wfn.org | BMCR calls for change in funding of ethnic ministries

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

March 28, 2000	Contact: Linda Green·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-31-71B{173}

NOTE:  This story may be used as a sidebar to UMNS #172.  

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (UMNS) - Dissatisfied with a proposed funding method for
ethnic ministries, the national caucus of black United Methodists wants the
denomination's black church initiative to be placed in the general budget
instead of in a separate pool for emerging ministries. 

On March 24, members of the National Black Methodists for Church Renewal
(BMCR) passed a resolution calling for the United Methodist General Council
on Finance and Administration (GCFA) to change its method of funding ethnic
initiatives for the 2001-2004 quadrennium.

The finance agency is proposing to the church's General Conference that a
$16 million fund be created for "innovative and emerging ministries" during
the next four years. The proposed fund would also include money for all
national ethnic initiatives - the National Plan for Hispanic Ministries,
Native American Comprehensive Plan, Strengthening the Black Church for the
21st Century, Asian-American Language Ministry Study and Advancing United
Methodist Ministries Among Korean Americans. General Conference, the
denomination's top lawmaking assembly, will meet May 2-12 in Cleveland.

The initiative supported by BMCR is Strengthening the Black Church for the
21st Century. The members approved a resolution requesting that GCFA amend
its proposal to include Strengthening the Black Church as a line item in the
budget in the amount of $2.3 million, "since it is not an emerging ministry
but a continuing ministry."

In addition to the ethnic ministries, the resolution states that at least 10
additional ministries will be requesting money from the churchwide council,
"which will decrease the availability of funds for these initiatives."

Since each of the five ethnic caucuses is supporting the continued funding
of its respective ministry enterprises, the finance agency's method would
foster unhealthy competition among those constituencies in the church, the
BMCR members said. They voted to send a letter to the agency and to the
General Conference Finance and Legislative Committee stating that the
proposed method of funding "for ethnic initiatives is a divisive tool that
will alienate and separate ethnic groups." 

BMCR also is requesting that GCFA develop a method of funding ethnic
emphases in the next quadrennium that would not pit one group against the
other. 

The resolution said that the "the present funding pattern for ethnic
initiatives is perceived as being divisive and not exemplifying a genuine
Christian spirit." 
# # #

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