Council of Churches Seeks $400,000 Grant
The Presbyterian Church (USA) will be asked to approve a one-time grant of $400,000 for the financially troubled National Council of Churches.
The proposal by two top staff officers is to be presented in mid-February at a meeting of the denomination’s executive council. The officers said the request is based on recent cost-cutting steps and the prospect of responsible management under new council leaders. The Presbyterians previously gave the council a special $100,000 grant toward a $3.2-million operating deficit for 1999.
Meanwhile, the United Methodist Church lifted a suspension of its regular funding for the council. The suspension had been ordered in October on the grounds that the council lacked a viable financial plan. The council has since cut its staff and instituted financial controls.
The Presbyterians and Methodists are the largest funders of the council, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and elected Robert Edgar as chief executive. Edgar is a United Methodist minister and president of the Claremont School of Theology. Previously he was a Democratic congressman, representing suburban Philadelphia.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
