More Money = More Ministry, Part 2
from Dan Adolphson, Vice Moderator & Finance Team Leader
As 2014 winds to a close, there is much to celebrate in the work of GLAD Alliance. Our Executive Director, Dr. Mark Johnson, has been very busy building relationships in the work of helping the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) become a place of welcome and inclusion to all. In the past few months, Mark has attended regional assemblies in 6 regions: Illinois-Wisconsin, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Virginia, Greater Kansas City, and Northern California/Nevada. He has attended the Pastors Conference in San Diego, Convocation Biennial Session (African American Churches), NAPAD Convocation (Asian/Pacific Churches) and Womens Quadrennial. In these places he has held workshops, staffed exhibit tables, and held many vital, face-to-face conversations about the place of all at the table . . . a table of inclusion and welcome.
Since Dr. Johnston began this work, 25 ministries have declared themselves Open & Affirming.
Additionally, GLAD has reserved what I term “prime real estate” on the display floor at the 2015 General Assembly in Columbus. Your GLAD booth will be bigger, bolder, better. Another opportunity for vital, face-to-face conversations about the place of all at the table . . . a table of inclusion and welcome.
As Finance Team Leader, it is my responsibility to work with the treasurer to watch over our cash flow, and as the year winds down, I need to sound a note of concern to you, our members and friends. At the current rate of cash outflow, we are going to be running on fumes by the time General Assembly rolls around, at the very moment when we need to do our most important work in the Church.
But Dan, you ask, don’t you have reserve funds? A good question. We have a small endowment (about a month’s worth of operating cash), as well as a generous gift from a church that we have invested with the Church Board of Extension. We are able to use a portion of this each year (and the next portion doesn’t become available until the fall). In the finance world, these are what are called restricted funds, to be used only for a special purpose or at the donor’s discretion.
Ok Dan, I get that, but you receive funding from the General Church, right? Why do you need my support? Ah, “GLAD” you asked. The biggest myth we face when seeking support is that we are a funded ministry unit of the General Church . . . GLAD Alliance receives no financial support from the General Office of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). GLAD operates solely on membership dues and financial gifts from donors like you and from Disciples congregations.
Ok, now for the good news. YOU, yes YOU, can help us. You can be part of this vital work. GLAD is in the midst of a membership drive with an ambitious goal of 500 members. If you haven’t renewed yet, will you take a moment to do so? Also, if you are a current member, have you invited a friend/family member/congregation member to join this important work?
Additionally, have you thought about a one-time or on-going monthly or quarterly financial gift to this work? If you are a member of a Disciples congregation, have you included GLAD in your church’s mission/outreach budget?
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) needs Open & Affirming churches. Behind every story of affirmation and acceptance is a story of pain and rejection. For every ‘it gets better’ story there is a story of how bad it is.
And many of these stories don’t get better. Rolling Stone magazine recently reported on the rising number of homeless gay teens who are cast out of their homes by religious families. The statistics on young LGBT people, lacking the support of family and church, who get caught in substance abuse, homelessness, and suicide remain frightening. Without family support, LGB youth are 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs.
The Alliance works with you to build a just and inclusive Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that welcomes persons of all gender expressions and sexual identities into the full life and leadership of the church. You can join us in this work. Let us end the stories of rejection and increase the stories of love, acceptance and affirmation in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).