wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Money woes could sink WARC, leaders warn

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8953 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

05540
Oct. 10, 2005

Leaders warn that money woes
could sink Reformed alliance   

by Peter Kenny
Ecumenical News International  

EVIAN, France - Leaders of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC)
have warned that the group cannot survive unless it takes dramatic steps to
find new financial support.  
  
	The alert came on Oct. 7, during the annual meeting of WARC's
executive committee, its principal governing body. The meeting lasts until
Oct. 15.   
  
	"We must face up to the financial crisis facing the alliance," said
the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, the group's president. "Unless we take dramatic
steps to find new financial resources and to build a new sense of ownership
and responsibility for the Alliance in our member churches, we will have no
future."  
  
	The Rev. Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the Geneva-based alliance,
noted that it has been operating with reduced staffing for the past year.
Nyomi added: "Our institutional challenges, especially with regards to
finance, are also many."  
  
	WARC represents about 75 million Christians. It has 218 member
churches in 107 countries. However, Nyomi noted that only 58 percent of
members paid an annual contribution for the current financial year. One of
its main contributors reduced its 2004 contribution by 25 per cent and has
reduced it further in 2005.  
  
	"The strength of the Swiss franc against other currencies reduced the
real value of our income," said Nyomi. He said in his report that, as of Dec.
31, 2004, WARC had a negative balance of 56,000 Swiss francs ($43,725).  
  
	Since 1998, WARC has implemented a "fair-fee" policy for member
churches, adjusting their annual contributions by church size and national
wealth or poverty.   
  
	"If every church paid the annual contribution indicated by this
scale, there would be no deficit," Nyomi said. "At current levels of
expenditure, we would show a healthy surplus."

	Nearly 90 percent of WARC contributions come from just 15 member
churches.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to
pcusanews-subscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org or
pcusanews-unsubscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org

To contact the owner of the list, please send an email to
pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org