wfn.org | NCC proposes "a new ecumenical body"

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #5909 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

24-May-2000
00207

	NCC proposes "a new ecumenical body" 	including Catholics, evangelicals and
Pentecostals

	Deficit projection for '99 jumps from $4 million to $6.4 million
	
	by Jerry L. Van Marter

WASHINGTON – The Rev. Robert Edgar, the newly elected general secretary of
the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCC) – undaunted
by the organization's staggering financial problems, outlined an ambitious
plan to transform the venerable ecumenical organization during a meeting of
its executive board here May 22-23.

	The board adopted a resolution to develop "a new ecumenical body" that it
hopes will include Roman Catholics, evangelicals and Pentecostals, by the
year 2003. A committee of eight board members was appointed to flesh out the
fledgling idea.

	During a May 22 press briefing, Edgar said he doesn't know "what the shape
of this new vehicle will be," and added: "It may or may not mean the death
of the NCC as an organization, but what I do know is that there's a lot of
energy among our churches ... to sit around the same table with Roman
Catholics, evangelicals and Pentecostals, to dream a new ecumenical future
together."

	The notion of a much broader ecumenical movement in the United States is
similar to a concept adopted by the World Council of Churches 18 months ago
to create a "forum" that would greatly expand the global ecumenical
community beyond the WCC's current 340 member churches.

	Those appointed to the "Vision Committee" to further develop the proposal
include Edgar; Elenie Huszagh, the NCC president-elect, from the Greek
Orthodox Church; the Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson of the Reformed Church
in America; the Rev. Michael Kinnamon of the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ); the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick of the PC(USA); the Rev. McKinley
Young of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; and the Rev. Bertrice Wood
of the United Church of Christ.

	                  Financial crisis deepens

	In what he called "a very tortured moment in our history," the NCC
treasurer, the Rev. Phil Young – a Presbyterian – told the executive
committee that the organization's 1999 deficit is now estimated at $6.4
million, far higher than was reported to the NCC's general assembly last
November.

	At that time, member churches were asked to contribute to a "debt-reduction
fund" to help wipe out what was announced as a $4 million shortfall. Nearly
that much has been raised – assuming that conditional pledges of $700,000 by
the United Methodists and $500,000 by the PC(USA) are approved – but Edgar
acknowledged that "hemorrhaging" of money in recent years has depleted NCC
reserves from $24 million in 1990 to about $4 million today.

	Young praised the new financial controls and procedures that have been put
in place since Edgar succeeded the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell as general
secretary in November. The 2000 budget is balanced, staffing has been
reduced, and strict controls on expenditures have been put in place. The
2000 budget includes a 10-percent "set-aside" to begin rebuilding the NCC's
reserves, and Young said "new patterns of cooperation are emerging that bode
well for the future."

	Edgar said he believes the conditions of the Methodist and Presbyterian
contributions have been met, and he hopes to get the Presbyterian money
"before Long Beach" – when the PC(USA)'s General Assembly meets and
considers, among other issues, long-term funding for the NCC.

	       NCC and Church World Service go their separate financial ways

	In a carefully worked out arrangement that has taken several months to
negotiate, the NCC executive board approved a plan to separate the
organization's financial management from that of its dominant program,
Church World Service and Witness (CWS).

	CWS – which accounts for more than 85 percent of the NCC's spending – has
long chafed under NCC financial management and sought greater autonomy in
managing its own financial affairs.  The new agreement gives CWS exactly
what it wants.

	Effective July 1, CWS will assume complete control of its own books for
accounting, receipts and payments, budgets, financial reports, assets,
investments, audits, payroll, outside contracts and bank accounts. The CWS
board of directors will be the sole legal and fiduciary agent for CWS.

	While Edgar will serve ex-officio on the CWS board of directors, the CWS
executive director will report to the CWS board, and is charged to work
"collaboratively" with the NCC general secretary.

	CWS contributions to the NCC's overhead costs ("common services") will be
negotiated, rather than assessed by the NCC.

	The Rev. Rodney Page, the outgoing CWS director, said he was pleased with
the agreement.

	"Years of friction should melt away," he said, "and we can devote all of
our energy to the work of Christ in the world."

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