wfn.org | GCOM identifies essential functions, values for successor group

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Nov. 22, 1999  News media contact: Thomas S. McAnally*(615)
742-5470*Nashville, Tenn. 10-71B {625}

ROSEMONT, Ill. (UMNS) - The General Council on Ministries (GCOM) has voted
not go to the 2000 General Conference with an alternative proposal to the
Connectional Process Team (CPT) report. 

The decision was made during the final meeting of the GCOM governing
members, Nov. 12-16. However, in its official report to the General
Conference, the council will call attention to changes taking place
throughout the denomination at all levels, and it will describe how these
changes have attempted to model for the church greater collaboration and
conciliar decision-making as a new way to function in the future. 

Some council members had suggested earlier that a separate proposal might be
necessary if the CPT report did not adequately reflect their concerns or if
another plan should be necessary in case the CPT report is not adopted.
General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, will meet May
2-12 in Cleveland.

GCOM members are including in their General Conference report a paper
titled, "A New Season for the United Methodist Church; a process for
envisioning and resourcing mission and ministry for living into God's
preferred future." The paper affirms the concept of a Covenant Council that
will gather "spiritual and prophetic lay and clergy leaders for discernment,
discussion, decision- and disciple-making." 

Council members also voted to pass along to General Conference delegates and
to the CPT writing team a list of functions they consider essential and a
list of values they believe should be upheld in fulfilling those functions.

GCOM is asking the proposed the new group to:

·	"Articulate a clear and compelling ministry vision;
·	"Align all ministry resources through a collaborative
decision-making process, including the general boards and agencies and the
General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA);
·	"Model, teach and practice our identity as United Methodist
Christians;
·	"Clearly state and communicate missional objectives and faith
stories; and
·	"Engage in leadership development and training and ensure
inclusiveness of participation."
	
	In fulfilling these functions, the Covenant Council is asked to
uphold the following values:
	
·	"Knowing God's will for our work;
·	"Living as biblical people in the Wesleyan tradition;
·	"Being in relationships that are collegial, cooperative and
inclusive;
·	"Ensuring that all be present at the table (ethnic/racial, gender,
age, clergy/lay, geographic);
·	"Practicing hospitality;
·	"Articulating a clear vision; and
·	"Telling the story of our collective ministry."

GCOM has sought to model the move from competition to collaboration in its
own organizational procedures and by sponsoring events where everyone is
brought to a "common table." One example, which received high marks, was a
consultation where all eight churchwide program agencies, GCOM and GCFA
representatives collaborated together on a World Service budget for the next
quadrennium. World Service is the basic mission fund of the church supported
by money apportioned to local churches.  

Two other consultations were sponsored by GCOM during the quadrennium,
bringing together representatives from the 14 churchwide agencies, annual
conferences, racial/ethnic constituency representatives, the Council of
Bishops, GCFA and GCOM itself. In their efforts to "conference" with
everyone possible, GCOM members visited United Methodists at 20 locations
outside the United States. Out of those experiences came a document titled
"Fulfilling Christ's Mission in the Life of the United Methodist Church," in
an attempt to focus the entire church on essentials for mission and
ministry.

CPT, charged by the 1996 General Conference to map a "transformational"
direction for the denomination, is putting final touches on its report.
Among its recommendations is a new organization to replace the GCOM.  

GCOM members themselves have acknowledged that a new entity must be created
to continue its essential functions in a significantly different way, but
they have not always agreed with CPT proposals.  

CPT leaders invited to be present for the GCOM meeting were Bishop Sharon
Brown Christopher, Springfield, Ill., chairperson; the Rev. Minerva Carcano,
Dallas, writing team chairperson; and Aileen Williams, Rochester, Minn.
Bishop Woodrow Hearn, Houston, president of the GCOM, is a member of CPT, as
are four other GCOM members.  

The Rev. James King of Brentwood, Tenn., a member of CPT and GCOM, said both
groups are calling for the church to work together in a collaborative way at
a common table to avoid duplication and competition. Warning that details
will "tie us up and tie us down," he called on council members to "join me
in seeing the big picture ... (where) we are headed in the same direction." 

Just before leaving the meeting, Carcano expressed appreciation to the
council. Where possible at this late date, changes will be made to
accommodate their concerns, she said.

Responding to one GCOM member's prediction that the CPT report would be
"DOA" (dead on arrival) at General Conference, Carcano said the final
document, yet to be released, is "significantly different" than the first
"in-process" report issued in February.  

"I hope the Council of Bishops and General Council on Ministries will help
us interpret that and move the church to the final report, to study and pray
about it as a starting point for discussion at General Conference," she
said. The CPT has continued this quadrennium work, which was done in the
previous four years by the Global Nature of the Church Task Force of the
Council of Bishops and the Connectional Issues Study Task Force of the GCOM.

GCOM members also approved Scripture study suggestions and questions for
reflection on the "Fulfilling Christ's Mission" document. Created by a GCOM
member, the Rev. Ardith Allread, San Jose, Calif., the study paper is to be
sent to every local church in the denomination early next year. General
Conference is also being asked to approve the development of a Bible study
based on the document.
 
During their meeting, GCOM members celebrated their four years of service,
expressed appreciation to the staff, and worshipped together at Bethany of
Fox Valley United Methodist Church in Aurora, Ill. Pastor at Bethany is the
Rev. Danita Anderson, a GCOM member. GCOM offices are in Dayton, Ohio. Top
staff executive of the agency is C. David Lundquist.  

In other action, the GCOM:

·	Recommended to the 2000 General Conference a change in the church's
Constitution to allow enabling legislation to be adopted at the same General
Conference where constitutional changes are made. This proposal is aimed
primarily at resolving problems that have arisen in this quadrennium from
decisions of the Judicial Council, which have prevented annual conferences
from implementing reorganization plans in a timely fashion

·	Petitioned the 2000 General Conference to delete the 12-year maximum
for individuals  serving as elected staff of program agencies. The rationale
given for the change is that the requirement pertains only to program
agencies, not all general (churchwide) agencies, and that the current ruling
discriminates against laity who, unlike clergy, do not have guaranteed
appointment.  

·	Recommended that the percentage of young people on various
committees of the church be increased from 10 to 20 percent and that the
term "young people" in the church's Book of Discipline be inclusive of all
people from 12 through 30. The council also asked that the General
Conference continue an initiative on "Shared Mission Focus on Young People"
and agreed that the agency's offices should be relocated from Dayton to
Nashville, Tenn., to be nearer other groups in the church working on related
concerns and issues.     

·	Elected general secretaries, the top staff executives of all program
agencies.  Individuals are nominated by their respective agencies but
elected by GCOM. Elected were: the Rev. Thom White Wolf Fassett, Board of
Church and Society; the Rev. Joseph L. Harris, Commission on United
Methodist Men; the Rev. Stephanie Anna Hixon and Cecilia Long, Commission on
the Status and Role of Women; the Rev. Roger W. Ireson, Board of Higher
Education and Ministry; the Rev. Chester Jones, Commission on Religion and
Race; the Rev. Ezra Earl Jones, Board of Discipleship; the Rev. Randolph
Nugent, Board of Global Ministries; and the Rev. Bruce Robbins, Commission
on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.  

·	Adopted a resolution in recognition of the Rev. Judith L. Weidman,
who recently retired as head of United Methodist Communications because of
health reasons. 

·	Heard a report from the Advance for Christ and His Church projecting
an all-time record of giving in 1999. The Advance program of voluntary
giving for projects around the world is administratively linked to the GCOM.
Through October, giving to the Advance totaled more than $34 million. By the
end of 2000, giving for the Advance is expected to exceed $100 million for
the third consecutive quadrennium. 

·	Recommended the continuation of $5.5 million of the World Service
apportioned fund during the 2001-2004 quadrennium for each of the four
program agencies to provide grants supporting ethnic minority local church
development. Global Ministries will receive 45 percent; Discipleship, 20
percent; Higher Education and Ministry, 20 percent; and Church and Society,
15 percent.

·	Recommended the continuation of special initiatives on
"Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century" and "Shared Mission
Focus on Young People" and asked for continued transitional funding for the
Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, which was granted autonomy by the 1996
General Conference.

·	Requested that a consultation be held next October to assess
ministry needs and focus ministry resources of the church to meet needs of
the Native American community.  

·	Asked the General Conference to approve a "Research Plan for The
United Methodist Church." This would be a collaborative plan of research and
planning on behalf of the general agencies and institutions of the church
"for the benefit of the entire church." 

·	Projected plans for a gathering of researchers and church leaders in
May 2002 to gather information about the future. Subject matter would be
determined by a task force in light of data gathered at the 2000 General
Conference. 

#  #  #GCOM identifies essential functions, values for successor group

Nov. 22, 1999  News media contact: Thomas S. McAnally*(615)
742-5470*Nashville, Tenn. 10-71B {625}

ROSEMONT, Ill. (UMNS) - The General Council on Ministries (GCOM) has voted
not go to the 2000 General Conference with an alternative proposal to the
Connectional Process Team (CPT) report. 

The decision was made during the final meeting of the GCOM governing
members, Nov. 12-16. However, in its official report to the General
Conference, the council will call attention to changes taking place
throughout the denomination at all levels, and it will describe how these
changes have attempted to model for the church greater collaboration and
conciliar decision-making as a new way to function in the future. 

Some council members had suggested earlier that a separate proposal might be
necessary if the CPT report did not adequately reflect their concerns or if
another plan should be necessary in case the CPT report is not adopted.
General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, will meet May
2-12 in Cleveland.

GCOM members are including in their General Conference report a paper
titled, "A New Season for the United Methodist Church; a process for
envisioning and resourcing mission and ministry for living into God's
preferred future." The paper affirms the concept of a Covenant Council that
will gather "spiritual and prophetic lay and clergy leaders for discernment,
discussion, decision- and disciple-making." 

Council members also voted to pass along to General Conference delegates and
to the CPT writing team a list of functions they consider essential and a
list of values they believe should be upheld in fulfilling those functions.

GCOM is asking the proposed the new group to:

·	"Articulate a clear and compelling ministry vision;
·	"Align all ministry resources through a collaborative
decision-making process, including the general boards and agencies and the
General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA);
·	"Model, teach and practice our identity as United Methodist
Christians;
·	"Clearly state and communicate missional objectives and faith
stories; and
·	"Engage in leadership development and training and ensure
inclusiveness of participation."
	
	In fulfilling these functions, the Covenant Council is asked to
uphold the following values:
	
·	"Knowing God's will for our work;
·	"Living as biblical people in the Wesleyan tradition;
·	"Being in relationships that are collegial, cooperative and
inclusive;
·	"Ensuring that all be present at the table (ethnic/racial, gender,
age, clergy/lay, geographic);
·	"Practicing hospitality;
·	"Articulating a clear vision; and
·	"Telling the story of our collective ministry."

GCOM has sought to model the move from competition to collaboration in its
own organizational procedures and by sponsoring events where everyone is
brought to a "common table." One example, which received high marks, was a
consultation where all eight churchwide program agencies, GCOM and GCFA
representatives collaborated together on a World Service budget for the next
quadrennium. World Service is the basic mission fund of the church supported
by money apportioned to local churches.  

Two other consultations were sponsored by GCOM during the quadrennium,
bringing together representatives from the 14 churchwide agencies, annual
conferences, racial/ethnic constituency representatives, the Council of
Bishops, GCFA and GCOM itself. In their efforts to "conference" with
everyone possible, GCOM members visited United Methodists at 20 locations
outside the United States. Out of those experiences came a document titled
"Fulfilling Christ's Mission in the Life of the United Methodist Church," in
an attempt to focus the entire church on essentials for mission and
ministry.

CPT, charged by the 1996 General Conference to map a "transformational"
direction for the denomination, is putting final touches on its report.
Among its recommendations is a new organization to replace the GCOM.  

GCOM members themselves have acknowledged that a new entity must be created
to continue its essential functions in a significantly different way, but
they have not always agreed with CPT proposals.  

CPT leaders invited to be present for the GCOM meeting were Bishop Sharon
Brown Christopher, Springfield, Ill., chairperson; the Rev. Minerva Carcano,
Dallas, writing team chairperson; and Aileen Williams, Rochester, Minn.
Bishop Woodrow Hearn, Houston, president of the GCOM, is a member of CPT, as
are four other GCOM members.  

The Rev. James King of Brentwood, Tenn., a member of CPT and GCOM, said both
groups are calling for the church to work together in a collaborative way at
a common table to avoid duplication and competition. Warning that details
will "tie us up and tie us down," he called on council members to "join me
in seeing the big picture ... (where) we are headed in the same direction." 

Just before leaving the meeting, Carcano expressed appreciation to the
council. Where possible at this late date, changes will be made to
accommodate their concerns, she said.

Responding to one GCOM member's prediction that the CPT report would be
"DOA" (dead on arrival) at General Conference, Carcano said the final
document, yet to be released, is "significantly different" than the first
"in-process" report issued in February.  

"I hope the Council of Bishops and General Council on Ministries will help
us interpret that and move the church to the final report, to study and pray
about it as a starting point for discussion at General Conference," she
said. The CPT has continued this quadrennium work, which was done in the
previous four years by the Global Nature of the Church Task Force of the
Council of Bishops and the Connectional Issues Study Task Force of the GCOM.

GCOM members also approved Scripture study suggestions and questions for
reflection on the "Fulfilling Christ's Mission" document. Created by a GCOM
member, the Rev. Ardith Allread, San Jose, Calif., the study paper is to be
sent to every local church in the denomination early next year. General
Conference is also being asked to approve the development of a Bible study
based on the document.
 
During their meeting, GCOM members celebrated their four years of service,
expressed appreciation to the staff, and worshipped together at Bethany of
Fox Valley United Methodist Church in Aurora, Ill. Pastor at Bethany is the
Rev. Danita Anderson, a GCOM member. GCOM offices are in Dayton, Ohio. Top
staff executive of the agency is C. David Lundquist.  

In other action, the GCOM:

·	Recommended to the 2000 General Conference a change in the church's
Constitution to allow enabling legislation to be adopted at the same General
Conference where constitutional changes are made. This proposal is aimed
primarily at resolving problems that have arisen in this quadrennium from
decisions of the Judicial Council, which have prevented annual conferences
from implementing reorganization plans in a timely fashion

·	Petitioned the 2000 General Conference to delete the 12-year maximum
for individuals  serving as elected staff of program agencies. The rationale
given for the change is that the requirement pertains only to program
agencies, not all general (churchwide) agencies, and that the current ruling
discriminates against laity who, unlike clergy, do not have guaranteed
appointment.  

·	Recommended that the percentage of young people on various
committees of the church be increased from 10 to 20 percent and that the
term "young people" in the church's Book of Discipline be inclusive of all
people from 12 through 30. The council also asked that the General
Conference continue an initiative on "Shared Mission Focus on Young People"
and agreed that the agency's offices should be relocated from Dayton to
Nashville, Tenn., to be nearer other groups in the church working on related
concerns and issues.     

·	Elected general secretaries, the top staff executives of all program
agencies.  Individuals are nominated by their respective agencies but
elected by GCOM. Elected were: the Rev. Thom White Wolf Fassett, Board of
Church and Society; the Rev. Joseph L. Harris, Commission on United
Methodist Men; the Rev. Stephanie Anna Hixon and Cecilia Long, Commission on
the Status and Role of Women; the Rev. Roger W. Ireson, Board of Higher
Education and Ministry; the Rev. Chester Jones, Commission on Religion and
Race; the Rev. Ezra Earl Jones, Board of Discipleship; the Rev. Randolph
Nugent, Board of Global Ministries; and the Rev. Bruce Robbins, Commission
on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.  

·	Adopted a resolution in recognition of the Rev. Judith L. Weidman,
who recently retired as head of United Methodist Communications because of
health reasons. 

·	Heard a report from the Advance for Christ and His Church projecting
an all-time record of giving in 1999. The Advance program of voluntary
giving for projects around the world is administratively linked to the GCOM.
Through October, giving to the Advance totaled more than $34 million. By the
end of 2000, giving for the Advance is expected to exceed $100 million for
the third consecutive quadrennium. 

·	Recommended the continuation of $5.5 million of the World Service
apportioned fund during the 2001-2004 quadrennium for each of the four
program agencies to provide grants supporting ethnic minority local church
development. Global Ministries will receive 45 percent; Discipleship, 20
percent; Higher Education and Ministry, 20 percent; and Church and Society,
15 percent.

·	Recommended the continuation of special initiatives on
"Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century" and "Shared Mission
Focus on Young People" and asked for continued transitional funding for the
Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, which was granted autonomy by the 1996
General Conference.

·	Requested that a consultation be held next October to assess
ministry needs and focus ministry resources of the church to meet needs of
the Native American community.  

·	Asked the General Conference to approve a "Research Plan for The
United Methodist Church." This would be a collaborative plan of research and
planning on behalf of the general agencies and institutions of the church
"for the benefit of the entire church." 

·	Projected plans for a gathering of researchers and church leaders in
May 2002 to gather information about the future. Subject matter would be
determined by a task force in light of data gathered at the 2000 General
Conference. 

#  #  #

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://www.umc.org/umns