Reviving the Commission on Financial Management Program
By Cynthia Gordon-Floyd, C.P.A., C.F.E.
On pages 240-241 of The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2016 (Discipline), we find in the section on Connectional Departments and Commissions, the Commission on Financial Management Program. This Commission would consist of nine (9) persons who must possess the formal education and professional experience to provide the expertise required to perform the duties of this commission. The Discipline lists eight (8) duties of this commission designed to provide financial oversight, policies, and procedures. This commission was brought to my attention more than six months ago, and I found the items below to be especially pertinent:
#5) Analyze the operations of each General Department, Agency and Institution of the Church with the purpose of determining the productive benefits occurring from their operations and the degree of efficiency by which these operations are administered.
#6) Recommend to the General Board and General Conference specific goals to be achieved by each department, agency or institution supported by the general fund of the church and establish time schedules of progress by which each department, agency or institution shall be required to conform in order to produce the greatest benefits for the Church.
#7) Supervise and structure policy for the productive operation of an Office of Research, Planning and Evaluation.
I was advised that this Commission has been in our Discipline since 1980 and has never been implemented. This Commission would have implemented financial oversight, policies, and procedures that would have ensured that issues such as our Retirement Services financial tragedy, and other misappropriations that have occurred across our church at the Connectional level, would have been detected before they became huge problems. There are still too many areas of our church that are allowed to operate without oversight. If we continue to avoid implementing oversight that has already been adopted into our Discipline, we are to blame.
The Connectional Lay Organization’s Legislation Committee is currently working on suggested revisions to the current wording of this commission for consideration by clergy and laity for adoption. These revisions will focus on strengthening the independence of the Commission members and ensuring they are qualified for the positions. My hope is that we will hear more about the proposed revisions to the Commission and will provide our support for this important legislative effort. It is our responsibility to do all we can to strengthen our beloved Zion; and this is part of the critical work required.
Cynthia Gordon-Floyd is a certified public accountant and a certified fraud examiner. She is the founder of Willing Steward Ministries, LLC. Willing Steward Ministries (www.willingsteward.com) is a financial consulting and accounting firm for churches and other faith-based non-profits, specializing in Bible-focused financial practices, pastoral compensation issues, IRS compliance, and other financial needs specific to churches. Cynthia is a graduate of Lake Forest College and holds her MBA in Accounting from DePaul University. She is a Steward and the Financial Secretary at the First AME Church of Manassas in Manassas, Virginia.
