NCC sees solvency ahead, seeks ways to do more with less
6/4/2001 NOTE: This report may be used with UMNS story #256.
WASHINGTON (UMNS) - The National Council of Churches of Christ (NCC) is expecting black ink instead of red and exploring new partnerships to further its ecumenical goals.
The council's executive board, meeting May 30-31, heard that the organization expects to end its fiscal year June 30 with a deficit of about $730,000, which will be covered by the NCC's approximately $3.45 million in reserves. The board approved a budget for the year starting July 1 that is expected to produce almost $11,000 in surplus and result in 10 percent of the operating budget being placed into reserves. The budget is 2 percent smaller than this year's.
After experiencing financial problems that depleted reserves by about $6 million, the NCC asked its member churches in 1999 to contribute millions to restore its solvency. Some of the larger churches, including the United Methodist Church, required changes in NCC financial administration and accountability before releasing money to the council.
During this period, the NCC and Church World Service, which was the council's relief and witness arm, restructured into mostly separate organizations. The Rev. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist and former college president and congressman, took over as chief executive at the beginning of 2000. Other changes have included reductions in staff.
The NCC is in its first year of a 10-year initiative to mobilize Christians and the interfaith community against poverty. The organization is exploring new partnerships as it continues working in traditional ones, such as with the Children's Defense Fund.
A new, informal relationship has been established with Habitat for Humanity International, a 25-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to making decent housing available to poor families. Millard Fuller, founder and president, told the NCC board May 30 that by working together, the council, its member churches and Habitat for Humanity could use "the theology of the hammer" to eliminate poverty or substandard housing.
"For 25 years, I have desired a relationship with the National Council of Churches," he said. He announced that Edgar would be joining a group that includes former President Jimmy Carter and the president of South Korea to build a Habitat house in that country in August.
The board received on first reading a proposal for cooperative efforts with Families USA regarding the issue of health care for the poor.
The board also authorized exploratory conversations with the American Bible Society, with an eye to the next ecumenical translation of the Bible. The NCC holds the copyright to the Revised Standard Version and the more recent New Revised Standard Version. At the same time, the board committed the council to examine its own expectations for continued ecumenical translation and use of Scripture.
Other explorations have begun that could result in the formation of a broader, more ecumenical organization to replace the NCC, in line with an intent expressed last year. Conversations with the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' committee on ecumenical and religious affairs and the Salvation Army are slated for September.
The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. presented the report of the board's Vision Committee, which was formed last year to explore ways of building a new ecumenical ministry on a broader base than the NCC. The board affirmed the report, which included urging rededication to the "marks of commitment" the churches had adopted in 1992 as well as seeking new partners. The board asked the committee to continue to play a role in developing ecumenical relationships until it is replaced.
During this meeting, the board members also heard:
· Hannah Rosenthal of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs urge them to ask policymakers to talk about eliminating poverty instead of eliminating welfare.
· Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, highlight crossroads issues such as human rights and sustainable economic development in foreign policy, and church-state relationships in domestic policy.
· Ziad Asali, chairman of the American Committee on Jerusalem, note that the city is sacred to Muslims, Christians and Jews, and that it should be shared, with no monopoly for any group, equal rights for all people and no privileged religion or nationality.
NCC board members also participated in an observance of the 1,700th anniversary of Armenia's conversion to Christianity.
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