Financial health improves for NCC
Kirkpatrick reports progress on talks with
evangelicals, Catholics
by Kevin Eckstrom, Religion News Service
WASHINGTON - 1-June-2001 - Leaders from the National Council of Churches
(NCC) presented an improved financial forecast for the 51-year-old
agency and promised to build on increased enthusiasm for "expanding
the ecumenical table" to attract Catholics and evangelicals.
During the May 30-31 meeting of the NCC executive
board, leaders said they will cut spending by 2 percent next year to
keep up with an expected 2 percent drop in revenues. If the budget is
maintained, officials expect to end next year's budget with a $10,000
surplus.
NCC General Secretary Bob Edgar has reined in spending and trimmed the
agency's bureaucracy to stop years of deficit spending. By last year,
the NCC had depleted its reserve funds by $6 million and asked its 36
member churches to help in a bailout plan. Reserve funds - almost
entirely restricted - currently stand at about $3.5 million.
The current fiscal year ends June 30 and includes a deficit of about
$730,000. That deficit will be absorbed by the NCC's reserve funds, but
Edgar said he expects the council to be on track by next year. Board
members rejected a proposal to underspend next year's budget by 5
percent.
"We've come a long way," Edgar said. "We haven't gotten
there yet, but we've come a long way."
Some of the budget woes come from the separation of the NCC's
humanitarian arm, Church World Service and Witness. As the two agencies
become largely separate entities, officials are shuffling staff and
resources to meet the needs of both groups.
Edgar pointed to small signs of greater stability, such as an increase
in the mailing of the NCC newsletter from 5,000 copies to more than
60,000. In addition, he had hoped to attract $75,000 in funding from
outside groups but expects to have $250,000 by year's end.
When Edgar assumed control of the beleaguered agency last year, he
immediately pushed NCC member churches to consider the idea of
eventually disbanding the NCC and re-forming it as a new ecumenical
group that could include Roman Catholic, evangelical and Pentecostal
churches, which have frequently been at odds with the NCC.
Edgar said those talks are going well, and include discussions and
possible partnerships with groups such as the Salvation Army and Habitat
for Humanity.
The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church
(USA) and a member of the NCC's vision committee, told board members he
hopes to launch formal "conversations" with Catholic leaders
later this year.
"We're looking forward with a great deal of anticipation that the
Holy Spirit has something exciting in store for the ecumenical
movement," Kirkpatrick said.
Attracting Catholics and evangelicals will likely be a hard fight for
the NCC. Last year the three groups signed a joint statement on the
importance of marriage, but Edgar later removed his name for fear that
the statement could be interpreted as an attack on gays and lesbians.
Edgar said he has had "good conversations" with the National
Association of Evangelicals, but conceded that relations have never been
warm with the NAE, which was largely formed in opposition to the NCC.
"They have some issues," he said.
Kirkpatrick and Edgar said they would like to see a move toward a new
agency by 2004, and expect to spend $250,000 next year on the project.
"The specifics of the time line have to play out when the other
partners gather around the table," Kirkpatrick said.
