Council Tackles Planning, Budget
Episcopal News Service. February 21, 1985 [85031]
PHOENIX, Ariz. (DPS, Feb. 21) -- In a wide-ranging meeting last week, the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church put itself through a modified version of the SWEEP process, revised its budget expectations and established a "Mission Planning Group"; all as part of its work preparing for the September meeting of the General Convention.
The meeting at the Holiday Inn Metro Center here was an unusual one in that most of the time was dedicated to presentations, small groups and plenaries on the questions: "How can we better enable the whole Church to meet human spiritual and physical needs," and "How can we better engage the resources of the whole church?"
Although these issues grew out of planning sessions at the previous meeting, they took on a certain immediacy when treasurer Matthew Costigan reported halfway through the gathering that the Council faced a potential shortfall in 1986. He said that while income projections -- based on $22.2 million in diocesan apportionments -- continued to be solid and the response of the dioceses "excellent" that fixed costs in the budget would exceed new money leaving a possible deficit of about $500,000.
At the plea of some of the members, the Council modified its agenda to consider the immediate budget issue and eventually agreed to a resolution that asked the Church Center administrative group and committee chairs "using the 1985 budget as a starting point, reduce the amount approved by eliminating all non-essential items so that at least the collective reductions to all budgets realize approximately $550,000." This action will then be scrutinized by the chairs, administrators and one additional member of each committee during a meeting in early March. Council will work out the final budget proposal in April, mail it to bishops and deputies in early May and then review it with the Convention Program, Budget and Finance Committee in mid-May.
The General Convention itself sets the budget for the first year of a triennium -- and sets the pattern for the succeeding years -- and has been known to make dramatic changes in the proposal of Executive Council.
Council also revised its internal budget procedures to give the finance-administration panel a greater role in proposed budget adjustments. Before, these suggested changes have usually been thrashed out on the floor.
In all of this, the Council did not lose sight of the planning role. It completed the evaluation exercises -- which will be compiled by Church Center staff and incorporated into Council procedures. It also followed through on a presentation from the Standing Committee on Stewardship/Development and approved a Mission Planning Group to advise" the Council on long-range strategic mission planning." The group will consist of Council members, members at large, the secretarygeneral of the Anglican Consultative Council or his representative and the chairs or representatives of the Standing Commissions on World Mission, Metropolitan Areas, Small Communities, Human Affairs and Health and Stewardship/Development.
A smaller Resource Development Group was also launched and it is assumed that these two panels will eventually have a role in raising extra-budgetary funds within the Church.
These actions were proceeded by the second appearance before the Council of Bishop Gerald McAllister of Oklahoma. McAllister is a former member of Council and chairs the Convention Stewardship interim body. He had made the presentation initially last October and was invited to come back with a detailed plan.
McAllister was followed by Bishop Heath Light of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia who offered a slide presentation on the work of APSO which he characterized as "one little keyhole through which we can see the service ministry of the Church." His presentation had also been requested last meeting after a discussion that restored some funding to the widespread ministry among rural and urban Appalachian people.