wfn.org | Protestant Hour May Be Re-Funded

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

19-June-1997 
GA97100 
 
                 Protestant Hour May Be Re-Funded 
 
                         by Dee Wade 
 
 
SYRACUSE--Responding to Commissioners' Resolution 97-22, the Assembly 
Committee on Mission Program and Coordination voted to recommend that the 
Protestant Hour be restored to the General Assembly Mission Budget.  The 
popular and long-running radio program was cut from the 1998 and 1999 
budgets due to decreases in unrestricted mission giving from congregations 
to the General Assembly.  Dr. Douglas Oldenberg, President of Columbia 
Theological Seminary, spoke before the committee of his plans to solicit 
special funding from "tall steeple" churches to ensure that a Presbyterian 
presence remain on the program's air-time.   However, Oldenberg stated that 
he would greatly prefer that the funding come from the whole church as a 
statement of support of a program which regularly reaches 2.5 million 
people.  The loss of funding from the unrestricted portion of church budget 
"is a result of what happens when people stop giving to General Assembly," 
Oldenberg said.   He also stated that the $40,000 annual Presbyterian share 
in the Protestant Hour, a partnership with 3 other denominations, is well 
worth the cost.  The committee, apparently, agreed. 
 
    Other actions wrapped up the Mission Program and Coordination 
Committee's work until the Assembly plenary: 
 
    -- The approval of a set of recommendations dealing with the report of 
the Task Force on Partnership in the Allocation of Restricted Funds.  These 
recommendations would allow a congregation, presbytery, or synod to apply 
for funds for mission that might be restricted to their geographical area. 
Other restrictions made by the original donor would also apply,  and only 
funds uncommitted by previous obligations would be available to new mission 
partners.  The committee added a comment, which expressed concerns 
regarding the historical connections between certain endowment funds for 
mission and particular institutions which provide miinistry with and for 
racial ethnic constituencies.  The comment "directs the General Assembly 
Council (GAC), though its appropriate committee, to recall the importance 
of these ministries to the church as the GAC makes its allocation 
decisions." 
 
    -- The Committee discussed and recommended to the General Assembly 
changes in the Manual of Operations of the General Assembly Council.  These 
include some adjustments in structure, additions to the job description of 
the Executive Director of the GAC, and some revisions of the Council's open 
meeting policy. 
 
    -- They voted to disapprove a recommendation from the Office of the 
General Assembly and the General Assembly Council to establish a "Year for 
Healing and Christian Unity."  This proposal would lift-up ecumenism and 
confession, world missions and evangelism, interfaith alliances and 
dialogue, peacemaking and prayer, and would cover the period between the 
211th General Assembly (1999) and the 213th (2001). 
 
    In response to Commissioner's Resolution 97-27, they approved a 
proposal to expand the recycling program of the Presbyterian Center in 
Louisville. 
 
    The committee voted unanimously to commend the General AssemblyCouncil 
for its report "of its accomplishments since the last General Assembly," 
including  the "attractive" booklet which contains the 1997 Council Report 
and the new print and World Wide Web editions of Presbyterians Being 
Faithful to Jesus Christ . 

------------
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 
  mailed from World Faith News <wfn-news@wfn.org>  

--