2008 General Council Agenda…Item #2
The process adopted by our forefathers and used for many years stipulates that the Executive Council in session with the International Executive Committee determines the agenda for the General Council of Ordained Bishops. This process is very fluid and from my viewpoint is quite comprehensive. There is a need to make this process more transparent so that a larger percentage of persons can understand how the church works in this regard but as it presently stands items for the agenda are generated through the work of the Executive Council which meets at present three times per year for one week each meeting. In the course of our work, items arise which are determined to be necessary for inclusion on the agenda. They are placed in the care of the AGENDA COMMITTEE which this term was chaired by Bishop John Childers. This group meets throughout the whole two year period, refining, reviewing and recommending. They report to the Executive Council each meeting and any items which have come to them since the last meeting are placed in our care for direction and disposition.
Another way items get on the agenda is through letters and recommendations sent to the Executive Council from pastors, leaders and laity throughout the world where the Church of God operates. I was amazed how many things are sent to the Council from the “field”. In some cases, the items were referred to the Agenda Committee for research and report and in other cases, they were determined not to be in the interest of the church and were tabled or dismissed by vote. It is interesting to know that any letter, recommendation or items addressed to the Executive Council comes to that council without action or interference! Some may have assumed a screening of these items but each time we met, in my notebook was a section that contained copies of the original letter or recommendation written to the group from a pastor, lay leader, young person etc. These are read by all the members and are part of the agenda for our meetings each time. In this aspect, it is a very open process. I’ve had some to complain that they do not know what items have been sent and that is true. There is no posting of items written to the Council and it was my feeling that the authors specifically wrote to the council and that it was the responsibility of the originator to disseminate his thoughts publicly, should he/she wish.
For what it is worth, there were more than 60 items submitted to the Council this term for the agenda which contains 24 items.
Item #2 REALIGNMENT OF RESOURCES will prove to be one of the pivotal pieces of this assembly because of its implications through the USA churches. At present, COG congregations in foreign countries do not contribute to the USA offices. From what I know, they contribute 10% of their tithes to the territorial offices (our state offices) and 10% of the funds that come to those offices are tithed (10%) to their national offices.
In the USA, we agree that our churches will contribute 7.5% of their tithes to International Offices and 7.5% of tithes to the respective state offices where they are. There is an additional breakdown of these funds in that 2.5% of the funds sent to International Offices are designated for World Missions and are used for the administrative work of that department. The budget of World Missions from this fund also supports Field Directors of the major regions of the world, educational institutions, orphanages, mission representatives who raise WM funds and general operation, including media, travel, etc. These funds are annually 13 million dollars. In addition, donations for missionaries and specific projects total 19 million and none of these funds are used for operation or administration, but go 100% as intended to the field and ministry.
The remaining 5% of funds sent to International Offices are used for all other ministries of the church. This includes all the Bible schools/universities we have in the US and Canada, all the funding for Retired ministers, widows and disabled ministers, all departmental budgets (excluding World Missions), general operation of buildings, promotion, travel, media, employee compensation, and debt reduction, to name a few. These funds total 26 million annually.
There has been a significant and noteworthy call from the churches to downsize the percentage of funds coming from the local churches to international and state offices. In the last assembly, the General Council of Ordained Bishops approved a reduction which was later reversed by the vote of the General Assembly. However, there is a general church-wide feeling we need to get this done in this term so we can adjust and move ahead. The linger distractions of this issue are styming the work of the Great Commission, in my opinion.
As it is presented, the measure reads…
That, beginning January 1, 2010, local churches shall raise an offering equal to 2% of the tithes received to be sent monthly to the secretary general. Further, that this required offering be decreased by ½% biennially until January 1, 2018.
Proposed Reduction Scale:
- January 1, 2010 – 2%
- January 1, 2012 – 1½%
- January 1, 2014 – 1%
- January 1, 2016 – ½%
- January 1, 2018 – 0%
jasonisaacs on June 29th, 2008
As a young (24) minister in the COG, I do not think that is as big an issue as the press it’s getting.
There seems to be a belief from pastors and church leaders that withholding more money for us to keep in house will help us in our local ministries. In order to think this you have to believe a few things….
1. You are using everything that you keep in house now to the fullest of your ability. I think we can all be guilty of wasting money at times in our churches or organizations, etc. More money brought in for people who don’t spend it well just means more wastefulness not more productivity.
2. That a keeper is more blessed than a giver. I’m not an advocate of TBN prosperity garbage, but anyone who has tested the waters of giving knows that God blesses it. I have often wondered what we would say to our people if they told us that they were going to cut back there percentage of tithes they were paying to the church because they felt like they could use the money more effectively locally in their homes. I understand that 7.5% and 7.5% = 15% but I think the principle stands true when we give out of a duty rather than out of a cheerful heart we are wasting our time.
3. That your local state office can continue its ministries and functionality with a 2.5% cut. I have always said that the International Office have very little to do with my local church, but the State office has quite a bit to do with it. It is my belief that the State overseer is the most powerful position in the COG. I know in many of the small states this cut will mean the loss of state youth directors or any staff that is not supported by the Cleveland offices. While I can give convincing arguments that some positions need to be redefined I would hate for small churches to suffer from lack of State Office support because some of us larger church want to keep a couple hundred bucks.
I do not get a vote at this assembly because for some reason the majority of ministers at the last assembly deemed that I was not ready to have a vote ( which to me is a much bigger issue than the TOT issue) but I can honestly say that I haven’t made up my mind on how I would vote yet. To be completely honest I know to many pastors that could triple their annual budget and still couldn’t grow a church, so I just don’t know that it’s that simple.
At the heart of the issue is a distrust for the way money is spent at the different levels. From useless honorariums, to steaks every night after campmeeting, to secretaries getting paid trips to assembly, excessive motel rooms for state meetings. etc. There is no doubt in my mind that money gets wasted, but before I have picked up a stone to throw we have tried to make changes at our local church with reimbursements and food money etc. I would encourage all of us to do the same.
One more thing….( I know I have preached a sermon, but I am almost done) This is going to sound very old school COG but I am passionate about this issue. I don’t believe that ANY PASTOR who is not sending in their full TOT from their church, or ANY PASTOR who has encouraged there people to pay to general fund, or ANY PASTOR who has categorized there money so they can send in less should be allowed to vote on this issue. And that includes any (Council of 18 members) I think the most hypocritical thing a person could do, would be to accuse a Leader of “misappropriation of funds” and they are being dishonest or sneaky by bending a system they say they love. I believe integrity lies at the heart of every issue and this is no different.