From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97078: CRC Synod Reallocates Funds; Seminary Hopes Shift Will Stave off $300,000 Deficit NR #1997-078: Christian Reformed Synod Reallocates Funds in Final Session; Calvin Seminary President Hopes Fund Shift Will Stave Off $300,000 Deficit The Christian Reformed synod's concluding business on June 20 focused on the report of the finance committee and an appeal by Calvin College and the Back to God Hour broadcast ministry against a decision by the CRC's Ministries Coordinating Council to reallocate the funds collected by ministry shares from local churches. The Ministries Coordinating Council recommended that the Back to God Hour, Calvin College, Home Missions, World Missions, and the Fund for Smaller Churches each have their ministry shares cut by amounts ranging from 2.7% to 7% while increasing the Calvin Seminary ministry share by 14.5%, denominational services by 7.3%, and the pastoral ministries agency by 14.6%. That recommendation didn't sit well with Calvin College president Dr. Galen Byker, who after debate was granted permission to address synod and delivered a strongly-worded speech against the proposal. "What's the message here?" asked Byker. "I fear that this synod will be looked at as the synod that turned away from support for Christian higher education." However, the president of the agency that will be the largest beneficiary of the reallocation said he was pleased by synod's action. "This is going to continue the programs we have been doing," said Calvin Seminary president Dr. James DeJong, who noted that the seminary faced a $300,000 budget shortfall and its only alternative was a 20% increase in student tuition for next year. Even with the reallocation, the seminary plans a 10% tuition hike. While the pastoral ministries increase is slightly higher in percentage, the total dollar amount of the Calvin Seminary increase is over twice that of pastoral ministries and almost three times that of denominational services. NR #1997-078: For Immediate Release Christian Reformed Synod Reallocates Funds in Final Session * Calvin Seminary President hopes fund shift will stave off $300,000 deficit by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 20, 1997) URNS -- For the first time in decades, the Christian Reformed synod met for only one week rather than the customary two weeks, raising concerns that synod might not be able to finish its business on time. That didn't happen, however -- synod actually adjourned a day earlier than expected. Synod's concluding business on June 20 focused on the report of the finance committee and an appeal by Calvin College and the Back to God Hour broadcast ministry against a decision by the CRC's Ministries Coordinating Council to reallocate the funds collected by ministry shares from local churches. The Ministry Coordinating Council recommended that the Back to God Hour, Calvin College, Home Missions, World Missions, and the Fund for Smaller Churches each have their ministry shares cut by amounts ranging from 2.7% to 7% while increasing the Calvin Seminary ministry share by 14.5%, denominational services by 7.3%, and the pastoral ministries agency by 14.6%. That recommendation didn't sit well with Calvin College president Dr. Galen Byker, who after debate was granted permission to address synod and delivered a strongly-worded speech against the proposal. "My reasons are three: it's the wrong process, it's the wrong time, and it's the wrong result," said Byker. "The college is objecting to the process at every step of the way." Byker noted that the college's ministry share request had remained flat for eight years with no adjustments for inflation, that the new proposal represented an actual decrease in church support for the official college of the Christian Reformed Church, and that it came at the same time he and other staff members had been traveling widely throughout the CRC in an attempt to rebuild confidence in the college among Christian Reformed members. "What's the message here?" asked Byker. "I fear that this synod will be looked at as the synod that turned away from support for Christian higher education." Despite Byker's speech, synod refused to approve the Calvin College appeal. The president of the agency that will be the largest beneficiary of the reallocation said he was pleased by synod's action. "This is going to continue the programs we have been doing," said Calvin Seminary president Dr. James DeJong, who noted that the seminary faced a $300,000 budget shortfall and its only alternative was a 20% increase in student tuition for next year. Even with the reallocation, the seminary plans a 10% tuition hike. "We're getting squeezed three ways," said DeJong, noting that the college was assessing the seminary $150,000 additional per year for computer services, that the synodical board of trustees was prohibiting increases in the total ministry shares assessed on CRC members, and that the synodical services office was increasing charges to the seminary. "Ministry share impacts us much more than it does to the college," said DeJong, noting that almost two-thirds of the seminary's funds com from ministry shares whereas less than a tenth of the college income comes from ministry shares. According to DeJong, the seminary should know by July whether it will be able to erase or substantially reduce its funding shortfall. While sympathetic to the financial problems of other agencies, Byker noted that Calvin College had addressed its financial concerns by aggressive and successful fundraising and student recruitment efforts. "I'm not belittling anyone else's need for operating funds, but if they want additional funds they should have to justify that," said Byker. Currently Calvin College tuition stands at $11,255 per year; Calvin Seminary tuition varied by degree program, but for most students preparing for the pastoral ministry the tuition will average $5000 per year. For 1998, each Christian Reformed congregation will be asked to pay $227.43 per professing member over 18 for denominational services -- a cut of $19.81 from the previous total of $224.99. All but $2.35 of the cut is in the minister's pension fund, which will now be billed by direct assessment rather than ministry share. Total assessed Calvin Seminary ministry shares will be raised by $2.81 from $19.39 per professing member over 18 to $22.20; the pastoral ministries agency ministry share will increase by $1.29 from $8.86 to $10.15, not counting chaplaincy pensions which will be funded by direct billing.rather than ministry shares; denominational services, which includes funds for denominational committees, denominational building functions, various grants, and the offices of CRC General Secretary Dr. David Engelhard and CRC Executive Director of Ministries Dr. Peter Borgdorff, will see its ministry share upped by $1.10 to $16.25 from $15.15. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1995-003: Calvin College Reverses Five Year Enrollment Decline #1995-008: Calvin College Announces Texan Finalist in Presidential Search #1995-065: Two "B's" for Calvin: Synod Ratifies Appointments of Byker and Bekker as College President, Seminary Academic Dean #1995-079: No Discipline for Churches Ordaining Women or Refusing to Pay Denominational Ministry Shares #1995-099: Classis Wisconsin Rejects Overture to Sever Calvin College from Christian Reformed Denomination Contact List: Dr. Peter Borgdorff, Executive Director of Ministries, Christian Reformed Church 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 O: (616) 246-0832 * H: (616) 957-3288 Dr. Galen Byker, President, Calvin College 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 O: (616) 957-6100 Dr. James A. De Jong, President, Calvin Theological Seminary 3233 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4387 O: (616) 957-6086 * H: (616) 957-6087 * FAX: (616) 957-8621 * E-Mail: DEJJ@Calvin.edu Dr. David Engelhard, General Secretary, Christian Reformed Church in North America 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 O: (616) 246-0744 * H: (616) 243-2418 * FAX: (616) 246-0834 * E-Mail: engelhad@crcna.org ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-078.txt .