Bishop Alfred L. Norris, Albuquerque, N.M., heads the study panel which is related to the General Council on Finance and Administration. The preliminary report distributed to the bishops said that the lack of trust is broader than money issues, although it noted that a few congregations have decided to temporarily withhold their contributions to the general church. Among the task force's preliminary recommendations is making stewardship an emphasis for the 2000-2004 quadrennium, with a similar theme for the 2000 General Conference. The statistics dealt with topics such as membership, church attendance, and contributions as a percent of family income, spending at both congregational and national church levels, and formulas by which apportionments to local churches are calculated. In terms of organization and structure we are striving to avoid additional layers of bureaucracy that might stifle our core task of disciple making and our call to serve the world.
Specific recommendations are yet to be developed.
The task force will report to the 2000 General Conference. Pa. For general questions about The United Methodist Church, please call InfoServ at 1.800.251.8140.