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historic meeting was conducted in Cleveland, Tennessee, April 30,
2009, to deal with a request from the General Assembly to downsize
the amount of money sent by local churches to state and general
ofg197 ces. This included the 2.5 percent of tithes sent to World Missions.
The voting constituency consisted of the International Executive Council,
the World Missions Board, state/regional overseers from the U.S. and the
g197 rst elected council member from each state/region. The General Assembly
had mandated that the percentage leaving local churches be decreased from
15 percent to 10 percent over a 5-year period beginning in September, 2010,
and that the reduction be equally shared by the International Ofg197 ces, World
Missions and State Ofg197 ces.
The adopted measure will reduce the funds sent to the general and state
funds by one percent a year (one-half to state; one-fourth to General Ofg197 ces
and one-fourth to World Missions). When the reductions are completed
after g197 ve years, the State Ofg197 ce will be receiving 5 percent of tithes, the
International Ofg197 ces 3.75 percent, and World Missions 1.25 percent. The
reason the International Ofg197 ces percentage is higher is that retired and
disabled ministers are paid from this budget.
This means that the 2.5 percent of tithes sent since 1929 for World
Missions will be changed to 1.25 percent. This is a 50 percent reduction.
How will this affect World Missions?
First, the administration of World Missions will be reduced by 10 percent.
Adjustments will be made in staff, fund raising, ofg197 ce supplies and General
Assembly activities. We will assist international delegates to attend the
General Assembly only once every four years in an alternated schedule, e.g.,
if a country has four Missions-appointed leaders, only two of them would
attend the 2012 Assembly with World Missions help; then the other two
By Douglas LeRoy,
would be assisted to attend in 2014.
General Director Second, we will reduce educational funds for missionary children and
international students.
Third, we will reduce funds used for ministries in the U.S. in which we
partner with stateside ministries.
Fourth, the bulk of the reductions will be from g197 eld ministries. More
countries that can support their own administration will be encouraged to
do so, moving to a self-supporting status. Twenty-two of our more mature
g197 elds have already achieved this goal. Opportunities will still be available for
ministry and project funds to be raised.
Finances from the reduced 1.25 percent of tithe will focus on supporting
our 116 Bibles schools/colleges and on assisting mission countries which
cannot support themselves.
The world economy demands that we make these adjustments. Our
present receipts are 6.2 percent lower than last year. The reallocation of
funds will create an additional reduction of 50 percent. World Missions is
committed to operate in the black and within the framework of the missions
giving of our churches.
The harvest is great; the time is short; the message is relevant. With your
partnership we can fulg197 ll the Great Commission and g197 nish the task Christ
has given us.
save our world 3
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