wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Clerk sees silver lining in budget cuts

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8309 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Clerk sees silver lining in budget cuts
GA04018
June 27, 2004

Clerk sees silver lining in budget cuts

Money woes forced church to review its priorities, Kirkpatrick says

by Bill Lancaster

RICHMOND, June 27  Two items near the top of Stated Clerk Clifton
Kirkpatricks list of the Top 10 issues before this years General Assembly
are the Mission Work Plan approved by the General Assembly Council (GAC), and
concerns about cuts in the mission budget of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

During a press conference Saturday, Kirkpatrick said the two cannot be
separated.

The GACs Mission Work Plan establishes four priorities in PC(USA) ministries
 evangelism, justice, leadership and spiritual formation. He said the budget
and staff cuts were made in a way that reflects those priorities.

When a reporter asked whether the money crunch was part of a continuing
trend, Kirkpatrick said: The really good news out of all this is that we are
moving in a way that I hope is shared widely by Presbyterians in this
commitment to the four priorities.

He said the four rose to the top in a budget in a year where we have had a
revenue problem that has led to program cuts. And while there will obviously
be great pain  because all of these ministries are important  I hope we
dont lose the sense that we are doing something very important as we go
forward.

Kirkpatrick made two points about the budget cuts:

* Its not that Presbyterians dont have enough money, because were one of
the wealthiest churches in the world. He said Presbyterians simply need to
find new ways for supporting the church.

* It is not that congregations are less generous. Its just that more money
is being devoted to local, hands-on mission, and less to support of the
national church.

Kirkpatrick said yields from PC(USA) endowments also have been down because
of the poor performance of the stock market  which is improving now with the
countrys general economic recovery.

Jack Sadler and Pat Valentine, the moderator and vice moderator of the
Committee on Local Arrangements, also took part in the press conference. They
described the joys and challenges of preparing for the Assembly over a
five-year period.

This story and many others may have photos, media, video clips that can be
found at http://www.pcusa.org/ga216.htm.

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