Report of the
BFC Interim Executive Board
As the interim Bible Fellowship Church Executive Board carried out its responsibilities this past year, it sought to prepare for the work that would be entrusted to it if it is officially created and members elected to it by the Annual Conference in April 2009. The interim board concentrated on preparing the structures necessary to lead the BFC Conference at that time – namely the adoption of clear legislation and fair financial policies that will guide its work for years to come.
While wrestling with many of these issues, the board sought to clarify its relationships to other BFC entities so that a clear understanding of authority, responsibility, and accountability exists as we move forward into this new leadership structure. There will be no meaningful change resulting from this reorganization if we do not adequately address these issues.
As a result of these discussions, the interim BFC Executive Board believes the legislation adopted at First Reading in 2008 needs to be adjusted in a few places that refer to the BFC agencies. These changes increase the authority of the BFC Executive Board over the agencies so that the agencies more directly serve the goals of the BFC at large. In order to see these changes in the broader context, let us review the overall vision of the restructuring proposal.
The BFC Conference continues as the supreme governing body of the church. Our theological understanding of the church causes us to entrust final leadership to this assembly of pastors and elders. All matters concerning our Articles of Faith, Principles of Biblical Living, government, and discipline will continue to be handled by the BFC Conference.
The BFC Conference elects a President and BFC Executive Board in order to provide direction for the BFC as a whole. The BFC Executive Board in turn appoints the BFC Executive Director to implement its strategy.
The BFC Executive Board (and its Executive Director) then relate to other BFC entities in one of three ways:
COMMITTEES – The BFC Conference will continue to elect and oversee the committees that relate to churches and pastors. These committees include the Ministerial Candidate Committee, the Ministerial Relations Committee, the Credentials Committee, and the Church Health Committee (currently the Board of Church Health). The relationship of the BFC Executive Board to these committees is one of advice and encouragement.
DIVISIONS – Currently, many of these functions are performed by committees elected by Annual Conference. It will be the goal of the BFC Executive Board in the next few years to restructure these functions into divisions directly controlled by the BFC Executive Director. Volunteer service will continue to be encouraged, but much-more efficient organization is envisioned. The divisions include current functions such as Christian education, youth and young adults, higher education, historical research, auditing, pensions, publication and communications. It will expand to include areas such as budgeting, accounting, publicity, and development. The relationship of the BFC Executive Board to the divisions is one of direct control.
DEPARTMENTS – The current agencies will be called departments. The current boards of Church Extension, Missions, Pinebrook, and Victory Valley will be restructured as committees that focus on the operational aspects of their ministries in compliance with the established direction and vision of the BFC. These committees will be elected internally, subject to the ratification of the BFC Executive Board, and will no longer be elected by the Annual Conference. The department directors will be appointed by the BFC Executive Board, in consultation with the department committees. The department directors will be non-voting members of the BFC Executive Board and will be directly accountable to the BFC Executive Director. The budgets of the departments will be approved by the BFC Executive Board. The relationship of the BFC Executive Board to the departments is one of oversight.
This final area is certainly the one that is most different from the past. But the BFC Executive Board is convinced that it is the only way to bring about real unity of purpose, accountability, and positive change in the years to come. One of the first priorities for the BFC Executive Board will be to evaluate the current effectiveness and future direction of each department as it relates to the overall goals of the BFC. Among other things to be examined, the consolidation of personnel, offices, and equipment will be studied with a view to greater efficiency and effectiveness.
It will probably take a few years for the reorganization to be completed with respect to all the legislative and administrative changes that need to be implemented. The ultimate design is for the emphasis to return to the real heart of our movement – namely the local churches and their leaders. Our desire is to strengthen these foundations as we move ahead into the twenty-first century.
Finally, it will be noted that many of the entities that once were elected by and reported to the Annual Conference will answer directly to the BFC Executive Board (and indirectly to the BFC Conference). This provides for the exciting possibility of the annual BFC Conference becoming free to conduct its business in more meaningful and shorter sessions and to have more time for inspiration, education, and motivation in its meetings.
Since we believe that the proposed changes below are not inconsistent with our stated goals in the first reading legislation, we offer the following adjustments as second reading legislation.
1. Article 505-1 Voting Members Add:
(7) all voting members of the BFC Executive Board
2. Article 512-1 Change, “agency” to “department”
3. Article 512-1.1 Change,
(4) The director of each department shall serve as a non-voting member.
4. Article 512-1.2 (b) Quorum, delete the final sentence “If unanimous consent….”
5. Article 512-1.5 Duties of the Executive Board Amend to:
(3) It shall appoint the directors of the departments and establish the terms of their employment, in consultation with the department committee. It shall have authority to terminate the employment of the directors of the departments.
(4) Change “agencies” to “departments” and change “agency” to “department”
(7) Change “approval of all members” to “approval of two-thirds of its members”
6. Article 512-1.6 Replace previous reading with
(5) He shall oversee the department directors and coordinate their work so as to advance the plans of the BFC Conference.
In addition to the above, the Executive Board believes that an equal assessment that includes all of the giving to meet the responsibilities of the denomination is the best way to move forward. This assessment would include all of the following financial requirements:
• Pension Fund (Ministers Retirement Fund) – This is currently paid in three parts by the churches: $900 per church and $9.00 per member of each church paid by the church directly, and approximately $1,000 for each church paid through the Administrative Budget.
• Fellowship News – This is currently paid by each church on a per member basis, and is also subsidized by the Administrative Budget.
• Conference Pastor – paid through the Administrative Budget
• Board expenses, committee expenses and other denominational obligations – currently paid through the Administrative Budget
These would all be combined into a simple percentage of a church’s operating budget. Almost all of our smaller churches (1/3rd of our churches) would see a decrease in their denominational obligations while the larger churches (1/3rd) would see an increase in their denominational obligations.
The Executive Board believes that the amount of 2% based upon each church’s fiscal 2008 operating budget, which has been proposed, should be the percentage for the assessment for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2010. A specific percentage will be presented to the BFC Conference each year, along with the rationale for that percentage, and then approved by the entire BFC Conference before enacted. The Executive Board will work within the framework approved by the Annual Conference.
BFC Executive Board: Randall A. Grossman, President; David T. Allen, Dennis M. Cahill, Carl C. Cassel, Robert Evans, Jay A. Fasnacht, Steve Kauffman, Charles Lavigna, L. James Roberts, Jr., Robert A. Sloan, David A. Thomann, Robert H. Zentz