New way forward for Reformed church group

["Penny Blachut" <PBL@warc.ch>]

>World Communion of Reformed Churches  
>News Release
>16 May 2011

>New way forward for Reformed church group

The largest global grouping of Reformed churches has approved a
strategic plan for 2011- 2017 that focuses on youth leadership
development, increased collaboration with regional church groups,
and a call to make visible the connection between Reformed
theology and justice concerns. The decision came during meetings
of the Executive Committee of the World Communion of Reformed
Churches (WCRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, last week.

*The spirit of change is moving through the global family of
Reformed churches,* WCRC President, Jerry Pillay says. *This
is the time for us to focus our efforts in responding to the
needs of a hurting and broken world. We can*t do it all. Now is
the time to choose what to do and to prepare ourselves to do it
well.*

Executive Committee discussions focused on a strategic plan for
2011-2017, the year of the organization*s next global
agenda-setting gathering. The plan was developed following the
launch of WCRC in June 2010, following the merger of the World
Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council
in Grand Rapids, United States. 

Omega Bula of the United Church of Canada coordinated the
Strategic Planning Team whose members were appointed from
Malaysia, Uruguay, Northern Ireland, and the United States, South
Africa and Canada.

The plan points to the importance of communicating what it means
to be a member of the Reformed church tradition and to working
with regional church groups to address gender, economic and
environmental concerns. Mission and the study of Reformed
theology in today*s world, along with renewed worship models,
will be key to the work of the organization in coming years.

In welcoming the adoption of the plan, WCRC General Secretary
Setri Nyomi, says, *This helps the staff team discern how best
to meet the priority needs named by member churches and key
partners in response to the Strategic Planning Team*s request
for input.*

This process of prioritizing is particularly important, Nyomi
says, given the small staff team in Geneva - two programme staff,
one communication staff person, one finance staff person and a
support team of two assistants. 

One of the programme positions will be vacant until later in the
year when a new Executive Secretary for Justice and Partnership
will be named to replace Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth who leaves
the post at the end of May.

In his report on finances, the General Treasurer, Gottfried
Locher, told the Executive Committee that funding for programmes
such as theological education, gender justice and mission is
strong. Locher noted, however, that financing for the core budget
of the organization remains a concern. Core budget costs include
salaries, office space, travel, and communication.

*The problem is not with expenses,* Locher says. *It is
with income. The rising value of the Swiss franc against other
currencies means WCRC realizes less income from donations made in
US dollars, for example.*

WCRC*s Finance Officer, Yueh Cho reported that 60 member
churches have not paid their annual contribution in over three
years. In response, the Executive Committee voted to enforce a
constitutional provision that calls for church membership to be
suspended when a church fails to respond to correspondence about
arrears in contributions. The churches in arrears will first be
given time to make up the amount due.

The Executive Committee approved a balanced budget for 2011
while endorsing the call for all member churches to pay their
membership dues. Work continues on fundraising initiatives in
support of the WCRC Endowment Fund in North America. Fundraising
opportunities in other regions of the world are under discussion.

The Executive Committee concluded its meetings by paying tribute
to the Executive Secretary for Justice and Partnership, Patricia
Sheerattan-Bisnauth who is leaving her position to return to her
native Guyana. 

In his comments, WCRC*s General Secretary told
Sheerattan-Bisnauth: *Your commitment to justice is remarkable
and has made a difference in the lives of women and men in our
churches all over the world.  On the staff team your ability to
make possible what others say is impossible is a great gift to
the World Communion of Reformed Churches.*

Representatives from the World Council of Churches, Lutheran
World Federation, and the Council for European Churches praised
Sheerattan-Bisnauth for her collaboration in ecumenical
programmes focused on gender rights, environmental concerns, and
economic justice. 

The Guyanese pastor said her years with WCRC had offered
wonderful opportunities to meet and work with gifted people from
around the world. These experiences have convinced her, she says,
that church people can make a difference, even if organizations
like WCRC have limited financial resources. 

*Small ways are big ways,* Sheerattan-Bisnauth told the
group. *WCRC is like the biblical parable of the feeding of the
5000 with five loaves and two fishes. God will never leave us
without what we need to do our work,* she says.

WCRC was created in June 2010 through a merger of the World
Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical
Council (REC). Its 230 member churches representing 80 million
Christians are active worldwide in initiatives supporting
economic, climate and gender justice, mission, and cooperation
among Christians of different traditions. 

>Media Contacts: 
>Kristine Greenaway
>Office of Communications
>Email: kgr@wcrc.ch <mailto:kgr@wcrc.ch
>tel: +41 (0)22 791 62 43;
>fax: +41 (0)22 791 65 05
>www.wcrc.ch <http://www.wcrc.ch/