Review of Operations
In December 2011, we began a review of all operations at World Evangelism Center in St. Louis. We have hired Collaborative Strategies, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in this kind of work and has experience with nonprofit and church organizations. They conducted focus group meetings and interviews with executives, employees, pastors, and other ministers totaling about one hundred people. CSI gave a preliminary report to the General Board, and we are now working on specific problems and solutions with the goal of completing the review in July.
The preliminary review revealed four main strengths of WEC and UPCI operations: an effective plan of world evangelization, financial stability despite challenging economic conditions, respect for leadership, and great commitment to our mission on the part of ministers and employees.
At the same time, it identified four main challenges: overlapping functions, weaknesses in some aspects of management and institutional culture, need to strengthen centralized functions (particularly inaccounting, human resources, and information technology), and issues of governance.
To address these challenges, we have formed four work groups: Accounting, Publications, Communications/ Marketing, and Organization. From these work groups we expect three kinds of recommendations: technology, process, and organization. One major outcome will be to address the need for information technology by upgrading, reimplementing, or replacing software.
We expect that some recommendations can be implemented administratively, while others could require Executive Board, General Board, or General Conference action. I will keep you informed as specific proposals emerge from the process.
General Board Actions
The Executive and General Boards met in March. In addition to handling ordinary business, including oversight of finances and divisional operations, the General Board took several significant actions.
- Recommendation for international ministry. Adopted recommended guidelines for ministerial communication and ethics when ministering internationally or inviting international ministers to minister domestically. This recommendation will be published in the Forward and Manual.
- Discussion of nominating procedure. The Creative Planning Committee submitted a proposal to conduct a nonbinding straw poll at sectional conferences for offices to be voted on at General Conference. The General Board amended the proposal to provide an online straw poll and has asked that this idea be discussed in a ministers session at General Conference before possible implementation.
- Statement against homosexual marriage. A committee was appointed to update our position paper on homosexuality in order to state opposition to homosexual marriage. We plan to present this position paper to the General Board and General Conference for adoption.
- Recommendation for ministerial training. The General Board recommends that every district develop a plan for ministerial training, including training for those seeking license or license upgrade and voluntary continuing education for licensed ministers. The district plan can use existing educational resources such as Launch Your Ministry (www.launchyourministry.com), PurposeInstitute, PC Minister, Bible colleges, and Urshan Graduate School of Theology certificate classes.
Communications Technology Committee
In 2009-2010 a special Restructuring Committee of the General Board considered various proposals regarding UPCI operations. In September 2010 this committee recommended that we consider updating our Articles of Faith, Constitution, and Position Papers "regarding the use of current communications technologies." The General Board referred this recommendation to a special committee for further study. The reason is that our existing language regarding television and video is outdated and does not adequately address newer technologies such as online media, satellite and cable deliveries, DVDs, tablets, and smart phones. (Two Position Papers discuss computers, the Internet, and technology in general.) Moreover, we are seeing the merger of traditional television with technologies that we have already accepted. Our historic language may not communicate effectively and comprehensively to a new generation of believers, converts, and ministers. At the recent board meeting the Communications Technology Committee presented four options:
- Continue: make no changes
- Contain: update current policies to deal with new technologies
- Cripple: implement new prohibitions regarding new technologies
- Create: address the technologies of the present and future by considering what we would write if we were creating these documents from scratch
The General Board's discussion emphasized the following parameters:
- We must continue to uphold our position on holiness of life and holiness in the use of all communications technology. In view of the symbolic nature of media for our movement, we must be careful not to signal any compromise of belief or lifestyle.
- We affirm that the decision of our elders in 1954 was correct when they adopted the fourth paragraph on holiness in our Articles of Faith in response to the invention of television and other changes in society. Our goal is to enunciate the principles upon which they acted and apply them in light of technological changes and more complex choices.
- Since this matter has been significant for us historically, we don't need to treat it as politics but we need to seek consensus on how to address these very real issues. Like the church in Acts 15, we believe that God will give us collective wisdom for our day.
Loan Fund
The UPC Loan Fund is making great progress. In nine months we have 80 investors with $3.1 million in investments. The return is very attractive in that most CDs at banks are offering typically less than 1%. The Loan Fund offers 3.5% if invested before the end of March, with 4% for three years and 4.5% for five years. On April 1 the rates of return reduce to 3%, 3.5%, and 4% respectively. IRAs, including rollovers from IRAs and other qualified plans, can be invested in the Loan Fund. Go to www.upcloanfund.org or call Stephen Drury at 314-837-7304 X309. The Loan Fund is a great stewardship choice. It offers our churches and members a better rate of return, provides capital for UPCI church loans, and enables some interest income (the spread) to go to the UPCI instead of secular banks.
United Insurance Solutions
We continue to expand our Property and Casualty program for churches. We are writing policies directly with Philadelphia Insurance Company that offer a complete package of coverage based on a church's needs. We are looking for seasoned agents in each district who would like to affiliate themselves with our program and write church insurance within the Philadelphia offering. If you have an insurance need or have an agent referral, contact Duane Pope at[email protected] or 888-713-5137.
Sincerely in Christ,
David K. Bernard