I wrote previously that Illiana Presbytery voted to concur in the overture to sever byFaith’s funding from the Administrative Committee budget. The origin of this overture was Illiana’s unanimous rejection of the BCO 14-1 and 14-2 amendments proposed by last year’s General Assembly. Illiana Presbytery asked their churches and elders to consider alternative ways of funding the AC.

Several plans were presented including the plan presented by Midway Presbyterian Church (written by David Hall) and later adopted by Northwest Georgia and the plan presented by Martin Hedman. One of their churches presented a new funding plan taking ideas from Hedman and Northwest Georgia (David Hall).

What Illiana Presbytery did is interesting. The CMC proposed the last budget that failed. Several presbyteries took the initiative to propose and consider alternative plans. The CMC also took the initiative and formed its own funding plan committee. My guess is that the AC will move to refer all of the funding plans from the presbyteries to the CMC funding plan committee. At any rate, Illiana decided to send the NW Georgia plan, the Hedman plan, and a brand new plan presented by one of its churches to the CMC funding plan committee.

Here is the new plan:

Option 3 (of Illiana Presbytery) (with thanks to Martin Hedman and David Hall for their Options) An Overture to the 39th PCA General Assembly (GA)

A modest, simple, and fair, Administrative Committee (AC) Funding Proposal, based on Biblical principle, that retains the PCA voluntary method, balances the AC Budget and establishes a Reserve Fund to avoid future shortfalls.

Whereas, the 38th GA of the PCA recommended an AC funding method that may not be ratified by the presbyteries for several reasons; and

Whereas, even if the requisite presbyteries support the suggested BCO amendments, the church might favor a method like the one below before adopting one with such sweeping changes; and

Whereas, the AC has seldom in its 38 previous years received all the funding requested; and should that continue the AC, under the guidance of this GA, could address that shortage simply by lowering its total budget before seeking to change to an unproven funding method; and

Whereas, we all affirm our desire to fund vital ministries appropriately, while also remaining sensitive to congregational limitations and support thresholds; and

Whereas, the condition of the national economy and related cutbacks in many church budgets argue strongly against commencing a system of “pay-to-play” funding at this time; and

Whereas, it might be better to attempt less drastic changes, including reducing budgets as many families and churches have had to do recently, before seeking to enforce a sweeping and perhaps divisive plan which may not have widespread support from the churches; and

Whereas, the congregations are annually the chief contributors to the AC work, and thus fairly should receive the most reasonable fees to attend GA – instead of a system that places more burden on faithful contributing units while favoring commissioners who do not generate annual AC Askings; and

Whereas, there are many other ways to fund the essential work of the AC adequately, and to build an Administrative Reserve Fund (ARF) – the proposal suggested below seeks to achieve that funding following the principle of equal proportionality in giving, and of prudent budgetary stewardship.

Therefore, Illiana Presbyters overtures the 39th GA, other Presbyteries, and the AC to join with us in embracing and approving the following numbered actions, (notes and Rationale are illustrative or explanatory and not part of the GA’s approval) or to improve them, in order to achieve the critical goals of:

1. Balancing a reduced AC budget (Essential Budget)
2. Building an ARF to protect the AC from downturns or shortfall
3. Retaining the Askings, as a voluntary plan for congregational giving

Accordingly, we ask this Assembly to act as follows, without needing any BCO or RAO changes:

1. Set an Essential Budget (EB) for the AC at $1,500,000 for the next five years and adjust such by the amounts approved for Cost of Living Increases (COLA) annually. Every 5 years, beginning in 2016, the Assembly shall evaluate that EB to see if it should be adjusted in order to provide for desired, essential services and administration. [A total of $760,000, (News Office, p. 352 and Stats/Publications) could be dropped. Yearbooks & Printing may be provided at reasonable cost or posted online. If a surplus exists in any year, GA may, after fully funding the EB, divert such funds, wholly or in part, to special projects or use the surplus to build up the ARF.]

2. Annual Askings will continue, and this Assembly thus approves 0.25% of each church’s Total Annual income as the Askings amount for the AC for the coming year. [Total Annual Income as defined in the PCA 2010 Yearbook includes: Tithes & Offerings, Special Causes, Building Fund Offering, and all Other Contributions for the latest published year.]

3. Churches that contribute full AC Askings will receive a Reduced GA Registration Fee, not to exceed $100 per eligible Commissioner from that church beginning 2012. [Holding costs down may increase RE attendance at GA. p. 310; 2010 Handbook]

4. All delegates from congregations which contribute only a percentage of the AC Askings may register their eligible commissioners at a discounted amount from the Standard Registration Fee of $500 per commissioner. [see formula below]

5. All other commissioners to GA may participate in the annual GA by paying a Standard $500 Registration Fee, or a Fee approved by the GA. [$500 is an increase from the $400 Fee that has been in place since 2006.]

6. All Permanent Committees and Agencies are requested by this GA to make a One-Time contribution of 0.30% of their annual budget (half to be received by June 30, 2012, and half to be received by June 30, 2013) to create an AC Administrative Reserve Fund (ARF) for essential AC expenses.

RATIONALE: Option 3

1. The key to affordable AC Askings and thus greater church participation is a reduced AC budget. To meet an AC Essential Budget of $1.5M assumes: $ 1,070,000 Askings and/or Registration fees from Churches responding to Askings; $ 360,000 Registration fees for TE’s & RE’s from All Others; $ 70,000 GA Exhibitors (est. on p. 352); $ 1,500,000 Essential Budget (per the David Hall Table – Option #2) [The $1.5M can be determined by subtracting the $760,000 from the proposed $2,250,000 – p. 352.] [The $360,000 includes an increase over the estimated $300,000 on p. 352, reflecting the increase (from $400 to $500) for the Standard Registration Fee.]
2. This simple proposal preserves the voluntary nature of the Askings, and follows the principle of proportional giving, in accord with Scripture and our BCO. [Those churches blessed with an abundance of funds, and those churches that are struggling financially are asked an equal, small percentage of their latest Total Annual Income.]
3. Revenue and cost associated with byFaith magazine are removed from the AC budget thus making byFaith a self-supporting enterprise.
4. By this approach, dollar Askings for the AC, are most likely reduced for churches. [Except if a church has few members in proportion to its budget.]
5. This proposal presumes the generation of approximately $1,628,600 from Askings if 1,442 of the 1,731 denomination churches give to Askings at the level of 0.25% of that churches latest Total Annual Income. [If only 75% of the $1,628,600 is raised thru Askings, some $1,221,450 would be garnered – more than sufficient to cover the $1,070,000 of the table above.]
6. This proposal does not threaten discipline or stigma for non-payment of services.
7. The Church Categories, A thru R, per the Martin Hedman Option #1, as presented to the presbytery (January 2011), were used in formulation of this plan. The average church income for each category (for this proposal) was calculated using the Category Min. plus 37.5 % of the difference between the Category Max. and Min. [This weights the average dollar value toward the lower end of the Category. If the Category average Income reflected the mathematical average of the Min. & Max. an additional $50,000 would be generated for AC.]

Wes White is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He is currently serving as the Pastor of New Covenant Spearfish Presbyterian Church, Spearfish, South Dakota. This article originally appeared on his web site http://weswhite.net and is used with permission