When CCA Treasurer Thomas Yee-po Soo delivered the Financial Report to the General Assembly on April 16, he twice mentioned stewardship.
In the executive summary of the report of the CCA Review, delivered in the following session, the word appeared once.
The topic of responsible financial management was mentioned often, however, in questions from the floor.
Bishop Soo sought questions and constructive comments after his report “to improve the financial status and management of the CCA”.
He hoped that member churches and councils would take more responsibility for the growth and the stability of the CCA. “What I am presenting is not merely figures but behind these figures are the commitment and the stewardship of member churches, councils and ecumenical partners for God’s mission.”
Support from member churches and from ecumenical partners was decreasing. But partners from beyond the region, who provide 80 per cent of CCA’s budget, wanted to know when the Asian churches would take responsibility for the Asian ecumenical movement.
Bishop Soo said, “I believe the time has come for us to demonstrate that we are no longer babes in Christ but mature Christians who can take responsibility for our own actions.”
He said he would ask the churches and councils in Asia to consider seriously making donations regularly to CCA. “However,” he said, “we also have to ask ourselves, as CCA members, how can we serve the churches and councils better.”
He said the Asian churches seemed to have the resources to give to the CCA when the need arose; they were willing to give to the CCA programs, but were they willing to give money to maintain the structure?
Non-cash contributions were a different way Asian churches took responsibility for the ecumenical movement. Nevertheless, Bishop Soo said to maintain an organised and centralised structure like the CCA it needed to receive cash contributions from member churches and councils on an annual and regular basis.
Relationship with churches and councils and the sustainability of programs were also key reference points in the report of the CCA Review.
Recommending a review of CCA’s entire governance structure, it said churches and councils wanted to see changes in the structures so they would be effective, accountable and responsible to the members, transparent, confidential where necessary, fully participatory, professional, and above personal and political interests.
Among weaknesses listed, it said in order to mobilise sharing of resources among CCA member churches, CCA needed to increase information sharing, capture the needs of Asian churches, plan regular church visits, introduce and encourage Asian churches to host CCA programs, and facilitate the leadership development of member churches.
For their part, CCA member churches also needed to take their membership seriously, integrate their financial contribution to CCA in their annual budget, facilitate information sharing to cultivate ecumenical understanding and support, and develop strategic leadership.
The mention of good stewardship in the report from the Review was that CCA had never been accused of any major financial misappropriation of funds.
There was mention, however, of the value of time and money spent on large committees with little strategic outcome, poor management practices and outdated office procedures, and no value added from CCA programs.
Bishop Soo included in his report part of a letter from Heiner Knauss of ecumenical partner EED. It said, “Churches in Germany and their agencies will not feel responsible any longer to maintain a regional council if churches in the region would not show commitment themselves. And commitment is much more than funding.”
Mr Knauss said the CCA delegation going to Europe needed to convince church leaders there theologically of the role CCA could play in a situation where ecumenical leadership was highly demanded.
“The task before you during this trip is to explain the indispensable necessity of the existence of an ecumenical body like CCA … The answer must be sought in participating as churches in Asia’s discourse on inter-religious relations, on poverty, violence, human rights violations, justice (including gender justice) peace and integrity of creation.”
One comment about the review document was that, while it said CCA had no mission statement, the Assembly seemed happy not to have one.
As CCA proceeds to develop strategic directions, financial sustainability and good stewardship practices, the new General Committee and General Secretary have, as the General Secretary-elect Henriette T. Hutabarat Lebang said concluding the review presentation, a lot of work to do.
Stephen Webb
~ Berita Terkini CCA Assembly 2010 April 17
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