 Council's executive body to evaluate fund campaign By John H. Adams The Layman Online Monday, October 2, 2006 LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After four years of negative cash flow, the $40-million Joining Hearts & Hands campaign will undergo scrutiny to determine whether it should be abandoned or whether the council should resume paying its expenses. The council's Worldwide Ministries Division Committee proposed the evaluation "to look at the implications" of the fundraising campaign and to examine "whether or not the … campaign is the vehicle" needed for funding international mission, and "if so, how will it be funded?" With the accumulated expenses of Joining Hearts & Hands running nearly $1 million over its cash receipts and no relief in sight, the General Assembly Council voted on Sept. 29 to authorize its executive committee to make the assessment. There were urgent pleas to find $500,000 to continue the campaign through 2007 – but some cautions, too. "I speak out of 21 years of institutional fundraising," said Tom Gillespie, the retired president of Princeton Theological Seminary and a member of the council. "There is an absolutely cardinal rule. You never, never have an unsuccessful campaign. We will regret it if you do." But other council members raised some questions about the campaign and made some subtle hints that not all has gone well. In the past, the council members have made no public references to the negative cash flow, an issue The Layman has raised repeatedly in its analyses of the campaign's quarterly financial reports since it began in 2002. But former General Assembly Moderator (2004-2005) Rick Ufford-Chase mentioned that problem during the debate over the proposed relief effort. "I have real questions about a campaign that doesn't raise funds to pay its costs," he said. "It is clear to me – I think it is clear to all of us – that we are not running the same campaign as when we started this," he said. "I think it makes sense to take a look at it. At this moment, this is the GAC's public face on the mission of the church." Ufford-Chase cited "tensions and struggle" and "shifting sands" in the campaign – other issues that had not been raised publicly by the council, which heartily endorsed the campaign and its leaders when they periodically gave upbeat reports about the campaign's progress. The council has disdained negative publicity about the campaign, and at one point during its meeting last week, one council member criticized the Presbyterian News Service for a story that essentially reported what a campaign leader said in a public meeting. Originally, the campaign's goals were to raise $20 million for worldwide mission and $20 for new church development. In round numbers, campaign leaders say they have raised $16.5 million for new church development, $3.5 for worldwide missions and $5.5 million that was undesignated. But of that amount, cash gifts have been $2.4 million, nearly $1 million below campaign costs of $3.4 million. The rest is in pledges, mostly by presbyteries for new church development, and the council has no control over whether they will be fulfilled. The expenses also included $262,587 to hire three foreign mission workers – a move intended to demonstrate that the campaign was producing results. The rest of the expenses were for campaign costs. The campaign costs were borne fully by the General Assembly Council in 2003 and 2004. The costs were split 50-50 between the GAC and the campaign in 2005. This year, the campaign was expected to pay all of the expenses. Ufford-Chase suggested – and the council approved – a number of questions that should be asked by the executive committee before committing any more expense money to the campaign. The questions and review issues are:
But Conrad Rocha of Albuquerque, N.M., a member of the council from the Synod of the Southwest, expressed concern that passing the review to the executive committee would delay funding for the campaign's expenses. "If we send this to the executive committee, it would be March" before a decision could be made, he said. "In February, they run out of funds." Rocha proposed an amendment to the Worldwide Ministries Division recommendation. He wanted the council to direct its executive committee to find the $500,000 needed to continue the campaign through 2007 without questioning whether the campaign is necessary. His motion was defeated. Steve Benz, the executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Eastern Tennessee, also introduced a motion that was defeated. He wanted the executive committee to limit its search for new funds outside of the GAC's budget. Manley Olsen of St. Paul, Minn., who is chairman of the council's evangelism work area and one of the few men in the denomination who has been involved in the Re-Imagining God women's movement, spoke against Benz's motion. "I am resonating to Tom Gillespie's comment," he said. "I think it is imperative that this campaign succeeds in terms of the face it puts on the GAC." Ufford-Chase also opposed the amendment. He said the council needs to call for "full accountability" as well as remain "absolutely committed to mission." Benz argued against considering taking money out of the GAC's operating budget or "modifying our budget on the fly. In 2008, our budget was only $8,000 in the black. This puts us on a slippery slope." Linda Valentine, the council's new executive director, said she fully supports Joining Hearts & Hands. "I request we not amend this [WMD's] motion." She said there "may be a number of different ways" to find the money to cover the campaign's costs. |
|
Respond to this article |
|
| Home
· Archives
· The
Layman ·
PLC
Publications Presbyterian Lay Committee · Feedback · Links |
|