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Proposed per capita increase will go to General Assembly

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LOUISVILLE – With no debate, the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board voted Feb. 9 to approve a sizeable proposed increase in General Assembly per capita – from $7.73 per member in 2018 to $10.71 in 2019 and to $11.45 in 2020. That would amount to a 39 percent increase from 2018 to 2019 and a 7 percent increase from 2019 to 2020. The proposal now will go to the 2018 General Assembly in June in St. Louis for its consideration. Ken Godshall, who is chair of the board and a pastor from Kentucky, had voted against the proposed increase Feb. 8 when it came before the board’s executive committee, saying the increase is “a very large amount” and “I would appreciate a different, less aggressive per capita proposal for the church to embrace.” But the next day, Godshall encouraged the board to vote for the proposed increase, so that the General Assembly can decide if it’s right for the denomination. The board did so. The proposed increase is controversial – with some Presbyterians saying … [Read more...]

Tagged With: per capita • PMA board

Presbyterian Mission Agency Board is collaborating but keeping its options alive

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LOUISVILLE – The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board voted Feb. 8 to authorize its Governance Task Force “to pursue each of the available options” for responding to the recommendations of the All Agency Review Committee and Way Forward Commission, and to bring a recommendation to the board’s conference call meeting on Feb. 16. What that means is the board is keeping alive what Melinda Sanders, co-chair of the Governance Task Force, described earlier this week as the “nuclear” option: asking the 2018 General Assembly for a deliverance to permit the Presbyterian Mission Agency to form its own corporation, responsible for mission but not for shared services. That’s one of a series of possible actions the board could take and an option the board might exercise if the Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review fail to produce by Feb. 16 documents outlining the details of their plan for reconfiguring the board and structure of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation – the … [Read more...]

Tagged With: PMA board

Some governance changes move ahead; some still being discussed

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LOUISVILLE – The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board voted Feb. 8 to approve some changes in its manual of operations regarding the size and structure of its board – but approved other changes provisionally, to give time for more consideration after some board members raised questions. The board also voted to add two ecumenical representatives as corresponding members of the board, with voice but not vote. The board had voted last September to reduce the size of the board from 40 voting members to 20 – and had decided at that time, after significant discussion, not to include any ecumenical representation on that board.   Some of the matters about which board members raised questions or concerns had to do with: Whether the leadership cabinet of the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) has had adequate opportunity to weigh in on proposed changes – such as to the PMA budget process. How the transition process would work in the move from having an executive committee … [Read more...]

Tagged With: PMA board

Proposed per capita rate increase receives preliminary approval on split vote

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LOUISVILLE – The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) and the executive committee of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board voted Feb. 8 to approve significant General Assembly per capita increases – an increase from $7.73 per member in 2018 to $10.71 in 2019 and to $11.45 per member in 2020. That would amount to a 39 percent increase from 2018 to 2019 and a 7 percent increase from 2019 to 2020. The 10-7 vote was split: with COGA voting 9-0 in favor (with one abstention) and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board executive committee voting 7-1 against. The proposed increase still would need approval from the 2018 General Assembly; the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board also is expected to consider it before its meeting ends Feb. 9. The standing rules say that the per capita rate needs to be a joint recommendation from COGA and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board. One option for resolving any differences might be to convene a Per Capita Joint Table, where … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COGA • per capita • PMA board

From “we could do nothing” to the “nuclear” option: Presbyterian Mission Agency Board discusses possible responses to pending A Corporation recommendation

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LOUISVILLE – Who’s responsible for what? Who makes the decisions (and controls the money)? And where’s the fine print? The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board touched on some points of tension Feb. 7 regarding the changes the Way Forward Commission and the All Agency Review Committee are leaning towards recommending for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation. The A Corporation is the corporate entity for the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) and the Office of the General Assembly (OGA). The Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review are considering a joint recommendation that would change how the A Corporation functions and the structure of its board – making it a nine-member board with representation from each of the PC(USA)’s six agencies, plus three at-large members. Currently, the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s 40 voting members serve as the A Corporation board. There are other changes in the proposed A Corporation recommendation as well; Eileen Lindner, a … [Read more...]

Tagged With: PMA board • Way Forward Commission

Stated clerk makes the case for increased per capita

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LOUISVILLE – J. Herbert Nelson, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), presented a General Assembly per capita budget that he said is needed to “do what the Lord requires” – and which would be funded by a sizeable increase in the General Assembly per capita apportionment. The vote on that proposed General Assembly per capita increase – from an apportionment of $7.73 per member in 2018 to $10.71 in 2019 and $11.45 in 2020 – is expected to come Feb. 8, with the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) and the executive committee of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Boardmeeting jointly. If approved, that would amount to a 39 percent increase from 2018 to 2019 and a 7 percent increase from 2019 to 2020. The proposed increase would lift the General Assembly per capita budget from $11.5 million in 2018 to $15.5 million in 2019 and $15.8 million in 2020. That would also give a “break even” funding level – adding more than $66,000 to per capita reserves in … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COGA • per capita • PMA board

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