wfn.org | What Should The Church Do If Presbyteries Don't Pay Up?

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15-June-1998 
GA98035 
 
 
    What Should The Church Do If Presbyteries Don't Pay Up? 
 
    by Allison Politinsky 
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--The General Assembly Procedures Committee discussed what 
to do with the Per Capita Apportionment payments that are never collected 
from local presbyteries and churches. The Committee approved retaining the 
apportionment figure of $4.77 per member--the same as last year. But a 
significant problem remains with the issue of uncollected funds. Last year, 
$300,000 was not paid by some presbyteries to the Per Capita Apportionment 
budget. 
    An Overture from the Presbytery of Santa Fe recommends that because 
withholding apportionment funds is not the proper way to raise protest with 
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s policies, those presbyteries who do not 
fulfill their payments should forfeit the option of voting at the General 
Assembly. 
    The Overture cited the Book of Order explanation that "the undergirding 
of Christ's mission through the per capita apportionment system `give(s) 
meaning to the interdependent nature of Presbyterian polity.' 
    "...Individual dissent and protest are important rights that are 
defined in the Book of Order," but that "withholding of per capita by 
governing bodies is not an appropriate exercise of dissent or protest." 
Further, "as matters of Christian integrity and conscience, they should not 
participate in debate and discussion or vote on any matter affecting the 
expenditure of per capita funds." 
    But commissioner Kim Scott King of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities 
disagrees. "We seek grace in the extension of Christ's table," she 
explained. "To exclude participation in the church to members of 
congregations based on the actions of the presbytery" is not the way to 
address the problem of uncollected funds. The matter was still being 
discussed at the time of publication. 

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