wfn.org | Finance leaders choose three BMF recipients for

["Communication Ministries" <wshuffit@cm.disciples.org>]

crisis cash
Date:  June 7, 2002
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Melinda Mains
Phone: 317-713-2496
E-mail: 	mmains@cm.disciples.org
on the Web: http://www.disciples.org

Church Finance Council contact: Daniel R. Gangler
director of communication
317-713-2408
dgangler@cfc.disciples.org

		
	INDIANAPOLIS, June 7, 2002 -- Three common mission fund
recipients will receive an extra boost to help them out of
financial emergencies.

	Disciples of Christ Team Leader Conference's Basic Mission
Finance task force has granted $50,300  to be distributed
Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt University $40,000
and the Montana Region $2,800. Disciples Church Finance
Council distributed the funds.

	According to Earl Gibbs, Commission on Mission Funding
chair, the Nashville-based Divinity House is working on
enlarging its annual fund and endowment, but needed the
emergency grant money to avoid a return to deficit
spending. It's small endowment was being used to support
its annual budget -- a practice, Gibbs said, needed to stop.

	The Historical Society, also in Nashville, faces a budget
shortfall because of an unexpected loss of revenue this
year. Gibbs said the World Convention of Churches of
Christ, which rented space from the Society, moved to a new
location with little warning. Additional funds also were
needed in the transition to a new librarian-archivist. 

	The regional picture is even dimmer. Gibbs said some
regions have been hurt so badly by a decrease in giving
that they have cut staff -- some by as much as 30 to 40
percent. Many regional offices have reduced budgets,
reduced staff and used permanent funds. The Montana Region
faced a major emergency with the Cane Ridge West camp site
when work was required without a source of revenue. Montana
was granted $2,800 in emergency funds to take care of this
financial shortfall.

	Gibbs said that from best estimates there are at least
$300,000 needed for dire financial emergencies churchwide. 

	To  date $61,969 has been received by BMF for emergency
distribution. The most recent rebate of $2,000 came from
the Christian Church Foundation. These funds have come as a
result to a challenge given last November by Richard Hamm,
Disciples general minister and president, and the BMF task
force. BMF recipients were challenged to give one or more
percent of their BMF receipts to Disciples Church Finance
Council for distribution where it is most needed in
assisting BMF partners in financial emergencies. So far 15
BMF partners have responded including nine regions, four
general units, two seminaries and the Disciples Seminary
Foundation.

	Disciples rebate respondents include: Division of Overseas
Ministries,  $24,595; National Benevolent Association,
$9,936; Upper Midwest Region,  $8,000; Greater Kansas City
Region, $2,800; Brite Divinity School, $2,500; Virginia
Region, $2,500; Christian Theological Seminary, $2,250;
Christian Church Foundation, $2,000; Tennessee Region,
$2,000; Alabama-Northwest Florida Region, $1,688; Church
Extension, $1,200; Disciples Seminary Foundation, $1,000;
South Carolina Region, $550; Chicago Divinity House, $500
Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi Regions, $450.

	Known commitments not yet received: Capital Area and the
Council on Christian Unity.

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