wfn.org | Finance agency experiences range of 'firsts'

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Nov. 20, 2001 News media contact: Joretta Purdue7(202) 546-87227Washington
10-71BP{544}

NOTE:  Photo is available for use with this story.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (UMNS) - The 2001 meeting of the United Methodist
Church's financial agency included a series of firsts.

During its Nov. 15-19 session, the General Council on Administration and
Finance (GCFA) experienced its first mission service program, its first
session with a representative from one of the Pan-Methodist denominations
and - perhaps most unusual - its first situation in which non-GCFA staff
representatives asked for a freeze on salary ranges for the highest level
church agency executives.

Meeting prior to GCFA, the church's Committee on Personnel Policies and
Practices decided to hold the executive pay range at 2002 levels for 2003.
The committee is an interagency working group that includes a representative
from each of the denomination's churchwide agencies that receive general
church funds.  Not included are the United Methodist Publishing House and
the Board of Pension and Health Benefits. 

GCFA staff had recommended a 3.6 percent increase in salary ranges for 2003
based on an established formula tied to changes in the denominational
average compensation for clergy. However, an agency representative suggested
rejecting the upward movement and instead proposed freezing the 2003
executive salary ranges at 2002 levels. The proposal was unanimously
accepted.

"I heard the committee say it wanted to make a statement to the church in
the midst of the current economic conditions," said Jay Brim, chairman of
the committee and a member of GCFA. "The agency representatives unanimously
felt it was important to demonstrate action reflecting good stewardship of
the United Methodist denominational financial resources."

GCFA subsequently approved the recommendation. As enacted, this limit only
applies to the highest five salary levels of agency executives. And it only
affects those people who are at the maximum in 2002 of the salary range that
correlates with the churchwide factoring of their jobs. 
"There are other executives below this range," noted Sandra Kelley Lackore,
GCFA general secretary, "and how the decision affects them is determined by
each agency." She explained that each agency makes its own decisions about
compensation within the parameters established by the committee and GCFA. 

The plan will not affect hourly wage employees, nor does it affect people in
those highest levels who have not, in 2002, reached the top of their salary
range. 

For its first voluntary mission project, 16 GCFA members performed a variety
of tasks at Wesley Center in Savannah, Ga. Together with seven spouses,
three GCFA staff members and two people from a GCFA-affiliated organization,
they spent a day helping at the 50-year-old mission center that provides day
care for about 60 children. Family services include nutrition classes, a
clothes closet and referrals to community agencies.

The GCFA team organized and catalogued the center's library, did minor
repair and fix-up tasks in the center and on the grounds, organized the
clothes closet, filled bags for the food pantry, did clerical tasks for a
fund-raising project, served food and read to the children.

At its opening business session, GCFA took an offering among all its
members, staff and guests that netted $1,200 for Wesley Center, which draws
support from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, the South
Georgia Annual (regional) Conference of the church, United Way and other
funding sources. 

In another first-time experience, the council welcomed Estelle Brooks from
the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church as an official council observer.
Brooks will have voice without vote.

Brooks was named by the Commission on Pan-Methodism Cooperation and Union in
response to an invitation from GCFA, which decided that since other
churchwide agencies were required to add representation from one or more of
these sister denominations, GCFA would benefit from similar input.

The General Council on Ministries (GCOM) requested additional funds for the
World Service Contingency Fund that GCOM administers, in light of the number
and size of grant petitions the agency has already received. In addition to
the $200,000 a year authorized for 2001 and 2002, GCFA voted to provide a
one-time extra $100,000 in 2002, and it committed to $300,000 for 2003 and
$100,000 for 2004.

In other business, GCFA approved 2002 budgets of the churchwide agencies and
involved the whole council in a training program to acquaint members with
the funds of the church and prepare for the process involved in creating the
church's budget for the next quadrennium.

GCFA continues its analysis of agency reserves, an ongoing cooperative
effort with the general agencies. This dialogue is part of a continuing
attempt to integrate current budgeting with long-range financial planning. 
# # #

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