Developing “mission-driven” methods of allocating the church’s resources will be a priority over the next five years, said Robert L. Rawson, treasurer of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide, in his financial report to Annual Council on September 27.

“All strategies, initiatives, plans, goals, and objectives are to be held accountable to the mission,” said Rawson, who reviewed last year’s financial statement and presented the proposed General Conference budget for the year 2001.

Based on the extraordinary growth of the Adventist Church during the past five years, the church of 2005 is projected to be one of “exceptional diversity,” with more than 16 million members worldwide, said Rawson. One of the challenges raised by this rapid growth rate, he said, is planning for the “recruitment, retention, remuneration, and preparation” of the church’s leaders of the future.

Other issues of concern raised by Rawson were the need to develop “financial systems and administrative structures that are efficient, effective, and responsive to a rapidly changing world environment,” and the development of a “wage scale philosophy that is in accord with the biblical injunction of simplicity and sacrifice yet is sensitive to the issues of fairness, market, and economic realities.”

Rawson told members of the General Conference Executive Committee that the church will move into the next five-year period from a “strong financial base.”

“As reported during the just concluded 57th General Conference Session in Toronto, the church has much for which to be thankful,” said Rawson. “Tithes and offerings have continued to show increase, and the current year 2000 is no exception.”

Rawson emphasized the importance of strategic planning when allocating funds and creating budgets. “We can no longer afford budget development and resource allocation based on the slogan of the moment or the idea of the day,” he said. “Good stewardship requires that the resources of the church be focused in those areas identified as desired outcomes of the strategic planning process.”

Members of the General Conference Executive Committee voted to accept a $112 million General Conference budget for the year 2001. This represents an increase of less than $900,000 on the budget voted for the year 2000.