wfn.org | Text from a VoiceLine Report of the February 19 GAC Meeting

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

19-February-2000 
00086 
 
    Text from a VoiceLine Report of the February 19 
    General Assembly Council Meeting 
 
    This is Jerry Van Marter of the Presbyterian News Service with news 
from the General Assembly Council meeting in Louisville for Saturday, 
February 19. 
 
    The General Assembly Council, after falling behind its docket Friday, 
resumed its work earlier than usual Saturday morning.  The Council caught 
up and adjourned ahead of schedule at 2:00 Saturday afternoon. 
 
    Early Saturday morning the Council approved a $500,000 contribution to 
the National Council of Churches (NCC) to help eliminate the venerable 
ecumenical organization's 1999 deficit. But the GAC, clearly upset with 
what was repeatedly called the NCC's "mismanagement" and determined not to 
be surprised again, attached several conditions to the contribution and set 
in place plans to review the PC(USA)'s involvement in the NCC every three 
years.  The NCC's 1999 shortfall only came to the denomination's attention 
last October and response to the bailout proposal has been vociferous and 
contentious.  GAC executive director John Detterick said more than 1,100 
communications regarding the bailout have been received in Louisville, with 
opponents outnumbering supporters about 9-1.  The PC(USA) bailout is 
contingent upon other NCC member churches meeting the rest of the $2 
million needed to eliminate the deficit, upon the NCC approving a balanced 
budget for 2000, and upon the NCC allocating. enough money to rebuild its 
reserves. And in a move that garnered enough support from NCC critics on 
the GAC to ensure the bailout, the Council approved a process whereby the 
GAC will work in partnership with the General Assembly Council on 
Ecumenical Relations to conduct a comprehensive review every three years of 
the PC(USA)'s involvement in the NCC, the World Council of Churches, the 
World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Consultation on Church Union. 
The design for the triennial review will be presented to next February's 
GAC meeting. 
 
    The Council approved - on recommendation of its Mission Support 
Services Committee - and sent on to the upcoming General Assembly in Long 
Beach, California, a mission budget for the year 2001 in the amount of just 
more than $142 million.  Next year's budget is nearly $14 million higher 
than 2000, with additional income expected from prior year accumulations, 
special offerings and investment income as well as greater responses to 
special appeals, such as natural disasters.  The Council also forwarded to 
the General Assembly a proposed 2001 per capita budget totaling just over 
$13 million.  Next year's per capita budget is $100,000 less than this 
year's and the Assembly will be asked to approve a General Assembly per 
capita apportionment in 2001 of $4.95 per member, than same as this year. 
 
    The Council also approved creation of a "Mustard Seed Fund," using $1 
million of surplus funds generated by increased unrestricted giving to 
General Assembly mission by congregations and presbyteries.  The Mustard 
Seed Fund - proposed to the Council by GAC executive director John 
Detterick - will give 40 grants of $25,000 each in the coming year to 
presbyteries who have innovative evangelism ideas they wish to implement 
and for which they currently don't have the money. 
 
    Property at Barber-Scotia College in Concord, North Carolina, now owned 
by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will be transferred to the historically 
black college under an agreement brought to the Council Saturday by its 
National Ministries Division Committee.  Having ownership of its property 
will enable Barber-Scotia's board of trustees more freedom and leverage to 
shape the school's own future.  Barber-Scotia is the last remaining racial 
ethnic school of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to acquire ownership of 
its property from the denomination. 
 
    And with no debate nor dissent, the Council approved a media and 
visitors policy for non-business gatherings of the church.  The Council 
reaffirmed the current Open Meeting Policy of the Presbyterian Church 
(U.S.A.) - which provides more openness in church business meetings than in 
any other denomination in the country.  The non-business meetings policy -- 
which applies to conferences and retreats -- allows participants in "small 
groups whose purpose is the sharing of personal matters of faith and life" 
to hold those conversations in private.  Plenary sessions and workshops are 
open and only small group participants themselves can close their 
conversations. 
 
    This is Jerry Van Marter of the Presbyterian News Service and this 
concludes these reports from the General Assembly Council meeting in 
Louisville.  Thank you for calling VoiceLine.  Pray for peace.  Good bye. 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  This note sent by Office of News Services, 
  Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
  to the World Faith News list <wfn-news@wfn.org>.
  For additional information about this news story,
  call 502-569-5493 or send e-mail to PCUSA.News@pcusa.org

  On the web:  http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/

  If you have a question about this mailing list, 
  send queries to wfn@wfn.org