Women's Division sees brighter financial outlook
Oct. 10, 2006
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A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey
Jan Love addresses the Women's Division annual meeting for the last time as its chief executive.
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| Jan
Love addresses the Women's Division annual meeting, Oct. 6-9 in
Stamford, Conn., for the last time as the division's chief executive.
Love is leaving at year's end to become dean of Candler School of
Theology. The Women's Division, a part of the United Methodist Board of
Global Ministries, is the administrative arm of United Methodist Women. A
UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey. Photo #06-1181. Accompanies UMNS story
#600. 10/10/06 |
By Linda Bloom*
STAMFORD, Conn. (UMNS) — A brighter financial
picture has emerged for the Women's Division, United Methodist Board of
Global Ministries, as it continues to focus on reorganization.
That was the word from Jan Love, the division's chief executive, and Andrea
Hatcher, treasurer, during the Oct. 6-9 annual meeting of the division's
directors.
It was the last meeting for Love, who is leaving Dec. 31 to become dean of
United Methodist-related Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. Lois Dauway,
who leads the division's Section on Christian Social Responsibility, was
elected to serve as interim chief executive from Jan. 1 until the position
is filled.
The Women's Division, which is the administrative arm of United Methodist
Women, has been focused on reversing a pattern of overspending. Although the
goal of a balanced budget for 2007 was not quite reached, "we're in essence
reducing our expenditures by more than $6 million in a little more than a
year," Love told directors.
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Lois Dauway |
She said the staff intends to address the projected deficit of just more
than $200,000 for 2007 by reducing spending levels. One step already taken
is a temporary hiring freeze.
One of the organization's challenges, according to Love, has been to put all
expenditures into "a single budget process" instead of approving some items
as "off budget" expenses. By this past April, "we had a very clear picture
and a road map of how to address the challenges before us," she said.
She stressed that the overspending was not a result of mismanagement and
that previous assets were used in a positive way to further God's mission.
But such spending could not continue indefinitely. Love called the current
process "a period of consolidation and adjustment to do things differently."
Hatcher noted that while mission giving had dropped by 7 percent from 2004
to 2005, the overall decrease in operating revenue was only 3 percent
because of investment income. For 2006, she reported, operating revenue was
already 34 percent higher by August because of an increase in undesignated
giving, interest and investment income and other revenues.
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A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey
Women's Division Treasurer Andrea Hatcher reports on the improved financial health of the organization.
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| Women's
Division Treasurer Andrea Hatcher reports on the improved financial
health of the organization at the Oct. 6-9 annual meeting of the
division's directors in Stamford, Conn. The Women's Division, which is
the administrative arm of United Methodist Women, has been focused on
reversing a pattern of overspending. The division is a unit of the
United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. A UMNS photo by Paul
Jeffrey. Photo #06-1183. Accompanies UMNS story #600. 10/10/06 |
The projection for 2006 is that overall mission giving will exceed 2005 but
still be less than 2004, Hatcher said.
Reductions in staff are part of the decrease in expenses. Between 2000 and
the beginning of 2007, the number of executive staff will have dropped from
41 to 29; professional staff, 12 to 9; and support staff, 63 to 25.
Some of the drop-off in staff is attributed to the recent closing of the
division's Service Center in Cincinnati. The total number of staff has
dropped from 116 in 2000 to 99 in 2004, and it will be down to 63 in 2007.
Although there are fewer staff members, some have received a pay increase
after a review of salary equity, Love added.
Kyung Za Yim, Women's Division president, explained to directors the process
of recommending a candidate to replace Love. Division officers, who serve as
the personnel committee, had received 13 applicants for the job and had
interviewed two people but felt a wider search was necessary, she explained.
The personnel committee received approval from directors to open a new
national search to fill the chief executive position and explore the
feasibility of hiring a national search firm for assistance.
Directors also asked the executive committee on long-range planning to bring
a revised draft proposal of the division's overall reorganization to the
spring meeting in 2007 "to reflect current levels of material and human
resources."
Immigration concerns
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A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey
Kyung Za Yim, president of the Women's Division, presents the upcoming year's budget.
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| Women's
Division President Kyung Za Yim presents the upcoming year's budget to
the board of directors at the division's annual meeting, Oct. 6-9, in
Stamford, Conn. The Women's Division, a unit of the United Methodist
Board of Global Ministries, has been focused on reversing a pattern of
overspending. The division is the administrative arm of United Methodist
Women. A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey. Photo #061182. Accompanies UMNS
story #600. 10/10/06 |
In other business, directors learned that the Women's Division has become a
member of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which
supports local, national and international organizing and advocacy work.
"The presence of network-member groups in communities across the country
opens the possibility for United Methodist Women to build relationships with
immigrant and refugee groups lately," the division's report stated.
Joining the network is a continuation of the division's exploration of a
"priority initiative" on immigration approved last spring. During this
meeting, Eric Ward, national field director of the Center for New Community
in Chicago, told directors they stand "at a key moment in history" on the
immigration debate and declared that bigotry is part of the equation.
"This is not a debate about immigration,"he said, but a debate "on national
identity and human rights."
On an international level, division directors received a "Lebanon tool kit"
to increase awareness of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. UMW
members are being asked to critically evaluate the situation there, seek
alternate media perspectives on the Middle East and engage elected national
representatives on the impact of conflict on women, children and youth in
the region.
Expanding in South Korea
Women's Division directors also:
- Decided to establish a Global Methodist
Women's Center in Seoul, South Korea, to support the Women's Division
work in international ministries.
- Recommended the UMW's "Green Team" add
Wausau-Mosinee Paper Corp. and Yum! Brands Inc. to a letter-writing
campaign calling for the production, use or stocking of chlorine-free
paper.
- Asked the division's racial justice
program to follow up on a 2006 consultation and develop a comprehensive
plan for racial justice work within United Methodist Women, to be
presented at next April's meeting.
- Elected Barbara Wheeler as executive
secretary for communications (editing) and Leslie Nedderman as assistant
controller.
- Decided to partner with the Older
Women's League in its Mother's Day 2007 Action on Health Care.
- Agreed to sponsor a June 6-7 event at
Simpsonwood retreat center, near Atlanta, to address the issue of
mercury poisoning in some immunization vaccines.
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service
news writer based in New York.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.
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