wfn.org | Closing of Bicentennial Fund Delayed

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

25-February-1997 
97100 
 
              Closing of Bicentennial Fund Delayed  
                   a Year for Final Collections 
 
                      by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--The Bicentennial Fund campaign, destined to fall far short 
of its $150 million goal, will officially stay in business an extra year -- 
through 1998 -- as campaign officials try to collect the last of the 
pledges made to the ambitious effort. 
 
     The General Assembly Council (GAC) voted to keep the Fund active for 
an extra year -- it was scheduled to wind down at the end of 1997 -- after 
reports at its Feb. 4-9 meeting here that total receipts as of Dec. 31, 
1997, were $71,341,510. 
 
     Campaign managers have revised the income projection down to $80 
million.  However, in its report to the GAC, the Bicentennial Fund 
Accountability Committee expressed "concern" that the $80 million 
projection "may not be realized for the overall campaign."  James Tse, 
chair of the committee said the anticipated additional $9 million "is at 
risk." 
 
     The group cited several reasons for the failure of the Bicentennial 
Fund campaign to reach its goal: 
 
     *    a mid-campaign increase in the original goal of the campaign from 
          $125 million to $150 million to include General Assembly-mandated 
          priorities of increased evangelism efforts and the raising of the 
          number of missionaries sent overseas 
    *     the unwillingness of 21 presbyteries to participate in the 
          campaign 
    *     competing campaigns in "an extraordinary number" of churches and 
          presbyteries 
    *     a mid-campaign hike in the announced rate of administrative 
          expenses for the campaign from 12 percent to 13.5 percent 
    *     a prolonged national recession 
    *     "a changing spirit among the church's members about the nature of 
          the Presbyterian Church's overall priorities and governing 
          relationships." 
 
     The Bicentennial Fund campaign was approved by the 1986 General 
Assembly and plans for the fund-raising effort were approved the following 
year.  The actual fund-raising campaigns were carried out between 1988 and 
1993. 
 
     But by the time campaign follow-up began in June of 1993, the campaign 
had already used up the $20.4 million allotted for administrative expenses. 
Thus, the follow-up efforts were crippled almost before they could begin. 
Currently, the Bicentennial Fund staff consists of one paid field person 
who is following up with presbyteries that have not completed their 
campaigns.  In 1995, the 207th General Assembly wrote off a $3.3 million 
start-up loan from the Presbyterian Mission Program Fund. 
 
     The Accountability Committee is recommending to the upcoming General 
Assembly in Syracuse, N.Y., that the Assembly moderator and the chair and 
executive director of the GAC "encourage the church at large to continue to 
fulfill its obligations to the Bicentennial Fund" by 
 
          sharing a summary of the programmatic successes of The 
Bicentennial Fund 
          encouraging all governing bodies to submit their receipts and 
reports "in a regular and 
          timely manner" 
          "strongly" encouraging presbyteries not to use Bicentennial funds 
for any other purposes 
          instructing Corporate and Administrative Services to continue 
providing a monthly 
          report on campaign activities. 

------------
For more information contact Presbyterian News Service
  phone 502-569-5504             fax 502-569-8073  
  E-mail PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org   Web page: http://www.pcusa.org 

--