wfn.org | New CFC board approves BMF name change

["Communication Ministries" <wshuffit@cm.disciples.org>]

Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 14:31:58 -0500
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Date: July 15, 2002
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Melinda Mains
Phone: 317-713-2496
E-mail: mmains@cm.disciples.org
on the Web: http://www.disciples.org

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, July 15, 2002 -- Disciples newly seated
finance board amended and restated by-laws, elected
officers and approved a name change for the denomination's
common mission fund. 

The newly constituted 14-director Church Finance Council
Board elected Illinois pastor Ruben Cruz and Missouri
pastor Maureen Dickmann as chair and vice-chair during a
July  9-10 meeting here.  Cruz, pastor of Spanish Christian
Church in Chicago, also brings experience to the board as a
Chicago TV news magazine host and columnist for the Chicago
Sun-Times. Dickmann, pastor of Rock Bridge Christian Church
in Columbia, also an attorney, is active in Habitat for
Humanity. 

Disciples Administrative Committee approved in January a
separate board for CFC ending three years of direct
oversight by the Administrative Committee as CFC's board of
directors. Richard L. Hamm, Disciples general minister and
president, chaired the first few minutes of the newly
formed board's meeting before directors elected officers. 
In his remarks, Hamm said the church's attempt to
streamline oversight of CFC by using the 45-member
Administrative Committee as its governing board, did not
work well.

Lois Artis, CFC president, said the new board is small
enough to make a significant contribution to the council
and the church. She said she sees the new board as a
working board that will do more than just set policy. Artis
said Basic Mission Finance giving has been flat at around
$20 million dollars a year for several years. She
challenged the directors to work with the CFC staff in new
ways to build BMF receipts to more than $30 million a year.
She said this amount would financially enable the church to
meet its 2020 Vision goal of establishing 1,000 new
congregations, revitalizing 1,000 existing congregations
and increasing ordinations from 90 to 225 per year.

As one of its first actions, CFC directors, approved a new
name for the Disciples common mission fund now known as
Basic Mission Finance, a name it has had since 1975, when
Unified Promotion became the Church Finance Council.
Directors approved the name Disciples Mission Fund. 

The proposed name came after two years of research by Shank
Public Relations Counselors to determine whether or not CFC
needed to request a name change. David Shank of
Indianapolis, president of the PR firm and a member of
Speedway Christian, informed the board that research
indicated that more than two-thirds of Disciples surveyed
invited a new name. He reported there was no one name
suggested, but that those surveyed would like to see the
words "Disciples" and "Mission" as part of the new name. 

After lengthy discussion over a new logo for the common
mission fund, the board decided to use only the Disciples
familiar chalice-and-cross logo with the words "Disciples
Mission Fund." Directors also approved the tag line "Giving
changes lives." The new name and tag line will be reviewed
by the General Board later this month for their approval. 

In other highlighted business, CFC directors:

* Accepted an audit of 2001 CFC receipts and disbursements
of $31, 833,634  a decrease of $59,216 or .2 percent
decrease from 2000 funds of $31,892,850. Outreach giving
dipped from $20.67 million in 2000 to $19.74 million in
2001.

* Heard a report on the proposed reallocation of BMF funds
to be considered by General Board.

* Discussed problems of implementing a new allocation
system.

* Approved a policy to accept no investments in foreign
currency.

* Reviewed  proposed Week of Compassion standing-rules
changes to rename the position of Administrative Director
to Minister for Week of Compassion and shift administrative
responsibilities from the Church Finance Council to the
Office of General Minister and President. CFC will continue
to maintain fiduciary and promotional responsibilities.
These changes need General Board approval. 

* Approved a new human resources policy manual.

-- end --

Church Finance Council
Contact: Daniel R. Gangler
(317) 713-2408
dgangler@cfc.disciples.org
				

02-66