The Book of Discipline, 1992 prescribes several steps to be taken by the General Council on Ministries in developing its recommendation to the General Council on Finance and Administration for the allocation of the World Service Fund to the general program-related agencies. Specifically, ¶ 1006.2 provides in pertinent part of the following:
"2. To take the following action, in sequence, with respect to recommendations to the General Council on Finance and Administration for the allocation of World Service funds to general program agencies:
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.
c) The General Council on Ministries, after reviewing both the program priorities and the total funds available to the general program agencies, shall recommend to the General Council on Finance and Administration the amount of the annual World Service allocation to each of those agencies, within the total sum proposed by the General Council on Finance and Administration for distribution among such agencies."
Process and Implementation
A careful process was followed by both Councils (GCOM and GCFA) in responding to their respective mandates. This is detailed in GCOM Report No. 40 immediately above.
At its May 1995 meeting, the General Council on Finance and Administration recommended that $183,502,000 be available from the World Service Fund in the 1997-2000 quadrennium for distribution among the seven program-related agencies. The agencies were asked to provide additional data and new information concerning their program and budget requests.
In September 1995, the Program Budget Committee of the General Council on Ministries recommended the World Service Fund allocation for each of the general program-related agencies. GCOM and GCFA Committees then met together, discussed the recommenda- tions, and developed final recommendations. Each general program agency was notified of this information in time for their annual meetings in September and October 1995.
Opportunity was provided for any agency to make an appeal concerning these recommendations. The General Boards of Discipleship and Higher Education and Ministry and the General Commission on Religion and Race appealed their proposed allocations, and hearings were conducted on November 28, 1995. GCOM consulted with the GCFA task force and then approved the following allocations to the program related agencies of the World Service Fund for the 1997-2000 quadrennium:
General Board of Church and Society $9,968,000
General Board of Discipleship $28,734,000
General Board of Global Ministries $106,948,000
General Board of Higher Education and Ministry $21,381,000
GBHEM H.A.N.A. Scholarships $2,200,000
General Commission on Christian Unity andInter-Religious Concerns $3,847,000
General Commission on Religion and Race $3,458,000
GCORR Minority Group Self-Determination Fund $4,595,000
General Commission on Status and Role of Women $2,371,000
Total $183,502,000
The General Council on Finance and Administration had advised GCOM that it did not expect to recommend continuation of the Mission Initiatives Fund. GCOM approved that support for ministries funded during the 1993-96 quadrennium through the Mission Initiatives Fund be continued during the 1997-2000 quadrennium through the World Service Fund. The Council approved the above allocations with the understanding that within the general agency World Service allocations the following ministries be provided: (1) National Plan for Hispanic Ministries--the General Board of Church and Society, $375,000; the General Board of Discipleship, $375,000; the General Board of Global Ministries, $1,675,000; the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, $375,000; (2) Native American Comprehensive Plan; the General Board of Global Ministries, $1,075,000; (3) Committee on Older Adult Ministries--within the General Board of Discipleship World Service allocation; (4) Deaf Ministries--within the General Board of Global Ministries World Service allocation; (5) Substance Abuse and Related Violence--within the General Board of Global Ministries World Service allocation.
This decision was transmitted to the General Council on Finance and Administration meeting in concurrent session in Indianapolis, Indiana. The specific detail of these actions are contained in Appendices I and II attached to this Report.
Conclusion
Both of the Administrative Councils have agreed with each other concerning the allocation to the several general agencies for inclusion in the World Service Fund for the 1997-2000 quadrennium as required in ¶ 1006.2(d) of The Book of Discipline, 1992.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21715-GJ-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference