Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
96a-52
July 3, 1996
CINCINNATI (DNS) -- The Commission on Mission Funding of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), meeting here June 18-25, made
funding decisions that will affect the mission and ministries of the
recipients of Basic Mission Finance over the next two years.
In a week of arduous meetings at Xavier University here, the 12-member
body, formerly known as the Commission on Finance, painstakingly
reviewed past, present and projected budgets of the 72 participating
members of the Church Finance Council. It also reckoned total income
for Basic Mission Finance, the shared ministries fund of the church,
for the coming two years.
The commission calculated its Basic Mission Finance allocations for
the next two years on projections that BMF income will total $19,902,275
in 1997, and $20,091,984 in 1998. Actual BMF distribution in 1995
was $19,809,708. The figures indicate the commission believes BMF
giving in 1997 will be .47 percent higher than it was in 1995. Projected
BMF income for 1998 is .95 percent higher than 1997 projected income.
Authorized allocations for 1997 and 1998 are increases or decreases from
the 1995 actual distribution figure.
If total available BMF is viewed as a pie, regions are to get just over 40
percent of the whole, general units are to receive just over 47 percent,
and seminaries and Disciples-related colleges and universities are to
get just under 10 percent.
Two percent of the pie is put into a "Mission Imperatives and Adjustment
Fund." The commission can make grants from that fund to remedy
exceptional budget inadequacies, and to fund special projects related
to the Mission Imperatives for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
The commission heard 16 requests for adjustment and mission
imperative grants. It made six grants totalling $165,000.
The 40 percent portion of the BMF pie to be shared by regions is an
increase of approximately 1.8 percent for regions as a BMF category.
However, increases among individual regions were not uniform in size.
In fact, three regions' allocations for 1997 fall short of their allocations
of actual 1995 BMF funds.
Overall, the commission reduced general ministries' share of the "pie."
Seven general ministry units' allocations were cut for 1997. As a BMF
category, general ministry allocations were reduced by just under
three percent in 1997.
The commission's allocation for Disciples-related seminaries in 1997
is the same as its 1995 actual distribution. The 1997 allocation for
Disciples-related colleges and universities was reduced just over
seven percent. The allocations for seminaries and colleges alike are
to increase one-third percent from 1997 to 1998.
General Board's June passage of the framework for a new mission
funding system directed the Commission on Mission Funding for the
first time to use stated criteria in determining allocations. For
regions, the criteria included evaluation of geographical size, number
of congregations and other factors.
Similarly, the commission applied several criteria to general ministry
askings, but apparently gave the most weight to the criterion calling
for consideration of the degree to which units are dependent on BMF
funding. Heavily BMF-dependent general ministries such as the
Disciples of Christ Historical Society and the Office of
Communication, among others, received nominally to moderately
higher allocations. Units with more sizable other sources of income,
like the Christian Church Foundation, Pension Fund and the National
Benevolent Association saw their 1997 allocations shrink from 1995
actual BMF distribution.
The Commission on Mission Funding did most of its work apart from
the 80 or so BMF recipient representatives in attendance, interacting
with the others mainly to conduct information-gathering and appeal
hearings, and to hear requests for grants from the Mission Imperatives
and Adjustment fund. Elaine Alsobrook, a laywoman from First Christian
Church in Tucker, Ga., served as the chair of the commission.
While the commissioners were in private session, regional, general and
higher education representatives were left with a good deal of time for
worship and group and private discussions. When given the choice of
breaking down into separate groups, regional ministers, general
ministry executives and other representatives most often chose to
remain together to discuss common concerns about ministry and
resource development.
Church Finance Council President Robert Welsh led a full-day
discussion in which general ministry executives and regional ministers
shared ideas on how to implement a church-wide promotional
strategy to increase giving to Basic Mission Finance.
In other settings, veterans of previous Commission on Finance
meetings recalled how past sessions to allocate scarce resources
gave rise to unhealthy rivalries among BMF recipients. Many expressed
regret and abiding distaste for past times when rancorous self-interest
fractured collegiality.
The Rev. Lester Palmer, president, Pension Fund, acting as spokesperson
for the General Cabinet, pledged, "We don't intend to come to the sort of
session again where two groups (regions and general units) are pitted
against one another."
Echoing the call for change in a system that has resulted in divisiveness
and ill-will, Mid-America Regional Minister Steve Cranford observed,
"I'd like to see us in this thing together in some different kind of way."
Many of those involved in the Cincinnati sessions think the group is already
on the road to a more productive model for resource allocation discussions.
"I appreciate our talking out loud and thinking out loud to help each other
out, because we are one," the Rev. N. Dwain Acker, Nebraska regional
minister, told the group.
"The commitment to discuss things together in community, to be in
prayer together and to call on God's presence -- that, I think, took us
some significant steps down the road," added the Rev. James L.
Powell, president, Board of Church Extension.
General Minister and President Richard L. Hamm announced at the
gathering that he would call together a small group of BMF recipients to
address potential changes BMF allocation process. The GMP hopes
such changes would result in a more pastoral and collegial approach
to the difficult task of matching dollars with mission.
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