wfn.org | CoB Newsline- General Board, Ross resigns, elections

[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      June 30, 1997
Contact:  Paula Wilding
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

Newsline           June 30, 1997  

Newsline for June 30. In the news today:   

1) The General Board's Executive Committee met Saturday and 
Sunday in preparation for  the Board's summer meetings, scheduled
for Tuesday. It:         
   a) approved a $150,000 reduction to its proposed 1998 budget.  
   b) heard a progress report on the implementation of the 
      Board's redesign.         
   c) approved measures designed to curtail the Board's spiraling
      insurance costs.         
   d) received a plan calling for continued study on how SERRV
      International can become better equipped to compete in 
      today's handcraft marketplace.         
   e) approved its continued involvement with the World Council
      of Churches Central Committee.         
   f) met in closed session to discuss candidates for executive
      director and two additional Leadership Team positions. 
2) Annual Conference Moderator-elect Jimmy Ross resigns. 
3) Standing Committee pares down the ballot for elected 
      denominational positions.   

1a) The stark reality of the Church of the Brethren General
Board's financial status and its continued affect on the Board's
ongoing redesign were described to the Board's Executive
Committee, which convened Saturday and Sunday in advance of the
Board's summer meetings on Tuesday.   

The committee first discussed and ultimately approved a request
by the Board's Interim Leadership Team to reduce the Board's
proposed 1998 budget by $150,000. The Interim Leadership Team,
comprised of nine top Board employees, in March replaced the
former five-member Administrative Council leadership structure. 

Interim Leadership Team members, summarizing one at a time how
the redesign process is affecting their particular areas, said
this budget reduction is difficult for them to propose -- as they
don't know from where the reductions will come -- but is needed
to ensure that the redesign is successfully implemented.  

There have been two financial assumptions throughout the Board's
2 1/3-year redesign process, said Judy Keyser, treasurer and
director of Centralized Resources. The first is that the Board
will be set up financially so that changes can be implemented
over a five-year period without the need for further reductions.
The second is that congregational giving will continue to
decrease at about $40,000 per year over that same five-year
period.  

In March the Board nearly approved 1998 budget parameters of
about $5.3 million, but eventually settled for $5 million based
on then-current financial projections. Even though the $5 million
figure has been difficult for the Interim leadership Team to
reach, the cumulative May 1997 budget report shows congregational
giving to be $40,000 behind, with seven months remaining. Thus, a
slight increase in giving that was experienced in 1996 is seen as
an aberration, not a trend.  

"We believe a small reduction in 1998 will allow us to have a
longer period of time where we won't have to make major
reductions," Keyser said. "We're working to make the cup
half-full instead of half-empty."  

Wendy McFadden, Brethren Press director/publisher and Interim
Leadership Team member, said one point that needs clarification
to Board and denominational members is the Board's financial
reserves, which at more than $2 million could lead people to
believe the Board's financial status has plenty of cushion with
which to work.  

Though it was not discussed during Saturday's open session by the
Executive Committee, it is known that the Board's reserves serve
at least two purposes -- to buffer against financial shortfalls
and to assist in the running of General Board ministries. The
latter use is less known, though equally important. In short, the
reserves allow the General Board to have cash flow by providing
the Board with a source from which it can temporarily borrow.
This practice is used often to cover payroll and other routine
expenses, and occasionally for special circumstances.  

For example, in October 1995 Messenger magazine and Agenda
newsletter were given the opportunity to purchase its paper for
1996 in advance at a savings of about $5,000, according to Nevin
Dulabaum, Messenger managing editor. Because the expense for that
paper had to be applied to the 1996 budget, about $40,000 was
borrowed from the Board's reserves to purchase the paper. In
January 1996 that money was returned to the reserves from the
Messenger and Agenda budgets.  

As approved by the Executive Committee, the 1998 budget parameter
that the General Board will consider on Tuesday calls for a
budget of $4,850,000. Add to that $135,000 from the "Behold I
make all things new" financial commitment program, and the total
becomes $4,985,000. This is down from the $5,135,000 (including
the "Behold" funds) approved by the Board in March.   

1b) To explain their proposed $150,000 reduction to 1998 budget
parameters, Interim Leadership Team members gave detailed reports
regarding their efforts to shape the ministries they supervise in
light of vast reductions in staff and resources.  

Wendy McFadden described the uncertainties faced by the new
Brethren Press, which now includes the Board's publishing unit,
Communication Team, yearbook and office of Customer Service.
McFadden said she originally tried to rearrange work assignments
so that work within the merged units could continue producing
what they've produced in the past. However, faced with a $200,000
reduction in budget, tough decisions will need to be made. "We
are at the point where we will have to figure out how not to do
it all," she added.   

Because Congregational Life Ministries is one of the new areas
created in this redesign, and an area that shifts part of the
Board's ministry focus, it has received a lot of attention, said
Glenn Timmons, director. Timmons' concern is that the perception
will be that the Board has promised more than it can deliver. One
key aspect of this portfolio is for teams of staff to be deployed
in a handful of regions throughout the United States, with the
responsibility of working together with congregations and
districts. Financial realities appear to have limited the number
of full-time Congregational Life personnel to nine, although that
number should be higher through creative structuring, such as
employing volunteers and sharing part-time personnel with
districts. Timmons said his portfolio also will include Youth and
Young Adult Ministries, a support staff position for Puerto Rico,
financial support for an ecumenical evangelism center and
curriculum development. One ministry not included is new church
development, which Timmons said was not included in the Board's
vision and core functions statements and was not identified by
the Board as a ministry that should be continued.  

A reduction in funding means that Volunteer Service Ministries
needs to make some tough choices, said Dan McFadden, director.
With a reduction in personnel and budget, McFadden said Brethren
Volunteer Service will suffer, particularly in the area of
recruitment. However, he said he is committed to trying to
attract as many volunteers as possible, particularly Brethren.
One portion of the volunteer portfolio that will be hit hard
because of reduced staff and resources is Program Volunteers,
which includes volunteers who serve as General Board staff  and
in other capacities around the country.  

McFadden said he is going to try to address volunteer needs of
the future by conducting a needs assessment survey among other
General Board ministries and other Brethren organizations that
utilize volunteers.  

The area hardest hit through redesign is Global Mission
Partnerships, said director Merv Keeney. Reduced are missions to
Africa and Latin America/Caribbean. Gone are missions in Asia,
Korea, the Middle East and Europe (though Brethren Volunteer
Service will still have a presence in Europe).  

"What do we have?" Keeney asked. "We have a base of programs in
Africa and Latin America that we can build on."  

Global Mission Partnerships also includes Refugee/Disaster
Services, which consists of Material Aid, Refugee Services,
Disaster Services and Cooperative Disaster Child Care.  

Keeney lamented that his initial hope of having an assistant who
would work with global outreach, serving to connect overseas
ministries with congregations, will not be fulfilled because of a
lack of funding. However, he has held discussions with Timmons
about the Congregational Life Teams picking up an aspect of
global ministry outreach.  

Judy Keyser, who serves as treasurer and Centralized Services
director, said her portfolio has many future challenges. The
biggest include operating two sites -- in Elgin, Ill., and New
Windsor, Md. -- on supposedly a break-even basis; offering
several duplicated services at both sites; trying to nurture the
Brethren Conference Center in New Windsor to profitability; and
providing phone, mail and computer services for all Board staff.
Keyser summarized that she is uncertain how her reduced budgets
will be met, particularly with some factors that are out of her
control.  

Ken Neher, director of Funding, said his challenge has been to
maintain the current level of staffing, as personal contact with
donors is what will ensure the success of planned giving for
years to come. However, because of a reduction in budget, Neher
will not be able to replace himself in the field office in which
he served prior to being named director. Thus, in addition to
serving as director, Neher will also serve as field
representative for the area west of the Mississippi.  

Though he is uncertain which portfolio will pick this up, Neher
said Stewardship Education continues to be an area that is needed
within the General Board structure, as that ministry works
directly with congregations. With a projected decline in
congregational giving, the need for stewardship education is
obvious, Neher said.  

Two other portfolios -- executive director, Brethren Witness and
Ministry -- remain unfilled. However, Karen Miller, interim
General Secretary until an executive director is hired and is in
place, said the General Board on Tuesday will receive proposals
regarding these positions from the Executive Committee. The
committee met in closed session Saturday afternoon and Sunday
morning, presumably to deal with those positions.  

Asked about the status of the General Board's Washington, D.C.,
office, Miller replied that the director of Brethren Witness,
when hired, will determine the future of that office.   

1c) In an effort to keep yearly insurance increases to the
General Board at 10 percent or less, the Executive Committee
approved two measures that will reduce its future insurance
costs. Beginning Wednesday, people hired by the General Board
will be asked to pay 50 percent of the insurance premium for
dependent coverage. This would not affect current employees, who
pay 33 percent. The committee also approved a proportional
insurance premium sharing plan for part-time employees  the
percentage of their workload compared to a full-time position is
the percentage of their insurance premium that would be paid for
by the Board. The General Board is expected to vote on the
Executive Committee's recommendations on Tuesday.  

The Executive Committee also received a report on plans to raise
medical deductibles, out-of-pocket maximum expenses and
coinsurance formulas. Those possible actions won't be formally
brought to the committee for action until the General Boards
October meetings.  

Two other human resource issues were also addressed: The
Executive Committee agreed to allow retired employees to draw
their pension at 55, down from the current 60. And the committee
agreed that the current policy for terminated employees, which
has been modified during the redesign process, will return to the
former policy unless a termination is related to redesign and
approval is granted by the executive director.  

1d) "We are our best when we can do our best." So said Bob Chase,
director of SERRV International, when describing why a proposal
will come Tuesday before the General Board that would allow for
the study of several major proposed changes to the relationship
the handcraft ministry has with the Board.  

The ministry, which traces its roots back to the end of World War
II, needs to be able to compete with other handcraft
organizations, Chase said. That means wage packages need to be
adjusted, the location needs to be studied (SERRV currently is
headquartered in New Windsor, Md.), computer software and
hardware needs to be tailored to SERRV's unique needs, and the
liability that the General Board has because of SERRV needs to be
reduced.  

Thus, the current SERRV Study Committee of Bonnie Kline Smeltzer
(chair), Rogers Fike, Judy Keyser, Charles Layman and Chase are
asking that an advisory committee be named in October to replace
the current study committee. The advisory committee then would
investigate all aspects of separate incorporation and will serve
as advisors to SERRV administrators. No action was taken as this
was merely a report to the Executive Committee.   

1e) Former general secretary Don Miller, during his tenure, was
appointed to serve on the World Council of Churches' Central
Committee. Even though Miller retired in December, that
appointment is still active through 1997. Thus, the Executive
Committee agreed to pay for Miller to attend the Central
Committee's meetings this fall in Geneva.   

1f) The Executive Committee met in closed session Saturday
afternoon and Sunday morning, presumably to discuss candidates
for executive director (formerly general secretary) and directors
of Brethren Witness and Ministry. The full Board is expected to
address these open positions in closed session Tuesday morning.
If any of those positions are filled as a result, an announcement
is expected sometime after the Board meets in open session,
tentatively scheduled to begin at 10:45 a.m.   

2) Annual Conference moderator-elect Jimmy Ross has resigned.
Citing the need to eliminate stress following prostate cancer
surgery in May, Ross said his doctor suggested that he resign
from the highest elected position within the Church of the
Brethren. Having served a year as moderator-elect, Ross was
originally scheduled to be consecrated as moderator on Sunday.  

In a letter to moderator David Wine, Ross said his post-surgery
recovery has gone well, except for a bout with depression.
However, Ross said he feels the need to heed his doctor's orders.
"As painful as this is, I feel I must do as he has suggested,"
Ross said.  

Ross' resignation was received on Friday, just four days before
the start of Annual Conference. Ross, who announced several weeks
ago he would be unable to attend this year's Conference, was
scheduled to serve as worship leader during the opening worship
service Tuesday evening. He will be replaced by Anne Myers,
Annual Conference secretary.  

"It has been a great honor to be called by the church to serve
Christ in this position of such great responsibility," Ross
wrote. "I was looking forward to serving, assured of the
prayerful support and cooperation of so many across the
denomination. Please express my gratitude to everyone for the
love, concern and prayers during the time of my surgery and
recovery.  

In response to Ross' resignation, the Annual Conference Standing
Committee approved motions stating that an acting moderator will
serve the 1998 Conference; that Wine's tenure will extend through
August 31, 1997; and that a person will be appointed by Standing
Committee and confirmed by Annual Conference delegates to
complete the 1998 term.   

3) Standing Committee, convening in its meetings prior to the
start of Annual Conference, has reduced the ballot of nominees
for denominational positions by half. This is a routine task
undertaken each year by Standing Committee, which will now send
the remaining candidates on to Annual Conference delegates for
final vote. These candidates are:  
*Annual Conference moderator-elect: Joan Deeter, N. Manchester,
Ind.; Lowell Flory, McPherson, Kan. 
*Annual Conference secretary: Lena Miller, Westminster, Md.;
Cathy Huffman, Rocky Mount, Va. 
*General Board, at-large: David Gerber, Hanover, Pa.; Donald
Parker, West Salem, Ohio; Christy Waltersdorff, Lombard, Ill.;
Myrna Wheeler, San Dimas, Calif. 
*General Board, Idaho: Edward Kerschensteiner, Boise; James
Schmidt, Boise. 
*General Board, Shenandoah: Martha Barlow, Dayton, Va.; J.D.
Glick, Harrisonburg, Va. 
*General Board, Western Plains: Don Booz, McPherson, Kan.;
Christy Dowdy, Lincoln, Neb. 
*Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee: Marla Abe,
Akron, Ohio; Becky Rhodes, Roanoke, Va. 
*Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee (five-year
term): Scott Duffey, Westminster, Md.; Sharon Hutchison, Mt. Joy,
Pa. 
*Pastoral Compensation and Benefits Advisory Committee (two-year
unexpired term): Ron Beachley, Davidsville, Pa.; Sidney King,
Nampa, Idaho. 
*Committee on Interchurch Relations: Joe Loomis, Furnace, Pa.;
Ken Kline Smeltzer, Modesto, Calif. 
*Brethren Benefit Trust: Rosalyn Neuenschwander, Decatur, Ind.;
Greg Geisert, Harrisonburg, Va. 
*Bethany Theological Seminary elector (representing the
colleges): Eric Bishop, Upland, Calif.; incumbent Carl Bowman,
Verona, Va. 
*Bethany Theological Seminary elector (representing the
ministry): Debbie Eisenbise, Kalamazoo, Mich.; Guy Wampler,
Lancaster, Pa.    

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