in Nashville. It is very important to realize that this was a joint process--representatives of both GCOM and GCFA participated in these consultations and heard each agency's needs.
In carrying out its responsibilities, the GCOM and GCFA Task Forces were cognizant that studies are occurring and suggestions are being developed across the church which might result in changes in the future direction of church's mission and/or the structural makeup of some or all of its general agencies. However, because any decisions in these areas can only be made by action of the General Conference, the two Council task groups were obligated to consider the program needs of the church as expressed through its general agencies under the requirements in the current Book of Discipline, and are the basis for recommendations contained in this report.
The information furnished by the agencies, notes taken by subcommittee members, summaries of the consultations with each agency, and personal impressions and observations gleaned by task force members during this entire process--all these were essential elements used by the GCOM task force in further understanding the programmatic needs of the agencies. The task force was also cognizant of the Annual Conference Listening Project carried out by GCFA in 1993-94 and the United Methodist giving pattern data compiled by GCFA which is referred to earlier in this report.
Quadrennial Requests from Program Agencies
The programmatic needs of each agency, as expressed in individual financial support needed through the World Service Fund for the 1997-2000 quadrennium, were significant. We are convinced that those requests demonstrate the significant needs of each agency to faithfully fulfill the responsibilities given them by the General Conference and reflect careful planning by members and staff of each agency in developing their program. In the aggregate, the program proposed by the agencies, and the World Service funding requested for that program by the agencies, amounted to approximately $212,000,000. Our understanding from the general agencies is that this amount includes funding needs for both their basic and ongoing programmatic needs and also funding necessary to carry out special emphasis which several agencies have proposed beyond their normal program and quadrennial budget. These include continuation of the National Plan for Hispanic Ministries, the Native American Comprehensive Plan, and the ongoing focus on Substance Abuse and Other Violence, approved by the 1992 General Conference--all of which are currently funded through special World Service and the Mission Initiatives apportioned funds.
GCOM has been intentional this quadrennium in insisting that all anticipated funding for continuation of or newly proposed special programmatic emphases of the general program agencies be included within their respective program and budget requests for the 1997-2000 quadrennium.
Highlights and Program Needs of Agencies
What follows is a summary of the large body of material considered by the two Council task forces, highlighting some of the programmatic requests of each agency for the next quadrennium. It should be noted that all program plans for the agencies are not included in this report. Rather, attempt has been made to lift up some of the items that were presented to the task forces as examples of the plans of each agency.
Board of Church and Society
This agency's prime responsibility is to seek the implementation of the Social Principles and other statements of the General Conference on Christian social concerns. In particular the board conducts a program and research, education, and action on a wide range of issues confronting the Church consistent with the Social Principles and the policies adopted by the General Conference. The program for this agency in the new quadrennium will continue to "relate the gospel of Jesus Christ to members of the Church and to persons and structures of the communities and world in which they live." The Board plans on implementation and administration of significant and much-needed programs in the Ministry of God's Creation (environment, just and sustainable development, emerging technologies, international relationships), Ministry of God's Human Community (substance abuse awareness and prevention, civil and human rights, and elimination of discrimination), Sponsoring Agency and action on issues of human welfare, drug and alcohol use and abuse, human relations, environmental justice
Resourcing Congregational Life (seminar program, ethnic local church emphasis, implementation of the Hispanic Plan, and providing consultation and support of annual conferences), and its United Nations office and chaplain ministry at the Church Center for the United Nations.
Board of Discipleship
The mission of this agency is to strengthen the ministries of congregations. The major means for accomplishing this has been through resource development, leadership training, and consulting with conference and congregational leaders. The board's vision is that every congregation is active, alive and vital, focused on and continually improving in the performance of its primary task, which is that each congregation is reaching out into the community and receiving all who will come, relating people to God, nurturing them in the Christian faith, and sending them back out into the community to live as Christian disciples to make the world more loving and just.
Board planning for the next quadrennium has four major foci: spiritual growth and development, congregational leadership, laity in ministry, and resource development. In its program and funding request for the next quadrennium, this agency indicates an intention to continue and expand its Quest (formerly Quest for Quality) focus with annual conferences.
Board of Global Ministries
This agency is the mission-sending agency that facilitates, resources, and enables the efforts of United Methodists all over the world to be in mission by striving to be faithful by word and deed to the missionary God and United Methodism's unique missionary history. The board will focus renewed diverse packages so that there is significant increase of mission personnel. Some special opportunities include the growing mission initiative in Russia and the former Soviet republics, continuing efforts in Central and South America, on the African continent in cooperation with central conference colleagues, and in urban and rural areas of the United States where substance abuse and violence and increased immigration combine with poverty, discrimination, environmental deterioration and basic neglect to create a highly explosive context.
The Board will focus on three special quadrennial programs which require additional mission resources: Urban Youth Ministries, the Russia Initiative, and Ministries to the Africa Crisis.
Board of Higher Education and Ministry
This agency sees itself as continuing and expanding an emphasis on education for the church. These include identification, enlistment, nurture, and continuing support for ordained and diaconal ministries and for qualification and interpretation of 123 schools, colleges, universities, and seminaries related through the University Senate to the church. Its mission includes maintaining standards for ministry and institutional quality by working with annual conference boards of ordained and diaconal ministry, conference boards of higher education and campus ministry, and those who govern the work of chaplains in military and institutional or specialized settings.
A further important aspect of this agency's work will be to continue to provide scholarships for racial/ethnic minority persons through the HANA Scholarship Fund.
Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns
This agency embodies the ecumenical focus of programs for the denomination and plays a major role in this area with other agencies and units of our church. Specific areas of concentration of this program include: advocacy, education and renewal within The United Methodist Church; relationship with ecumenical agencies; and dialogue and witness with other Christian and Interfaith groups, as well as within the United Methodist's diverse constituencies and perspectives. This agency also provides significant linkage for our denomination with the National and World Council of Churches.
Commission on Religion and Race
The ultimate aim of ministry by this agency is to enable every United Methodist to be an agent of reconciliation and an instrument of justice toward eliminating the sin of racism and achieving a holistic community of the people of God. This Commission will seek to maximize the resources available to it by placing increased emphasis on ministry as close to local congregations as possible. The Commission will continue a major focus on annual conferences, reflecting the understanding that effectiveness in overcoming racism and becoming a truly inclusive community of faith requires that conversion of hearts and changes in behavior occur among all the members--in the local congregations. The Commission's intent is to respond to its constituency by working with and through annual conference structures to facilitate transformation of the church.
At the same time, work with agencies and institutions beyond the annual conference will include challenging those entities to facilitate the transformation at the local church through their programmatic and service delivery. The specific program components through which this will occur will be advocacy, consultation, education, leadership development, monitoring, and investigating.
In addition this agency will continue to administer the Minority Group Self-Determination Fund.
Commission on the Status and Role of Women
The agency is mandated "....to challenge The United Methodist Church...to a continuing commitment to the full and equal participation of women in the total life and mission of the church, sharing fully in the power and in the policy-making at all levels of the Church's life."To do this, the Commission functions as an advocate for and on behalf of women individually and collectively; a catalyst to initiate creative methods to redress past inequities and prevent future inequities against women in the Church and a monitor to ensure inclusiveness in programmatic and administrative functioning in the Church, working toward the elimination of sexism wherever its manifestations appear in the total life of the Church. Seven priorities for 1997-2000 were established by the Commission: Advocacy, Racism/Sexism, Education, Staff Field Service, Research and Data Gathering, Monitoring, and Leadership Development. It is proposing a Women's Congress which will develop a pool of leaders who represent those women who have not been given the opportunity to demonstrate leadership ability. leadership in Christian education, for leadership training and development, and for guidance in local church program. They propose to vigorously continue these vital ministries in the 1993-96 quadrennium.
Previous General Conference Action Regarding World Service Funds
As the General Council on Finance and Administration sets the World Service allocation to be recommended to General Conference, it is critically important to be reminded of actions of the 1984 General Conference relating to World Service funding for the program-related agencies. A quadrennial study of funding patterns for the programs of the denomination made during the 1981-85 quadrennium resulted in official General Conference action, adopting two important recommendations and referring them to the General Council on Finance and Administration (Cal. Item 379, 1984 DCA, p. 372):
"It is recommended that The United Methodist Church strongly affirm the World Service Fund and the ministries which it underwrites. The nature and purpose of this fund should be communicated to the membership of the denomination. Emphasis should be placed on the fact that much of the program activities of the general agencies are supported through the World Service Fund. Other funds and funding patterns should not be established which would adversely affect the support given to this fund." (Emphasis supplied)
"It is recommended that the amount of money requested through the World Service Fund be increased significantly. Major portions of witness and service, as carried out by the general agencies, are underwritten by this fund. If the primary work of the general agencies is supported adequately by this fund, it is felt that the agencies would be under less pressure to seek additional funding from a variety of sources. The agencies could devote their energies to the ministries with which they are charged by the General Conference." (Emphasis supplied)
GCOM Recommendation to GCFA - May 1995
The following are the recommendations made by GCOM to GCFA for the funding needs of the general program agencies for the 1997-2000 quadrennium:
"Taking all of the information contained in the report as well as additional material considered in the process of developing this recommendation, the General Council on Ministries is convinced that the program requests of the general program agencies to carry out their significant ministry for and on behalf of the church are legitimate and vitally necessary. The whole denomination, and particularly local congregations and individual United Methodists, will benefit from the ministries which these agencies can provide. Thus the Gospel can become real in the lives of persons.
Therefore, in accordance with ¶ 1006.2(a), the General Council on Ministries recommends to the General Council on Finance and Administration that the "...needs of the general program agencies for the programs, missional priorities and special programs" for the 1997-2000 quadrennium require allocation from the World Service Fund of $194,750,000 which we believe is the minimal amount necessary for the continued work of the general program agencies of the church. This sum represents an increase of 3% for each year of the quadrennium over the 1996 total of World Service and Mission Initiatives funds for the program agencies.
In reaching this recommendation, the General Council on Ministries received and considered the following rationale which was used by its task force after meeting with each of the general program agencies:
1. Our consultations with the general program agencies displayed a wide variety of missions and ministries that are made possible through the connectional system of The United Methodist Church which justify the support of United Methodist people.
2. The program agencies indicated to us they are working to reduce operational costs by finding new ways to fulfill their responsibilities, including possible reduction in the current size of agency membership. We affirm and applaud their efforts in these areas.
3. Wise stewardship of the church's resources is an objective we all affirm. Thus where there might be duplication in use of resources among the agencies, effort should be made to curtail or eliminate that duplication. We believe GCOM should and will address the issue of duplication of agency services in an effort to minimize overlap, improve effectiveness, and exercise good stewardship.
4. We affirm our church's history and tradition that whenever United Methodist people know the story of what the Church is doing, they respond. Thus, we believe there needs to be aggressive attention given to sharing the needs and opportunities so that the people of our churches can respond.
This recommendation is based on formal action of the General Council on Ministries in session on April 25, 1995. In the opinion of the General Council on Ministries, this request represents the minimum funding requirements of the general program agencies of the church for the next quadrennium through the World Service Fund.
Representatives of the General Council on Ministries, together with representatives of the general program agencies, stand ready to provide further information to or answer questions from GCFA as it responds to this important recommendation on behalf of the basic program of the denomination."
Decision by GCFA
The General Council on Finance and Administration received the above recommendation from GCOM. GCFA considered the request and recommended that $183,502,000 be established and communicated to the GCOM for "the total sum proposed for distribution from the World Service Fund among the general program agencies" (under ¶ 906.1b2). This action was received by GCOM who then proceeded to recommend allocation of that total among the program agencies of the denomination. Appeals from some agencies to the suggested allocations were received and considered by committees of both Councils. Minor adjustments were made. The specific recommendations appear in GCOM Report No.41 which immediately follows this report.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21714-GJ-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference