wfn.org | Resourcing Team Concept Advanced

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3433 notes).

Note 3433 by UMNS on Feb. 14, 1997 at 11:11 Eastern (2373 characters).

SEARCH:  UMCom, Robert Edgar, Conference Resources Team
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT:  Thomas S. McAnally                     79(10-71B){3433}
          Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470           Feb. 13, 1997

UMCom Executive Committee approves task force
proposal for Conference Resourcing Team

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- A task force proposal aimed at
improving services to annual conferences was approved by the
executive committee of United Methodist Communications (UMCom) Feb.
7 and is being forwarded to the agency's entire governing body,
which will meet here April 4-5.
      If approved by the 26-member commission, a search will begin
immediately for a director.  That associate general secretary then
will employ by fall two people to assist with networking and
administration of the new "Conference Resourcing Team."  
     The team approach envisioned in the proposal calls for closing
UMCom field offices in each of the church's five U.S.
jurisdictions.
     The Rev. Robert Edgar, Claremont, Calif., chairman of the task
force that prepared the proposal, told United Methodist News
Service a change is needed in the "culture of thinking" about how
UMCom provides services to annual conferences.  
     "Rather than thinking that a few individuals can handle all 66
conferences, it will be an agency initiative and a team process,"
he said.
     "The team will have the authority to work internally at UMCom
to bring the important resources of the agency directly to the
conference as well as to contract out for additional specialized
resources that annual conferences may have," he said.
     "The task force was very appreciative of the considerable
talents of the existing field staff and has requested the general
secretary (Judith Weidman) to work with them in this transition,"
Edgar said.  "While this reorganization will mean the elimination
of five regional offices, we believe that the new conference
resourcing team will enhance meeting the needs of the conferences."
     The team, he stressed, will include not only three staff
people in Nashville but other agency staff and individuals from
annual conferences.
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