Funding the Future

In my last post, I said the proposed 2011 budget contains funding for both fixed AND flexible expenditures. I want to say a bit more about this later category, in particular the budget lines identified as "Book of Discipline Mandated Ministry Areas - Start Up Fund" and "Emerging Ministries."

Don't be discouraged if those budget lines didn't immediately make sense to you. You and I are probably more accustomed to designations, like "Computer Services, " "Resource Libraries" or "Equitable Compensation." Even budget lines labeled "Global Ministries," "Youth" or "Congregational Development" would be recognizable to many of us. But "Book of Discipline Mandated Ministry Areas - Start Up Fund" or "Emerging Ministries" - what is that?

Let's fill in some of the blanks:

Book of Discipline Mandated Ministry Areas - Start Up Fund - $238,000

At the June 19th Uniting Session, we approved a Plan of Union which created only those conference teams, boards and committees required by the Book of Discipline or deemed absolutely necessary for us to start our life as a new conference. This was our "initial structure" designed to get us started.

Now we take the next step. The Book of Discipline requires an annual conference to carry out a variety of other ministries not covered by these existing teams, ministries like:

• age-level ministries with youth, young and older adults,
• discipleship ministries of Christian education and evangelism,
• ministries of relief, advocacy and outreach

The Discipline tells us we must do these ministries, but it frees us to figure out how. Figuring out the how is what we'll be working on in 2011. This fund will provide the resources to bring people together to develop plans and begin initial programming.

Emerging Ministries- $650,00

This fund may be the most important money in the whole budget because it will fund our future. In the year ahead, as the Conference Leadership Team articulates conference ministry priorities, this fund will allow us to move quickly and boldly to fund these priorities.

Because of funds like this, Upper New York's 2011 budget isn't an ordinary budget. But then, we're not doing an ordinary thing. A new conference, in a new time demands new approaches.

Rev. Gottschalk-Fielding's blog can also be read at Blogspot.