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This is an update to my previous article of March 1, 2005.  I have continued writing to Ann Ferguson via e-mail and eventually did communicate with her by phone.  I thought it important to share with you the information she sent to us in the following e-mail dated August 16, 2005. 
 
In further conversation with Ann on August 19th, she agreed to forward additional mission statements and reports as they come in to her office. (Please note in her response that next year these will be available on their PCUSA website.)
 
Our Coordinating Team was very glad to get this response and eagerly await more info which we can use to make our own decisions and to share with others.  We do not wish to portray only one side of this research and will continue to submit information as it is received.
 
Sandy Huneycutt
Moderator of  Women of
Benton Heights Presbyterian Church
2803 Trinity Church Road
Monroe, NC  28112
704/764-3734
 
 
E-mail from Ann Ferguson dated August 16, 2005 at 10:32 PM:
 
Sandy,

I am sending you this from my home email account. The Center was infected with a virus today and I been unable to access email. Below are the mission statements of 2 of the 2005 Birthday Offering recipients along with web addresses if you want to look at them more carefully.

Mission statement is now required of all applicants. Another change that was made last year may also be of interest to you. Funds are now disbursed in 2 payments. To receive the second payment, the recipient must send a progress report detailing how the money
has been used to-date, the impact the ministry is having and how the next phases will be implemented. They must also show proof that funds to continue the project after the offering moneys are depleted are available. This applies to both offerings. 

You will notice a difference in the reporting of recipients and use of past offerings during the next year.

As I reread the series of communications, my first correspondence answered the majority of your questions with the exception of mission statements. Beginning with the 2006 Birthday Offering recipient mission statements will be posted on the website and included
in the printed material. The mission statements of the 2006 Thank Offering recipients witl be posted on the website.

I'll call you when I arrive in Charlotte. Hopefully we can meet while I'm there. -Ann

Resurrection, a central tenet of Christianity, is used in the New Testament to mean "a rising up" or "causing to stand." The non-profit ministry of Christ Kitchen is founded upon the essential principles of Christ's life and seeks to aid homeless, abused, poor, or disenfranchised women living in poverty in their rising up out of poverty, ultimately to stand on their own feet with the security of Christ. Our mission is to reveal Christ and make known the facts of the Gospel through group support and fellowship, individual discipleship, and job training by producing and selling gift baskets of dried food products. We seek to enable women trapped in poverty to improve, renew, heal, and maintain spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health
 

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance www.pcusa.org/pda Presbyterian Disaster Assistance enables congregations and mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to witness the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis
and catastrophic events.

Church World Service  churchworldservice.org Christians working together with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world.

Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center  ferncliff.org Ferncliff -- where faith and fun flourish!

With the 2006 Birthday Offering, and Thank Offering each applicant must include its mission statement as well as a purpose statement for the proposed project.

An international committee selects the projects. Maximum grant is $5,000. Most are less than that.

The committee member representing each region is responsible for contacting applicants from her region. If possible she makes an on-site inspection of the applicant agency. She must followup with the agency on its progress and a full report is made at the next
annual meeting of the committee. If the regional representative on the committee does not provide full reporting, she jeopardizes the standing of all applicants from her region. As I observed the committee in action, two regional representatives were questioned carefully and moneys were not approved.

Applications are in the language of the country and the representative must translate into English for the committee. The term “mission statement” carries a different meaning from region to region and country to country and must be gleaned from the applications.

100% of Least Coin funds sent to PW in Louisville are held in trust in a separate fund and forwarded directly to the International Committee of the Fellowship of the Least Coin regularly. Because the International Committee does not allow disclosure of
amounts from any country or denomination, the totals from PW are never released to the public.

The mission pledge is undesignated giving. It goes to PW in the Presbyteries, Synods and Churchwide and to the General Assembly Council Basic Mission Support. PW’s mission statement is the PW purpose.

Throughout the triennium, PW treasurers in the presbyteries and synods receive financial statements quarterly. At least once during each triennium an article appears in Horizons regading the mission pledge. A full reporting of expenditures is given to the voting representatives at each triennial business meeting.

Mission Support Services of the GAC manages PW funds for the CCT. No money is dispersed from the program budget without the aproval of the CCT. Records are
audited at the end of each 3-year budget period by an outside CPA firm. The results of the audit are part of the annual reporting to the General Assembly.

The use of Basic Mission Support funds is described in the GAC section of the Annual Report of the GA Agencies. The report can be obtained free of charge from Presbyterian Distributon Services.