NEWSLINE - July 1, 1996 NEWSLINE is the weekly online newsletter of the Church of the Brethren posted each Thursday by the Communications Dept. through cobnews@aol.com. Interested persons can "hear" Newsline by calling 410 635-8738 or receive a "fax" of Newsline by calling 800 323-8039, ext. 257. Newsline by "e-mail" is available by sending an online request to cobnews@aol.com. To print this listing (Netscape), Press ALT, F, P To save this listing (Netscape), Press ALT, F, S To search this listing (Netscape) Hold CTRL + Tap F %%%%%%%%% = (heading of a new week) --------- = (heading of a new item) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% NEWSLINE 07-01-96 RSC Recommendations for General Board CINCINNATI -- This is the Church of the Brethren Newsline for July 1. In the news today, the General Board's Goals and Budget committee and Annual Conference's Standing Committee convene in pre-Conference meetings in Cincinnati. For a year now Church of the Brethren members have speculated about the future of the denomination's General Board -- its mission, its focus, its size, its location -- as the Board's Redesign Steering Committee has gone about the task for which it was named. Most of that speculation will soon end. Although the RSC's specific proposals to the General Board won't be made public until Tuesday afternoon -- giving the Board's Executive Committee last Saturday afternoon and the General Board Tuesday morning to accept, discuss, and possibly act on some or all of the RSC's redesign proposals -- RSC chairman Chris Bowman on Saturday morning gave the most detailed description to date in public of the RSC's proposals to the Board. Speaking to the Board's Goals and Budget Committee on behalf of the entire RSC committee, which was in attendance, Bowman acknowledged that major changes to the General Board are needed. To remain a healthy organization financially, 35 to 40 percent of the General Board's employees will have to be terminated and programs will have to be cut or modified -- all to reduce the Board's nearly $7 million annual budget by $2.5 million over the next 18 months. However, there is more to health than just finances, Bowman said. He used a chart to illustrate the fact that giving remained steady among Church of the Brethren members from 1960-1994, when figured for inflation. During that time, however, the amount of total giving by members that was forwarded to the General Board fell from about 43 percent to about 24 percent. After talking to and corresponding with hundreds of Brethren throughout the denomination since the RSC's inception following last year's Annual Conference, the RSC has determined that this change in congregational outreach giving is the result of four factors. There is the perception that momentum has been lost, Bowman said, as the focus of the General Board is not necessarily the focus of congregations. It has gotten to the point to where the General Board does not speak for congregations anymore, he added. Second, the current structure is top-down, with the General Board providing materials and programs to congregations, without input by congregations or discussion with General Board staff. Then there is the perception that members are disenchanted with the entire Church of the Brethren structure, from the Annual Conference to the General Board, the districts, and congregations. Finally, advocacy has replaced discernment. "We've lost something that is at the heart of being Brethren," Bowman said. "We've lost the art of discernment. It is through discernment that we seek the mind of Christ." It has gotten to the point that the General Board no longer speaks to its members and no longer can its members speak to the General Board. Thus, Bowman told the Goals and Budget committee that dramatic change is needed. "Rearranging the deck chairs will not take away the fact that part of the boat is missing," he said. The change will exact a price, as some of what the current Board is about will be retained while other parts will be let go. The denomination should be able to weather the change, Bowman said, as history shows that the Church of the Brethren has been able to maintain its vitality when faced with similar situations in the past. The Church of the Brethren of the future needs to change the way it does business while living within its means, he said. The RSC's proposed strategy for the future calls for the church to re-establish involvement between the General Board, the districts, and the congregations. It calls for the building of a discernment process through continuous planning that begins with congregations and extends to districts and the General Board. This would replace the top-down structure of today. The RSC also believes ministry must be wed to mission, as "vitality in congregations and vitality in missions is of the same cloth," Bowman said. Finally, the RSC believes the General Board, districts, and congregations must embrace good stewardship-stewardship of human and financial resources. Bowman said the recommendations the RSC has submitted to the Board, which are based on these strategies, were drafted with the Board's vision statement and core functions documents in mind, both which were approved by the Board over the past year. He added that among other things, the RSC has submitted three options as to the structure in which General Board employees will work in the future. The RSC's recommendations are expected to be made public Tuesday afternoon, following the Board's morning closed session. The RSC's intent is for its recommendations to be discussed throughout the denomination at the General Board, district, and congregational levels. In October the Board is expected to make final decisions regarding the RSC's recommendations. One action the Board is expected to take Tuesday morning is to consider the termination of at least a few General Board staff. Immediately following the Board's March meetings, General Board employees received word from the Administrative Council that an unspecified number of jobs would be eliminated this week based upon the RSC's recommendations. Although the specific composition of General Board programs in the future was uncertain at that time, Administrative Council members said there would be some jobs targeted for elimination regardless of the shape Board programs take in the future, based on its ongoing discussion with the RSC. Those affected were presumably notified of this by Administrative Council members last Tuesday and Wednesday during a series of meetings Administrative Council members held with their employees in Elgin, Ill., and New Windsor, Md. A second unknown is the issue of where General Board employees will be located. However, the location issue is not expected to be discussed until the Board's October meetings. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ General Services Report 07-01-96 In other Goals and Budget news, General Services executive Dale Minnich reported that through May congregational giving to the General Board is up 7.8 percent, or $111,000, over last year. Minnich attributes the increase to congregations that are rallying behind the General Board because they know the Board is struggling financially. A second factor could be that congregations are liking what they see in General Board program, he added. Whatever the cause, Minnich said there are no issues of timing or geography that easily pinpoint the increase. "We take that as a good sign that it is not a fluky thing that is causing this," he said. Even so, not all giving lines are doing as well. Bequests, a couple of direct gift categories, and charitable gift annuities were under budget through May. However, Minnich concluded his report saying that he believes these lines that are under will improve. "Overall, I think we're in pretty good shape. Minnich also gave a status report on the "Behold, I make all things new" financial commitment program, which was launched in February. Though the series of six meetings held in the East have gone well with people who attended, Minnich said attendance at the weekend meetings has been lighter than hoped. The Behold thrust now will turn to the plains and western states. Minnich added that the campaign constantly is being reviewed, as $2.4 million is needed to be raised by December 31 to meet commitments already made for those funds. Minnich and General Secretary Don Miller said $2 million is realistic, but the program may fall a little short from raising the remaining $400,000. If that occurs, additional cuts to the General Board's budget will be needed. Finally, the committee discussed pending Annual Conference business, specifically how new business items could affect General Board time and resources. Many Annual Conference business items approved and sent to the General Board for implementation or study are done without guidance about from where the resources should come from or what program should be stopped so that a new one can begin. The committee expressed concern that accepting new assignments without an idea of where funding or time will come from will be difficult during the current redesign process. Roger Forry, board member, said he would relay these concerns when he meets with Standing Committee prior to the official start of Conference. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Standing Committee Issues Ballot Nominees 07-01-96 During its meetings Sunday, Standing Committee reduced by half the ballot it received of candidates for Annual Conference and General Board positions. The following nominees made the Standing Committee cut and now will be sent to Annual Conference delegates for the final election on Thursday. Moderator-elect: Jimmy Ross and Donna Forbes Steiner. General Board, at-large: Isabel Figueroa, Wayne Judd, Sue Sappenfield Overman, and Marie Hoover Willoughby. General Board, Mid-Atlantic District: Linda Frey Barkdoll and Paul Wampler. General Board, Southern Ohio District: Mary Jo Flory Steury and Dwayne Yost. General Board, Virlina District: David Miller and Anne Murray Reid. Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee: David Eastis and Peter Kaltenbaugh, Jr. Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee: Colleen Michael and Karen Schmidt. Committee on Interchurch Relations: Cheryl Cayford and Allen Deeter. Brethren Benefit Trust: Wayne Fralin and Gail Morgan Habecker. Bethany Theological Seminary elector, representing the colleges: Dorothy Lehman Hershberger and Phillip Stone. Bethany Theological Seminary elector, representing the laity: Floy Detwiler and Jim Weaver. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Standing Committee Reviews New Business and Queries 07-01-96 It approved the query, "How should Christian Faith be Expressed in Political Processes," but also encouraged districts, congregations, and members to study the issue on their own as well, using Annual Conference and General Board statements and other related materials from the Washington Office. Other queries that Standing Committee recommended to forward to Annual Conference include "The New Testament as our Rule of Faith and Practice," the "Church of the Brethren Pastor's Insurance package," and the General Board's "Guidelines for Developing/Recommending Curriculum in the Church of the Brethren." The General Board's "Statement on Child Exploitation" also was passed to Annual Conference, but with the recommendation that it be studied for a year before returning to Conference in 1997 for approval. Regarding the "World Mission Philosophy and Global Church Mission Structure" query, Standing Committee recommended that a task group composed of representatives from Virlina, Atlantic Northeast, and Southeast districts; the General Board; and Standing Committee be formed to assess pertinent information and to return with a report. Finally, Standing Committee voted to defer the "Congregational Structure" query until 1998, when it will return as a new business item. This action was taken because it was perceived that the General Board Parish Ministries Commission will not have the time nor the resources to address this issue until after the General Board is redesigned.