World Church Finance Board considers a presentation. Photo by Geoff Ivers

World Church Leadership Council

The World Church Leadership Council met for home week May 2–8. (For a description of “home week,” see the April Herald, p. 34.) On May 3 and 4, the World Church Finance Board considered the fiscal year 2009 budget. On May 5 and 6, the quorums conducted their internal business. And on May 7 and 8, the World Church Leadership Council discussed mission strategy.

World Church Finance Board

The World Church Finance Board met in a new way this year. Usually they meet on a Saturday, with a social event Saturday night, reserving Sunday in case the business goes long. This year, Saturday morning was used for orientation—to welcome new members who were elected at last year’s World Conference, and to refresh longtime members on the purpose and methods of the board. On Saturday afternoon, the Council of Twelve Apostles formed three groups of presenters, and International Headquarters representatives, a fourth group. The rest of the Finance Board split into four groups. Presenters moved from group to group, sharing presentations and discussion on how mission was being lived out in their areas because of the budget provided by the church through the generosity of its members.

When they studied the budget on Sunday morning, the Finance Board had a foundational vision of how the budget supports a wide diversity of expressions of mission, in the field and at International Headquarters. They voted to approve it. (Watch for more information and budget details in a future Herald.)

The council considered a foundational identity document. This draft was a collection of statements, beginning with the church name, mission statement, and focus, then principles or values, followed by basic beliefs, supported by statements the church has released on issues such as scripture and Christology. Working together as a whole, these documents provide a foundational understanding of our common ground, so we can engage our differences out of our unity.

Some adjustment is still needed, but the leadership is close to finishing a version of this document to share with the church. The church has many questions to consider in this time: conditions of membership, lifelong discipleship formation, priesthood faithfulness, culturally appropriate standards of conduct, our relationship to scripture, and so on. An agreed-on foundation describing the church’s center of belief will help us as we continue to reason together and discern the will of God for our people, in our time.

—Andrew Shields reporting
World Church secretary