Curriculum to be allowed to continue losing money By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Online Friday, February 23, 2001 LOUISVILLE – The General Assembly Council has approved a plan that will change its curriculum publishing area from a self-sufficient "business model" to a "service model" that will be supported by mission funds. A little more than $252,000 will be taken from the Presbyterian Mission Program Funds to support the publishing area through the transition. Congregational Ministry Publishing had a deficit of $126,506 for 2000 and has budgeted an expected loss of $216,454 in 2001. Another loss is expected in 2002. The Council approved allocations of $252,069 from the Presbyterian Mission Program Funds to cover the shortfalls in 2001 and 2002. Joey Bailey, deputy for Mission Support Services, found $210,000 in funds that had been allocated to downsize the curriculum publishing area that were not used, which also will be used in making up the shortfall. A formula for using mission dollars to continue funding curriculum deficits should be in place by 2003. Sales projections down In presenting the motion, Lynn Shurley, chair of the Congregational Ministries Division Committee that oversees the publishing area, said there was a "mad scramble at the end of every year to find funds -- anywhere -- to make up deficit." The intent of the motion, he said, was to ensure "success from the outset, instead of defeat always in the end." "The hope is that, once the funding pattern is in place, we will be on a level playing field with all the other mission areas in the church," he said. And then the publishing area can "complete the year on budget and hopefully under budget." During committee meetings, Sandra Sorem, publisher of Congregational Ministries Publishing, said the actual budget loss of $126,506 in 2000 wound up at 0, because funds were "found -- not easily" with the help of Bailey and Nagy Tawfik, controller. Funds were found in money from previous sales, reserve funds from the Presbyterian Book Store and some Bicentennial Funds. The sales projection in the 2001 budget is $4 million, Sorem said, down from a budgeted projection of $5 million in 2000. Actual sales in 2000 were only $4,267,629. From business to service In order to move the curriculum publishing area to a place where it can be supported by missions funds, the council approved the allocations from Presbyterian Mission Program Funds and several other recommendations, including: reaffirming its commitment to provide congregations and their leaders with denomination-specific curriculum, developed through denominational partnerships, other resources needed to enable and sustain ministries of congregations and their leaders, and resources mandated by General Assembly re-framing its previous "business model" understanding that curriculum publishing be self-sufficient to a "service model" understanding that identifies publishing of resources as a service or mission to congregations and their leaders replacing the present funding formula with one that reflects the "service model" understanding by budgeting mission dollars at the beginning of the Congregational Ministries Publishing service/business plan, as in all other areas of the Council's mission and funding The council approved a process of staffing a team from its three divisions and Mission Support Services to develop a financial plan for implementing the above actions beginning in 2003. They also expanding the team to include elected representatives from the divisions who will review and approve the financial plan, determine needed policy statements to implement those actions, and report back at the September 2001 meeting. At its 1999 meeting in Puerto Rico, the council voted to forgive the publishing area's cumulative debt of $1,802,909 for 1996-98 and projected debt of $1.5 million for 1999. The council approved a $1.2 million line of credit from the Presbyterian Mission Program Fund, the terms including possible renewal in 2001.

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