wfn.org | CoB Newsline- General Board coverage

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      March 9, 1997
Contact:  Paula Wilding
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Newsline          March 9, 1997  

This is Newsline for March 9. In the news today:  

1) The General Board takes several redesign actions today, 
        including:      
   a) approving a location recommendation.      
   b) approving an interim style of leadership.      
   c) approving a change in the number of General Board members.  
   d) approving a study for how two ministries currently 
        affiliated with the General Board will continue to relate 
        to the Board in the future.      
   e) giving guidance to the SERRV International Task Team.       
   f) tabling polity decisions needing Annual Conference approval 
        at least until Monday.  

1a) The Church of the Brethren General Board, the denomination's
program board, today approved a proposal that calls for a
decision by March 1998 pertaining to the Board's location of
centralized functions.  

At its October meetings the Board approved as part of its
organizational redesign the concept of a single location for its
centralized functions, with field staff to be placed in three to
five areas. Using those parameters, the Board's Redesign Steering
Committee (RSC) had been expected to make a final location
proposal to the Board during these March meetings.  

However, since then the RSC came to the realization that location
issues should be addressed separately from organizational issues,
said Chris Bowman, RSC chair, on Saturday, a day when the points
the Board voted on today were discussed in open meetings.  

According to the RSC's location recommendation, the Board's
primary task for the immediate future "is the implementation of
its redesigned structure to involve the entire church in its
mission, to facilitate the spiritual turning of the church we
believe is required, and to develop new mission based on the
discernment of the entire church body."

Taking the RSC's recommendations with only one slight
modification, the Board today approved forming a Site
Recommendation Committee, to be composed of the General Secretary
(or interim), two people appointed by the General Board, one
person appointed by Brethren Benefit Trust's board and one member
appointed by the Annual Conference officers. Brethren Benefit
Trust and the Annual Conference office are two major tenants of
the General Board-owned General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Other
tenants include Brethren Employees Credit Union and Living Gospel
Church of God in Christ.  

Because the Board's budgets currently are not dependent on making
a location decision within the next year, the Site Recommendation
Committee should have the time to carefully study the location
issue. By doing so, it is expected to determine the facility
needs of a still-changing General Board structure and to
"initiate a process of discernment with the denomination
regarding location of centralized functions."

1b) The General Board approved an interim leadership style that
will be adopted if approved by Annual Conference delegates. This
proposed style would replace the current three-commission
structure and the leadership team that consists of the general
secretary, treasurer, and executives of General Services, Parish
Ministries and World Ministries commissions. The interim
leadership model will consist of an executive director and
director/publisher of Brethren Press, treasurer/director of
Centralized Resources, and directors of Congregational Life
Ministries, Ministry, Funding, Global Mission Partnerships,
Volunteer Service Ministries and Brethren Witness.  

Each of these directors is expected to be empowered to administer
their programs. Together, they will serve as the Board's
leadership team.  

This will move the General Board from a corporate style "to a
biblical style," as Jesus called people alongside him, empowering
those people to lead the church, according to Craig Smith, board
member.   

1c) The General Board approved reducing its membership from 25 to
20. The reduction will come in the form of five at-large
representatives. Currently five new members are elected each year
to five-year terms: three are district representatives and two
are at-large members. Through the attrition of not filling one
already vacated spot, and by only electing four new members
henceforth, the Board in several years will have 20 members.    

1d) The General Board approved establishing conversations with
two ministries that are affiliated with the General Board, but
which have their own separate boards. According to RSC members,
this action was proposed as staff for On Earth Peace Assembly and
Association of Brethren Caregivers are General Board employees
and are accountable to the General Board, while simultaneously
receiving funding and directions from separate boards. This move
is being sought to clarify the ambiguities that exist from the
current structure and due to the Board's redesign and downsizing.
The General Board is in the process of reducing its operating
expenses by 35 to 40 percent.   

1e) The General Board gave direction to the SERRV International
Task Team, which had found difficulty in trying to see how SERRV
could maintain three objectives: retain a Church of the Brethren
identity, increase its ability to manage its own expenses and
limit the General Board's product and financial liability.  

After much discussion on Saturday, Bonnie Kline Smeltzer, task
team member, said the team's understanding from the Board was
that it should explore ways to incorporate SERRV as a separate
organization, but with the General Board also serving as its
board.    

1f) Some of the changes approved today by the Board will have to
be submitted to Annual Conference delegates for approval either
this year or next. Changes needing Annual Conference approval
include the proposal to dissolve the Planning and Coordinating
and Goals and Budgets committees, with the responsibilities of
these committees being incorporated into a yet-to-be-created
Mission and Ministries Planning Council. Other changes needing
Annual Conference approval include the Board's proposed interim
leadership style, elimination of its commission structure, and
its proposed reduction of Board members.   

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