wfn.org | CMD Committee Faces Some Tough Financial Sledding

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8-December-1998 
98400 
 
    CMD Committee Faces Some Tough Financial Sledding 
 
    by Bill Lancaster 
 
STONY POINT, N.Y.-The Congregational Ministries Division Committee (CMDC) 
approved a financial aid package for its Stony Point Conference Center and 
took some hard looks at its Curriculum Publishing Program Area, which is 
facing a huge budget shortfall when it met here Nov. 15-18. 
 
    Amid its regular business the committee dedicated the completely 
renovated Gilmore-Sloane house at Stony Point, installed the Rev. William 
(Bill) Pindar as Stony Point's new director, and toured the Presbyterian 
United Nations Office in nearby New York City. 
 
    The committee also studied a proposed policy whereby elected members of 
CMDC would review controversial curriculum before it goes to press. 
 
    And the group heard a progress report from its search committee for a 
new director for the Congregational Ministries Division (CMD). 
 
              The new Gilmore-Sloane House 
 
    The Gilmore-Sloane house, center piece for Stony Point, has just 
undergone a complete renovation at a cost of approximately $1 million. 
Funds came from the family which originally donated the house and land to 
the church.  The renovation of the three-story, Victorian mansion included 
everything from restoring the original Tiffany wall paper in the dining 
room to adding computer hookups in the sleeping rooms. 
 
    A Presbyterian New York decorator donated approximately $90,000 worth 
of her services to the renovation project.  The result is a showplace of 
beauty and comfort. 
 
    Pindar, formerly pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in the theater 
district of New York City, was installed as Stony Point Director on the 
first day of the Sunday-Wednesday meeting. On Tuesday night, Pindar managed 
to pull together an incredible cabaret show - "Calvin's Caf‚" - for the 
CMDC members and the Expanded Staff Leadership Cabinet and synod 
executives, who were also meeting there. 
 
          Curriculum profits lower than expected 
 
    The curriculum review policy was proposed by committee member and 
former GAC chair Fred Denson, a lawyer and elder from Webster, N.Y. 
Denson's policy would set up a "review subcommittee" of elected people who 
would read any proposed curriculum having to do with sex or other 
controversial matters and forward their comments or objections to the CPPA 
associate director within ten days. 
 
    If no comments or objections were received within ten days, the 
associate director could proceed with publication.  If there were 
objections, the associate director would refer the matter to the Curriculum 
Publishing Committee (CPC) chair for resolution.  This process would be 
mandatory.  The review subcommittee of three to five people would be 
appointed by the CPC chair. 
 
    Denson said the review subcommittee must not practice censorship, but 
be responsible for assuring compliance with General Assembly policy. 
 
    Committee member Warren Barnes of Sacramento, Calif., raised concerns 
about censorship and exercising "prior constraint."  Senior curriculum 
editor Faye Burdick raised three concerns: the fact that some year-one 
Covenant People curriculum already is in production and has not been 
through the process, which curriculum includes the story of Abraham, Sarah 
and Hagar;  the fact that CPC membership changes regularly, so the use of 
the policy could change; and the need to "trust editors you have hired." 
 
    Committee member John Herndon of Huntsville, Ala., urged the curriculum 
staff to be bold. "Don't just respond to people in the pews, but educate 
people in the pews.  Push the envelope.  Help people grow," he said. 
 
        The CPC left the policy to Denson and Barnes to revise for the 
February meeting. 
 
    Much of the CPC meeting was spent wrestling with financial and 
marketing problems in the curriculum publishing enterprise.  CPPA associate 
director Donna Blackstock told the committee that net earnings through 
October were $79,327.  Curriculum profits are expected to run around 
$200,000 for 1998, but CPC had projected possible profits of $600,000, 
resulting in a $400,000 shortfall in anticipated income. 
 
    CPPA has so far invested $697,441 in developing the new Covenant People 
curriculum, but it is not available for use until 2000.  Meanwhile, sales 
of its current staples, Bible Discovery and Celebrate, are down from 
previous years, and curriculum sales of the old series are at an expected 
all-time low, Blackstock told the committee, which impacts start-up costs 
for the new resources. 
 
    A marketing plan for Covenant People is not yet ready, though 
Blackstock said it would be ready by February. 
 
    All this means that 1999 could be a rough year, according to 
Blackstock.  "We need to encourage our congregations to hang on so they're 
ready to switch in 2000 when the new material comes," Blackstock said. 
 
    The CPC discussed an array of factors related to the problem, and 
explored potential solutions.  Among them: 
 
 
    *  Curriculum Publishing may need some mission dollars, and an overture 
       may come from Greater Atlanta Presbytery to General Assembly seeking 
       mission funding 
    *  a loan to CPPA from the General Assembly Council 
    *  new marketing and production cost-cutting strategies 
    *  development of a five-year cash plan, though CPPA doesn't have a 
       financial manager who might produce one 
    *  more financial management help from Mission Support Services (MSS) 
    *  elected "champions" to advocate for CPPA curriculum 
 
    CPC Chair Carole Rummell of Mineral Ridge, Ohio, told the committee, 
"We're in a learning process." 
 
    Denson was more impatient and suggested staff and budget cuts may be 
needed sooner rahter than later.  "At what point do we come to grips with 
reality and say we've gotta bite the bullet here?  When do we make that 
decision?  Is that at the February meeting?  Is that in the middle of next 
year, or is that some time sooner?"  Denson said. 
 
    Committee member Donn Cobb of Clovis, Calif., agreed.  "There's some 
heavy stuff going on here, and nothing is being done." 
 
              Financial aid approved for Stony Point 
 
    The CMDC approved financial assistance for the Stony Point Conference 
Center of up to $100,000 in 1998.  The committee also agreed to "seriously 
consider" up to $75,000 in 1999 and up to $50,000 in 2000.  The money is to 
come from unexpended unified funds, if there are any, in each of 
those years. 
 
    The financial will cover operating deficits at the conference center, 
which during the last four years has had three interim directors, an 
unsettling period in which income has fallen. 
 
                  Management structure shuffled 
 
    The full committee voted to reconfigure on a trial basis the 
Congregational Ministries Division, modifying a proposal by CMD interim 
director the Rev. Richard Ferguson. 
 
    The reconfiguration expands the CMD staff table to include associate 
directors, coordinators, two senior editors in CPPA, and the associate for 
resource centers.  Previously, only the director and associate directors 
met at the management table. 
 
    The CMDC also voted to postpone filling the position of associate 
director for Christian 
Faith and Life until the new CMD director is called.  The other three CMD 
program areas are Christian Education, Curriculum Publishing, and 
Stewardship. 
 
            The Presbyterian United Nations Office 
 
    On Monday of the meeting, CMDC members toured the Presbyterian United 
Nations Office (PUNO), located directly across the street from the U.N. 
building in New York City. The office is funded by the annual Presbyterian 
Church (U.S.A.) Peacemaking Offering. 
 
    Committee members were welcomed by Robert F. Smylie, PUNO Coordinator, 
briefed on U.N. purposes and activities by Bernie Ramcharan, U.N. Deputy 
High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Gillian Sorensen, U.N. Assistant 
Secretary - General, Office of External Relations. 
 
    Committee members then toured the U.N. building. 

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