wfn.org | Mission Coordination and Budgets held hearing

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Note #6615 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

12-June-2001
GA01058

Mission Coordination and Budgets held hearing

by John Fileatreau

LOUISVILLE, June 12 - During a hearing on June 11, the Assembly Committee on
Mission Coordination and Budgets:

* Voted down Overture 01-21, which would have required that at least 5
percent of unified mission contributions be used for new-church development
and church redevelopment. Committee members noted that evangelism and
discipleship are already the top priorities of the General Assembly Council
(GAC) and said they didn't want to "tie the hands" of the council by
specifying a percentage level of spending.

* Referred to the GAC for further study a commissioner's resolution calling
for every Presbyterian to contribute $1 a week above present giving, raising
approximately $130 million a year to be used to "proclaim the gospel to the
ends of the earth." Among other things, the money would pay for seminary
training, which an advocate of the measure said would solve the
denomination's pastor shortage.

* Referred to the GAC a resolution that would have established an Advocacy
Committee for the Concerns of Sexual Minorities. Committee members said they
believe gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people need and deserve
"a structural way to voice advocacy," and that the church needs to "hear the
voices of people long silenced," but didn't feel that the matter should be
handled by the mission coordination and budget committee. The panel also
asked that the GAC make a report on the matter to the 2002 General Assembly.

* Voted to direct the GAC to fill the vacant position of associate for
new-church development, which has been vacant for more than two years, and
to waive all but $50 of the cost to new-church and international immigrant
pastors of participation in the annual new-church development conference.

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