From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org


Council Sets 1997 Mission Budget at $113.8 Million


From PCUSA_NEWS@ecunet.org
Date 04 May 1996 16:06:02

7-Mar-96

96093   Council Sets 1997 Mission Budget at $113.8 Million 
 
                      by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--The General Assembly Council (GAC) has adopted a 1997 
General Assembly mission budget of $113.8 million and will send it on to 
the upcoming General Assembly in Albuquerque for approval. 
 
     In order to balance the budget, the Council cut $1.2 million from the 
unified (undesignated) portion of the original mission budget and then 
reallocated $400,000 to fund two GAC mission initiatives -- centers for 
Christian reflection and spiritual formation and a newly adopted initiative 
for ministry with youth and young adults. 
 
     The Council's executive committee established division-by-division 
budget cuts at its January meeting, and the three division committees and 
the Corporate and Administrative Services Committee determined where the 
specific cuts would be made at their Feb. 22-23 meetings prior to the 
Council meeting here. 
 
     Cuts in the Congregational Ministries Division (CMD) totaled $260,000, 
though the new initiatives funding will all go CMD.  The cuts included 
 
       elimination of the Singles and Family Ministries Office ($57,000), a 
church architecture periodical ($7,500), and CMD's participation in a 
policy study on the theological issues of genetic research ($15,000) 
       merging of positions in the middle governing bodies relations office 
of the Christian Education Program Area ($23,500) 
        decrease in the support for Presbyterian Men ($18,000), Media 
Services ($44,000), Research Services ($32,000), and the Missionary 
Correspondence Program ($35,000) and in CMD's subsidy to "Reformed Liturgy 
and Music" magazine 
       reduction in the use of consultants ($5,000) 
        cancellation of the third installment of a three-year grant by the 
Stewardship Program Area to "Promises to Give." 
 
     National Ministries Division (NMD) cuts totaled $250,000.  The cuts 
included 
 
        reductions in programs of the Evangelism and Church Development 
Program Area ($35,275) 
        reductions in communications and ecumenical partner grants in the 
Racial Ethnic Ministries Program Area ($33,700) 
        reductions in staff and financial aid to students in the Churchwide 
Partnerships Program Area 
        elimination of the position of Associate Director for Social 
Justice and related administrative costs and communications in the Social 
Justice Program Area ($119,625) 
       elimination of ecumenical grants and program reduction in the office 
of coordinator of staff in the synods in the Women's Ministries Program 
Area ($31,375) 
        reduction in other grants to ecumenical and interfaith partners in 
the Washington Office and the Urban Ministries Office ($59,875). 
 
     Cuts to the unified portion of the Worldwide Ministries Division 
totaled $325,000.  The cuts were made in two areas of the division's work: 
 
        reduction of the Presbyterian Church's overseas missionary staff by 
eight persons, from 427 to 419 ($225,000) 
       reduction in grants to partner churches and ecumenical bodies 
($100,000). 
 
     The Corporate and Administrative Services budget was reduced by 
$100,000.  The cuts came from 
 
       implementation of new accounting software ($40,000) 
       reduction of staff in the Presbyterian Distribution Service 
warehouse ($20,000) 
       reduction of outside services and the Presbyterian Center mailroom 
($40,000). 
 
     A total of $200,000 in cuts was made to the Office of Communication 
budget.  The cuts included 
 
       elimination of the current subsidy to "Monday Morning" magazine 
($60,000) 
       elimination of "THE NEWS of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)" 
newspaper and a readjustment of the budgets of PresbyTel and PresbyNet 
between unified and per capita money ($140,000). 

------------
For more information contact Presbyterian News Service
  Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louisville, KY 40202
  phone 502-569-5504            fax 502-569-8073  
  E-mail PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org   Web page: http://www.pcusa.org 

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