Friday, Sept. 5, 2003

Who, what and how?

By Tony W. Cartledge
BR Editor

Many N.C. Baptists are asking questions about cuts in the Baptist State Convention (BSC) General Board staff that cost 15 employees their jobs and eliminated nine other positions.

Among the key concerns are why the eliminated positions were chosen and not others, how their work will be covered, and what unfilled positions remain in the budget.

According to executive director-treasurer Jim Royston, BSC officials and the executive committee sought to preserve positions that were most "mission critical" for the convention's role in providing direct services to its affiliated churches and associations.

Half of the eliminated positions relate to the BSC through the Mission Growth Evangelism (MGE) group, though most do not directly impact traditional evangelism programming.

Campus Ministries

Campus ministries lost six of the 12 positions cut from MGE, continuing a trend toward fewer paid staff and more volunteers. Velma Ferrell, a 28-year veteran, focused on international student ministries along with summer missions programs such as Youth Corps and Baptist Student Union-funded summer missions. She also planned orientation and debriefing sessions for summer missionaries and youth ministers, and performed a variety of other tasks. Ferrell was assisted by Alice Johnson, whose position was also eliminated. Johnson had worked for the BSC for 16 years.

Rick Trexler, campus ministry team leader, will assume oversight of the work with international students, Royston said.

The part-time position Ted Purcell held at Duke University was also eliminated. Purcell, with 29 years of service, officially retired.

Two vacant program positions and one vacant support positions will not be filled according to a statement released by Royston.

The BSC remains committed to campus ministry, Royston said. Convention officials are working with local associations, churches and volunteers to provide continued ministry. "No campus will be left unattended," Royston said.

Baptist Men/partnerships

The work of Baptist Men and partnership missions, which relate to the General Board staff structure through MGE, lost three positions to the downsizing.

John McGinnis had worked for four years as a student missions consultant, overseeing mission projects such as Deep Impact, working with Challengers (older RAs), and coordinating Baptist Men's prison ministries and prayer ministries.

Carla Foster, who worked as a receptionist and handled requests for information packets about various Baptist Men and partnership projects, had also been with Baptist Men for four years.

Dan Bivins, the newest member of the staff, had worked for one year with partnership ministries. He was responsible for the BSC's ongoing partnership with the New York Metro association and a new partnership with Washington, D.C. Bivins also worked with the medical-dental bus ministry.

Despite the loss of three staffers, "We're not planning on not doing anything," said Baptist Men and partnership director Richard Brunson. Some of the projects will probably be outsourced on a contract basis, he said, while other responsibilities will have to be absorbed by the current staff.

An unfilled part-time position coordinating the medical-dental bus ministry remains in the budget.

Evangelism

Two planned MGE positions in the area of church planting will not be filled, and a vacant support position in the MGE office was also eliminated.

Two other unfilled positions remain budgeted, however, because the bulk of their funding comes through the North American Mission Board. These include the senior consultant position in church planting held by Nelson Tilton prior to his death, and a consultant who will promote "prayer evangelism."

Administrative

Five positions were cut from administration and the convention relations group, including the executive director-treasurer's secretary, the Council on Christian Higher Education (CCHE) staff, and two positions in WMU.

Becky Stewart, who served N.C. Baptists for 25 years in a variety of support roles including the executive director's office, accepted retirement when her position was eliminated. Other support staff in the administration office will absorb most of her responsibilities.

Christian Council on Higher Education

Wayne Wike had been executive director of the CCHE for five years. He was supported by Cheryl Cruickshank, a 14-year employee who worked with WMU before moving to the CCHE office.

As director of the CCHE, Wike served as a liaison between the BSC and its five remaining Baptist colleges, and assisted in promoting the Baptist colleges in churches and with high school guidance counselors across the state. He and Cruickshank were responsible for maintaining a database of students, producing a periodic newsletter, and troubleshooting when parents or students called with a concern. The CCHE office also publicized scholarship funds for Baptist students attending N.C. Baptist colleges, and managed scholarship money allocated for theological higher education in non-SBC divinity schools.

Additionally, Wike worked with N.C. Baptist Foundation officials to promote development conferences for the BSC's agencies and institutions, and helped the colleges relate to each other through sponsoring annual meetings of various administrative or faculty groups.

Royston said "the councils will continue to be funded and will continue their work," referring to the CCHE as well as the Council on Christian Life and Public Affairs (CCLPA), which also lost its paid executive director. Resource development and promotion director John Roberson told the Recorder that, while BSC officials have some ideas about future leadership of the councils, the plans must be approved by the councils and the Executive Committee before they can be implemented. Those groups are scheduled to meet Sept. 30.

N.C. WMU

N.C. Woman's Missionary Union lost two positions to downsizing, including that of Carolyn Hopkins, who had been with WMU for 26 years. Hopkins was a consultant for WMU's coed Adults on Mission program, and encouraged participant growth in other WMU programs. Hopkins also worked as liaison to missionary families with N.C. Baptist ties, planning special retreats and working to keep WMU members in touch with them.

N.C. WMU director Ruby Fulbright said she is not yet sure how Hopkins' work will be done. She and the N.C. WMU staff are working to reallocate some duties, while volunteers may be needed to assist with the liaison work with missionary families, she said.

A vacant support position in the WMU office will not be filled. Other staff members have been covering those responsibilities, Fulbright said.

The downsizing and other recent moves have effectively dissolved the former "Convention relations and budget committee" group. When Tom Womble retired as executive team leader, budget functions were moved to the business services group, led by Ed Wiggs. Work with the associations is now a part of the administration office.

George Bullard, who was hired as associate executive director after Womble's retirement, also comes under the administration umbrella. Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute now relates to the convention through Bullard's office in administration, leaving WMU as the only entity from the former convention relations group.

Congregational Services

The congregational services group lost one current position and two vacant positions to the downsizing. Doug Cole, who headed the Christian Life team, had been with the convention for nearly 30 years before choosing to accept retirement when his job was eliminated. As executive director of the CCLPA, Cole worked with the N.C. state legislature as a registered lobbyist representing BSC concerns, such as opposition to a state-run lottery. As director of the Christian life team, Cole also managed hunger funds available to N.C. Baptist churches and associations, and supervised work relating to family issues, senior adults, and a wide variety of social and ethical matters.

The BSC constitution names Royston as acting executive director of the CCLPA until the council meets to elect someone else. Cole's other duties are likely to be absorbed within the congregational services group.

Two vacant positions in the congregational services group were also eliminated, a program position in church administration and a secretarial position. Other staff members are stretching to cover those responsibilities.

Strategic Initiatives and Planning

The Strategic Initiatives and Planning (SIP) group, one of six teams in the BSC's structural chart, was disbanded. The executive team leader position held by Tom Jenkins was eliminated, as was a support staff position filled by Cynthia Howell, who had been with the BSC for 2 years. Jenkins, a former pastor, first came to the BSC 12 years ago as director of the missions division. When that division was eliminated due to reorganization in 1999, Jenkins was tapped to lead SIP.

In that role, Jenkins supervised the BSC's information technology and Web site staff. He also oversaw the development and sharing of demographic data for churches and associations, and coordinated the collection of statistical data such as the annual church profile, among other duties. In addition, Jenkins was a certified coach for the BSC's "Pursuing Vital Ministries" emphasis, working as a consultant to churches.

With Jenkins' departure, the information technology staff will be moved into the business services group, where they will report to comptroller Robert Simons. Shane Nixon, the BSC's Webmaster, will shift to the communications area of the resource development and promotion group.

Secretary Cecelia Davis will move from SIP into the administration office to work with associational consultant Lynn Sasser, where she will be responsible for the statistical and demographic data, according to Roberson.

Business Services

The business services group lost employee benefits coordinator Donna Thompson to the downsizing. Thompson was responsible for managing benefits such as health insurance, annuities, flexible spending plans, and other payroll deductions. Those duties will likely be absorbed by human resources director Mark White and others within the business services group, said Simons.

Resource Development/Promotion

The longest-tenured person affected by the downsizing is Bill Boatwright, who was in his 33rd year with the BSC. Boatwright, whose knowledge of recent N.C. Baptist history and BSC constitutional matters is legendary, headed the news bureau and public relations area. Boatwright pioneered the use of promotional audio and video through the development of Up Close, a monthly audiotape or CD sent to pastors and others who request it, and Mandate, a quarterly video publication made available to churches. Boatwright served as executive producer of those pieces, as well as lead editor for convention publications such as the annual phone book and directory. He was responsible for press relations as the convention spokesman, and supervised operations of the pressroom during the BSC's annual conventions.

Current staff members in the communications area will assume some of Boatwright's responsibilities, while others may be incorporated into a new position promoting cooperative missions giving, Roberson said. That position, which has yet to be filled, will be funded by a 0.6 percent promotional "surcharge" taken from allocations to all entities that receive money through the BSC's cooperative giving plans. If income exceeds the budget, the money will be refunded to the entities.

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