Title: Anti-racism initiative receives emergency grant, temporarily delays
possible cuts
Date: May 25, 2000
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
00b-22
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- The anti-racism/pro-reconciliation initiative within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) received a $23,700 emergency grant, May 20, temporarily staving off possible cuts in the church-wide program.
Without the cash infusion approved by the General Reconciliation Committee, available funds to continue the program would be exhausted by May 31, according to Lois Artis Murray, president, Church Finance Council.
The $23,700 will help enable several staff teams to participate in an advanced anti-racism training event already scheduled for June 8-12. In addition, it will support a special two-and-a-half day introductory session for Administrative Committee members in July, immediately before the General Board convenes. The emergency funds, however, are far short of a $90,000 request to facilitate work on the project through Dec. 31. Murray, who also serves as associate general minister, heads the anti-racism/pro-reconciliation staff team. She made the petition on behalf of the Office of General Minister and President.
"This was a tough decision," said Steven Allison, Memphis, Tenn., chairperson of the General Reconciliation Committee. Committee members received the $90,000 figure as a 2000 request. The deadline for submitting proposals for 2000 was June 1, 1999.
"We certainly support the anti-racism efforts in the church," said Allison. He said the challenge was determining what were the most pressing needs.
The committee's decision essentially helps fulfill commitments made toward the June and July training events and continue staff support. The committee also hoped to provide a 60-day window allowing project leaders time to seek funding from other sources to complete the year.
The General Reconciliation Committee, which approved two previous grants and a gift of more than $100,000, meets again in September, according to the chairperson. At that time the group will consider funding for this and other proposals for 2001 from the $750,000 Reconciliation fund.
At present, no other sources have been identified to provide the additional funding, according to the Rev. Lori Adams, minister of transformation.
The OGMP, however, may request assistance from the Adjustment Fund, administered by the Commission on Mission Funding. The Adjustment Fund comprises one percent of Basic Mission Finance receipts and is used to address financial emergencies and address inequities.
Should the appeal to the COMF fail, the church-wide project could come to a halt this summer, according to Murray. The lack of funding, she said, will "stall the programs of the whole initiative."
In short that means "we will have to cancel the balance of the training events scheduled for this year," Murray said. Those sessions would likely be postponed until 2001 or "until such time as funding becomes available." These include orientation meetings with regional groups, introductory training events, and advanced sessions within Disciples regions.
In other action, the committee listened to a proposal that would establish a commission to permanently continue the anti-racism/pro- reconciliation effort. As a commission of the General Board, which still must approve the proposal, the new structure would unite project work now done by Reconciliation mission, the process of discernment on racism steering committee and the Disciples general anti-racism team. Tentative plans call for the commission's work, slated to begin Jan. 1, 2001, to be carried out by two professional staff and a support staff person.
Under the plan, the discernment steering committee and the general anti-racism team would be dissolved. The proposal also calls for the Reconciliation mission to revert to its original purpose as a fund supporting projects aimed at eradicating racism. In addition, the director of Reconciliation's tasks of interpreting and promoting the fund would be handled by the Church Finance Council.
The General Reconciliation Committee, which currently reviews and decides funding for grant applications, also would be disbanded. In its place, either a subcommittee of the Administrative Committee or a committee convened by the Church Finance Council president would process future grant applications for anti-racism projects.
Exactly how the new anti-racism/pro-reconciliation commission will be financed is unclear at this point, according to Murray. Primary support may come from Reconciliation, as either a percentage of its receipts or resulting from a grant proposal submitted to the Reconciliation grant award committee. Grants from private foundations may be another source of funding the initiative. In addition, other support will likely continue from the Office of General Minister and President. In-kind donations, as well, may be sought from local churches, according to the plan.
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