Report of the Stewardship Council

                “What do you have that you did not receive…” (I Cor. 4:7)? As persons made in God’s image, all that we have “is coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change” (James 1:17 NIV). Primarily, during this past year the Stewardship Council of the Bible Fellowship Church has been involved in positioning itself to begin teaching this cardinal truth of life and its implications to members and friends of the Bible Fellowship Church.

                The Stewardship Council conducted four regular meetings during this past year. In addition several key committee meetings were scheduled as necessary to continue progress toward our goal. The three members at large elected to council were active participants. Their service to the council was augmented during the year by representatives from the following agencies:

                                Board of Church Extension

                                Board of Directors of the Bible Fellowship Church

                                Board of Missions

                                Historical Committee

                                Home for the Aging

                                Pinebrook Bible Conference

                                Pinebrook Junior College

                                Victory Valley Camp

                With our Lord’s help the following achievements were accomplished during the year.

                1.             The title of Director of Stewardship Services was chosen for the person to be engaged by council.

                2.             A job description for the “Director of Stewardship Services” was formulated.

                3.             A letter, job description, council’s report to the 104th Annual Conference and a poster were mailed to each Bible Fellowship pastor to announce the availability of this position.

                4.             A committee was appointed to process and interview applicants for the position and to recommend their choice to the full council for hiring.

                5.             A Director of Stewardship Services was engaged at the September 6th meeting. He is Harold E. Snyder. His duties will begin on November 1, 1988. The council has pledged its prayer support and will encourage it in the churches as well.

                6.             During the year Ralph Cole was elected treasurer of the council. He requested and received funds from the Board of Directors to pay expenses.

                The council recommends to the 105th Annual Conference the following as an implementation procedure for Article III, numbers 9 and 10 of it duties.

WHEREAS: a more positive role is desired for our council and

WHEREAS: the power to approve and disapprove agency programs is viewed by them as an encumbrance of their work, therefore be it

RESOLVED: that the following be submitted to the 105th Annual Conference as Article III item 9 for adoption at first reading:

“9.to co-ordinate and review with sensitivity the stewardship programs, including major capital campaigns and deferred giving, of various Bible Fellowship Church agencies, so as to guard against duplication, competition, over-exposure, and undue aggressiveness,”

and be it further:

RESOLVED: that we recommend to the 105th Annual Conference that the duty listed above be a replacement for the present duties 9 and 10.

                                “9.           To co-ordinate and review with sensitivity the stewardship programs of various Bible Fellowship Church agencies so as to guard against duplication, competition, over-exposure, and undue aggressiveness.”

                                “10.         To approve all major capital campaigns and deferred giving programs of all agencies of the Bible Fellowship Church.”

RESOLVED: that we recommend to the 105th Annual Conference that the present duty “11” become duty “10”, and the present duty “12” become duty “11”.

RESOLVED: that we recommend to the 105th Annual Conference that duty “9” under Article III be implemented in the following manner.

“The Director of Stewardship Services will contact periodically each agency of the Bible Fellowship Church to discuss with them their fund raising plans. The Director of Stewardship Services will then report his findings and progress to the Stewardship Council to evaluate, and, in turn, offer any helpful assistance if necessary. 

We give praise and thanks to our Lord who has been our source of wisdom and strength, the enabler of the council to achieve this progress. We are most grateful as well for the prayers and other helps of God’s people from all corners of the Bible Fellowship Church. We urgently request your continued support in our efforts to give stewardship education and counsel throughout the Bible Fellowship Church. May it result in a significant build up of our particular churches and agencies to the glory of our great God!

Stewardship Council: James G. Koch, Chairman; Robert W. Gehret; Harold E. Snyder, Secretary; Ed Ahlum, Pinebrook Bible Conference; Phil Atkins, Victory Valley Camp; James A. Beil, Bible Fellowship Church Home; Ralph D. Cole, Historical Committee; Roy E. Hertzog, Board of Missions; T. Robert Wilcox, Pinebrook Junior College; Dan G. Ziegler, Board of Church Extension