 Full funding recommended for WCC, NCC and WARC By Parker T. Williamson The Layman Online Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Brady argued that the denomination's per-capita budget was originally intended to cover overhead expenses, like rent and the light bill, that all Presbyterians should be willing to pay. The hundreds of thousands of dollars that go to these outside organizations do not fit that category, he said. Because these groups are included in the budget, many churches in Beaver-Butler Presbytery are refusing to pay per capita, Brady said. His motion generated a discomfiting moment. Finally, the Rev. Rodney Peterson of Boston Presbytery, broke the silence by parroting Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick's adulation of the three councils. "Our church is inveterately involved in international issues," he said, "and the per-capita budget facilitates the 'ecclesial' nature of this dialogue." There being no additional enthusiasm, the chair called for a vote and Brady's motion bit the dust. Presbytery must pay The next agenda item drew a bit more discussion. Lake Erie Presbytery proposed that presbyteries not be required to make up the difference when local churches choose not to contribute to the per-capita budget. Speaking for the presbytery, the Rev. Dan Callahan reminded committee members that some churches decline to pay per capita as a matter of conscience. "Actions taken as a matter of conscience should be respected," he said. "The mandating of payment by presbyteries on behalf of a session that chooses not to pay effectively silences the voice of the local church." Callahan said he believes that the denomination's per capita collection rate is high because churches feel they are being forced to pay. He said he agrees with General Assembly officials when they speak of a "partnership" between lower and higher governing bodies, but he argued that partnerships must be reciprocal and based on trust. "Where mandates are imposed and concerns are ignored, this eventually leads to a dissolution of the partnership," he said. "In a marriage, when one partner continues to give because they feel they are forced to give, this is seldom conducive to a happy marriage." Callahan concluded his remarks with Scripture. "II Corinthians 9:7 tells us that the Lord loves a cheerful giver," he said, "therefore, a compulsory offering is an oxymoron." The Rev. Cliff McLeod, from Charleston Atlantic Presbytery, said his presbytery pays the per-capita apportionment for all of its congregations and that this has created a burden for the presbytery's mission budget. "We're taking some hard hits in the mission that we feel called to do," McLeod said. He reported that having to make up for diminished congregational contributions has cost the presbytery a key staff position. But the Rev. Tim Maxa voiced the per-capita defense. He argued that the current General Assembly policy is gracious when presbyteries find that they cannot pay the full per-capita apportionment. "The G.A. offers acceptable flexibility and relief to those governing bodies unable to remit the assessed amounts," he said. A youth advisory delegate said her church has struggled financially "for a long time," but, "We see per capita as an opportunity to give back to the [wider] church." Another commissioner argued that when the presbytery pays a bill for a local church that cannot pay, it is actually "standing in beside that congregation rather than allowing it to be in isolation." When the question was called, the committee recommended against Lake Erie's overture by a whopping 42-3 vote. Cloaking the votes A commissioner's resolution calling for full disclosure of votes taken in General Assembly sessions evoked a flurry of opposition. When commissioners vote during the General Assembly, they use individual electronic key pads, and only the total vote is displayed when the verdict is announced. The resolution asked that each commissioner's vote be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Katherine Cunningham, an official advisor representing the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, led off the opposition. "When you come here, you are set free," she said. "You are not instructed. Recording votes would not be in the spirit of being a commissioner." A Youth Advisory Delegate followed Cunningham's lead: "I think the beauty of an anonymous vote is just that - anonymous. We all know that the affinity groups can be very badgering. Showing how we voted would give the affinity groups an opportunity to badger us even more." Another Youth Advisory Delegate chimed in: "I agree. If our votes were recorded, we could not be true to ourselves." The Rev. Robert Claus, from Blackhawk Presbytery, said the proposal had come from another of his presbytery's commissioners. "I think his idea is that we should be of such conviction that we would be willing to stand up for what we say," he said. "But I told him that I could not support the proposal because we live in a time of mean-spiritedness. Let's don't go for ways of finding out about each other's votes." Another committee member said: "If people knew how I vote, they could build a case against me." Another said, "Recording how we vote would lead to the politicization of the church." When the committee chair put the question, the vote was unanimous, 49-0, against revealing commissioners' votes. |
||
Respond to this article |
||
| Home
· Archives
· The
Layman ·
PLC
Publications Presbyterian Lay Committee · Feedback · Links |
||