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This story online at: http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2007/07468.htm
07468 July 30, 2007
GAC's Communications and Funds Development staff reorganized Schmidt: 'Focus is on direct service to mission programs'
by Jerry Van Marter Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE - The General Assembly Council's executive committee has approved a restructuring of the Communications and Funds Development (CFD) office that supports the Council's mission and ministry programs.
Karen Schmidt, deputy executive director for communications and funds development, described the changes as responsive to the new organization of the Council staff, which was approved by the Council at its September 2006 meeting, and to the biennial Mission Work Plan goals and objectives of the Council.
The 2007-2008 Mission Work Plan prioritizes the council's $100 million enterprise into four goal areas: Justice and Compassion, Leadership and Vocation, Spirituality and Discipleship, and Evangelism and Witness. Each goal area has two concrete objectives for a total of eight.
"I've spent the first ninety days as deputy executive director talking with staff, listening around the church, and applying proven disciplines of communications and funds development to find the best responses to the opportunities facing the General Assembly Council," Schmidt said.
"This reorganization aligns our work with the mission program priorities of the denomination and with the new organization of the Council staff that took effect in large part January 1, 2006," she added.
The changes create six departments within the new Communications and Funds Development ministry area - creative services, executive office communications, funds development, funds development services, mission communications, and mission interpretation - in addition to the Presbyterian News Service.
Eleven current staff positions, primarily in the area of mission funding and stewardship have been eliminated as part of this restructure, but fourteen new positions will be created as part of the refocused operations.
"Everywhere I go around the church," said GAC Executive Director Linda Valentine, "people tell me that they want improved communication and more funds to be available for mission. These changes will focus our energies on promoting the mission of the church and helping people to engage and support that mission."
The responsibilities of the new CFD departments include:
* Creative services: will combine internet, media and graphic services into one coordinated office;
* Executive office communication: organizational and policy matters, internal (employee) communication, crisis communication planning and PresbyTel, the PC(USA)'s general information service;
* Funds development: the cluster of services charged with raising funds for denominational mission, including The Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts & Hands and the Church Financial Campaign Service;
* Funds development services: the data management area, providing technological support for donor contact and support;
* Mission communications: providing direct support for the mission programs of the denominations, with each major program area - Theology Worship and Education, World Mission, Relief and Development, Justice and Peace, Racial Ethnic and Women's Ministries/Presbyterian Women and Evangelism and Church Growth - having its own communication support staff;
* Mission Interpretation: The former mission education & promotion area, re-focused around mission interpretation, adding Presbyterians Today magazine to a line-up that also includes including the Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, the Presbyterian Planning Calendar and support for special offerings and disaster relief. Presbyterian News Service will remain unchanged by this reorganization and will report to the deputy executive director.
The fourteen new staff positions will be posted on the denomination's "One Door" Web site <http://onedoor.pcusa.org/> in about a week.
One of the major components of the reorganization, said Schmidt, "in addition to the primary emphasis on serving client programs in the mission organization, is a broadened focus on stewardship in the life of the denomination."
The Theology Worship and Education program area will provide resources on the theology of stewardship as a spiritual discipline. The Mission Interpretation program area will be responsible for interpreting stewardship in the life of the church. The Church Financial Campaign Service field staff, in a new deployment of resources, will be responsible for the delivery of stewardship education and conferences.
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