wfn.org | "Pastoral Letter" to Explain PC(USA) Spending Decisions

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

23-February-2000 
00087 
 
    "Pastoral Letter" to Explain PC(USA) Spending Decisions 
 
    GAC says 3 rescues are "financial responses," not "bailouts" 
 
    By John Filiatreau 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The General Assembly Council (GAC) on Feb. 19 appointed a 
three-person group to write a "pastoral letter" to members of the 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), explaining the denomination's controversial 
decisions to help cover financial deficits of the National Council of 
Churches, "The Dawn" youth celebration at New Year's 2000, and the new 
PC(USA) church-school curriculum. 
 
    The three co-authors are GAC chair-elect Peter Pizor, vice chair-elect 
Carole Rummell and GAC member the Rev. Jeff Bridgeman. 
 
    The Council voted earlier to contribute a total of $500,000 to the NCC 
to cover its 1999 deficit and has pumped about $5 million into the 
denomination's new church-school curriculum; the deficit for "The Dawn" is 
still subject to some negotiation, but was estimated recently at $1.7 
million. 
 
    The motion, which originated in the Worldwide Ministries Division 
committee, specifies that the proposed letter is to include "a pastoral 
introduction" and "a pastoral conclusion," as well as an explanation of the 
three "unfortunate circumstances" and an assurance that the three "are 
unrelated and will not be repeated." 
 
    The letter is also to include a discussion of factors leading to the 
losses; the church's reasoning for paying against the deficits; and 
restrictions it has attached to the monies. The letters are to be composed 
and "appropriately distributed" by Feb. 25, 2000. 
 
    The motion, put forward by the Rev. Thomas Letts of West Yellowstone, 
Mont., a member of the WMD Committee, originally referred to three "deficit 
bailouts." After some GAC members objected that the payments, at least in 
the case of the new curriculum, were investments rather than bailouts, that 
language was changed, substituting "financial responses" for "deficit 
bailouts." 
 
    In committee, Letts had called the three payments "a bailout of at 
least $6.1 million" and told the other committee members, "I need a clear 
understanding of how to justify this to our home churches and presbyteries 
 ... if it is justifiable." 
 
    Letts said he was happy with how his motion fared before the GAC. 
 
    "I originally wrote `bailout,' and just said, `I don't have another 
word,'" Letts told the Presbyterian News Service, "but I don't object to 
the change in wording. My main concern was that congregations might 
perceive us as a body that is theologically biased and pastorally aloof, 
and I don't think that's an accurate reflection of who we are. ... (And) 
people deserve to be spoken with, not simply communicated to." 
 
    "I like this group," he said, referring to the GAC, "and I like what I 
have seen in these four years that I've been on the council, and I trust 
the Holy Spirit acting in this group. ... If you had told me a month ago 
that I would vote for these proposals, I'd have said there was no way." 
 
    Letts said he changed his mind in part because he was provided new 
information; in part because discussing the matter with GAC Executive 
Director John Detterick proved to be "a great confidence booster," and in 
part because he is impressed with Bob Edgar, the new general secretary of 
the NCC. 

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