A recent financial crisis has shaken an independent Episcopal missionary agency and raised serious questions about its effectiveness to carry out its mission.

The Board of Trustees of Episcopal World Mission, Inc. (EWM) recently learned that their organization had incurred a huge debt that threatened to undermine its support of missionaries around the world and its credibility as a nonprofit organization.

"We had initial tips that there were problems from missionaries out in the field," said the Rev. Gene Home, rector of Albany, Oregon, a trustee and now the chairman of the Finance Committee of EWM. "After we did an investigation we discovered that there were some big financial problems to work out."

According to the chairman of the Board of Trustees of EWM, the Rev. Ernest Ashcroft of St. Paul, Minnesota, the "latest figures show us (to be) something over $200,000 in debt." The financial crisis was accompanied by a leadership crisis: resignation of the founder and executive director, Paul Walter, and several trustees.

"Ultimately the executive director carried responsibility for policy decisions that involved taking on debts," said Ashcroft. "Some trustees felt a growing sense of insecurity on the part of our missionaries and the people who support us. In order to dispel those things, people felt the executive director should step down," he said.

"Whatever problems we have had in the past," said Ashcroft, "no money was misappropriated for personal use. We have had some unwise decisions -- but no criminal decisions."

A driving force that may have contributed to the current problems is EWM's sincere desire to evangelize the world -- and to do so as quickly as possible. "Almost all para-church missionary agencies are idealistic and zealous to send more people than they can support," said William Schwartz, a missionary in Cyprus formerly sponsored by EWM.

The EWM was founded in 1982 as an independent mission agency to "foster worldwide involvement by all Episcopalians in obedience to God's command 'to go and make disciples of all nations,'" according to a promotional brochure printed by the mission. Admittedly evangelical, the EWM operates by a philosophy that stresses evangelism for conversion.

"There is a perception of a fair number of renewal-minded people in the church that the church needs more mission activity aimed at conversions," said the Rev. Mark Harris, coordinator of overseas personnel at the Episcopal Church Center. "They sense a lack of missionary zeal," he said.

However, Harris pointed out that the Episcopal Church has more than 100 people in the field serving in many areas of service and witness, "because being present in the church, and helping to strengthen the indigenous faith communities is primary to the evangelism that the church takes on itself."

"We have between 250 and 300 Episcopal parishes supporting the work of EWM," said Caroline Wood, the office manager and development coordinator of EWM offices in Forest City, North Carolina. "This could include financial support, prayer support, or donation of administrative services, such as printing a missionary's prayer letter," she said.

Some parishes desire the direct contact with missionaries provided by EWM. "We wanted a direct missionary connection," said the Rev. Michael Hartney of Albany, Oregon. "Two missionaries (from EWM) have visited our parish, and we have received direct mail solicitation to support them," he said.

Hartney said that his parishioners are pleased to support missionaries from EWM, but noted that they do this "above and beyond our support of the diocese and the institutional program of the national church."

Members of EWM insist that their role complements what the national church is doing. "Voluntary agencies can focus on a single purpose," said the Rev. Canon George Pierce, a board member of EWM. "They have the possibility of going places where the official agency might not be able to send someone. They usually grow out of a particular movement of revival in the church," he said.

"There is a breadth of opinion within the Episcopal Church regarding styles of mission," said Ashcroft. "Many Episcopalians seek a more traditional evangelism than the focus of the national church on education -- and the EWM offers a way to do this traditional evangelism."

Independent societies may be seen as a complement or a corrective to the institutional church. The 1985 General Convention of the Episcopal Church recognized and affirmed "the unique contributions that independent missionary societies are making in helping to personalize and involve every member in world mission."

In the corporate credo of EWM, the zeal of the mission is spelled out clearly. "EWM trusts God for great things. The vision will be immense! It needs to be so if any impact is to be made upon the hundreds of millions of people who have not yet heard about Jesus."

Yet, careful financial accounting may have gotten lost in the zeal of the mission. Ironically, the zeal to support mission seemed to undermine another cornerstone of the EWM -- what it called "Financial Attitudes." The credo states: "All assets placed at the disposal of the Mission will be treated as the property of Our Heavenly Father. Therefore, as God is no debtor, neither will the Mission incur indebtedness."

"There has been a discrepancy between the corporate credo and reality," said Schwartz.

Schwartz blamed the problem at EWM on "lack of efficient management. Because of financial problems, they were relying on volunteer help in the office," he said. "One indication of the problems was that EWM went through four people responsible for accounting in the space of about 16 months."

Schwartz said that there was "a lack of clarity" about the policies at EWM concerning fundraising on the part of individual missionaries and how the bills would be paid by the central office. He pointed out that expenses continue whether pledges come in or not.

"The reality of a local priest's enthusiasm for missionary work and what they are able to deliver on (their pledges) is an almost universal problem for missionaries who have to raise their own support. The sense of mission in the average church in America is very, very shallow. And people don't realize how much time is involved in the fundraising aspect," Schwartz said.

In a separate case, the Diocese of Rio Grande stepped in to the rescue. "We had a priest from our diocese who signed on with EWM and later had some serious problems," said the Rev. Canon Steve Birdwell, deployment officer for the diocese. "He was apparently sent to Spain (by EWM) before all the funding arrangements were complete.

"Last April he began to run out of food and money, and a disagreement between him and EWM about health insurance forced him to write a letter to the board seeking help," Birdwell continued. "Because of all the problems, we (the diocese) have taken over the sponsorship of him and his family as of January 1990. He is now searching for a different mission agency to affiliate with," he said.

Meanwhile, however, the priest's credit rating was ruined and he had trouble with the IRS, according to Birdwell. The diocese has stabilized the situation, and Birdwell said that he hopes EWM can do the same within its own house. "I hope they can get their act together. The concept behind EWM is a good thing. I think I would still encourage parishes who want to support them to do so," he said.

Despite the recent fiscal crisis at EWM, a strong sense of optimism and evangelical purpose continues to motivate its supporters. "We have tremendous hopes for the future of the mission," said Home. "We believe God has called this mission to renew the church to evangelical missions to win people to Jesus."

"We will be sending a letter out within the next two months to tell folks that we have had some problems, but we are getting the house in order," said Wood.

EWM has hired an outside consultant to assist in financial planning and policy changes. The board is serving as a management committee for EWM, and is seeking an interim director. "The mission will not go belly up," said Ashcroft. "At our last board meeting we got a full (financial) report, and it looks to me that our debt can be serviced and paid off -- maybe within two years or so.

"No missionaries will be stranded -- and meantime they continue to do their good work out in the field," Ashcroft continued. One statistic bears hopeful tidings for EWM: The agency currently sponsors 10 "missionary units" around the world, but there are six additional missionary units preparing to be sent by EWM.

"I am optimistic, but not naive. It's not going to be a breeze -- it will be hard work," said Ashcroft. "But we will go on."

Paul Walter, the founder, would not comment further than to say, "I am optimistic that the mission will overcome the current problems."