Whereas, the general board is able to provide space for its operations at its current location at a fraction of what it would cost to move; and
Whereas, the general board currently does not begin to have adequate funding to carry out all of its fifteen major responsibilities as enumerated in ¶ 1402 of the Discipline; and
Whereas, a new infusion of funds would give the general board the opportunity to better underwrite significant current ministries and to begin exciting new ones;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the General Conference not apportion $42,000,000 plus the cost of interest to fund the moving of the General Board of Global Ministries,but give $42,000,000 over a fifteen-year period ($2,800,000 per year, or $11,200,000 for the quadrennium) as a special Missional Priority Fund to assist the General Board of Global Ministries in doing the work for which it was created. This fund would not be an apportionment, but an asking. Each annual conference and, in turn, each local church would be informed as to its fair share, based on the same decimal as used in the apportionments for World Service and Conference Benevolences.
Be it further resolved, that the General Board be asked to make timely reports to the Church through its publications and in other appropriate ways as to how these funds are being used, as well as a full report at the end of the quadrennium to the next General Conference not only as to the use of the funds received in the 1997-2000 quadrennium, but as to how it envisions using funds that may be received in the 2001-2004 quadrennium.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 22893-GJ-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference