wfn.org | Conference input to be sought in church budget process

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

June 13, 2002  News media contact: Joretta Purdue7(202) 546-87227Washington
10-71B{253}

By United Methodist News Service

The United Methodist Church's financial administration agency is seeking
annual conference participation as work gets under way on a denominational
budget for 2005-2008.

Officials of the denomination's General Council on Finance and
Administration in Evanston, Ill., are inviting active bishops to send a
representative from each U.S. annual conference to the first day and a half
of the council's fall meeting Nov. 21-24 in Nashville, Tenn. GCFA is also
asking the top executive of each churchwide agency to bring a financial
leader from his or her governing board.

Every four years, General Conference votes on the budget for the next
quadrennium. Church members contribute the funds, which are processed
through the denomination's congregations and annual conferences and
disbursed by GCFA. 

Bishop Alfred L. Norris, GCFA president, said the executive committee took
the action to get the general agencies, local churches and annual
conferences talking with one another about budget factors that affect them.

"We believe that face-to-face interaction among these key leaders will
result in a better understanding of the financial challenges faced by our
annual conferences, as well as our general agencies as they deliver
denominational mission and ministry," said Sandra Lackore, GCFA chief
executive and treasurer of the church.

This is the first time annual conference financial leaders have been asked
for their perspectives on conference and denominational finances, according
to GCFA officials.

"We will all benefit from addressing the perceived disconnect between the
budget that is voted by the General Conference delegates and the
interpretation of that budget in the annual conferences," Lackore said. "In
the process, we can begin to bridge the gap between the local church and
General Conference."
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United Methodist News Service
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