Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

59. Memorials to the Conference
is undertaking this process, but it is
one project out of a wide range of other
programmes and activities, most of them
carried out on much smaller scales,
without such significant connexional
backing.
As well as whole-heartedly endorsing
the emphasis on evangelism across
the whole Connexion, the Conference of
2011 considered its own budget. The
Conference whole-heartedly endorsed a
resolution requiring the Methodist Council
to prepare future budgets with “a realistic
understanding of the implications of
declining income” and clearly signalled
a shift in expenditure policy from the
previous three-year plan allowing for
increased expenditure. This provides
the context for discussing any proposals
affecting the Connexional Budget element
of support for the Church’s priorities. It
certainly means that not all expenditure
planned in earlier years can be sustained,
however disappointing and frustrating that
change may be.
As was discussed at the Methodist Council
meeting which debated this budget, as well
as its commitment to VentureFX and its
policy of budget restraint, the Methodist
Church remains a highly committed partner
in the ecumenical Fresh Expressions
organisation, which supports different
but related work to VentureFX. Given the
pressures on the general budget, there
was a need this year to find some other
source of funding for some of the regular
support for Fresh Expressions, just as
the funding for VentureFX has come from
designated funds for several years. In
addition, the Church needs to increase its
annual funding of Fresh Expressions Ltd
by £50,000 per annum for the next two
years if the organisation is to survive its
current financial challenges. After careful
debate, the budget proposed by the
Methodist Council finds some of the money
needed for Fresh Expressions Ltd from the
designated fund that supports VentureFX,
with a compensating reduction in funding
for VentureFX. The VentureFX project will
nonetheless still receive £374,000 in the
coming year, representing a continuing
very substantial connexional investment,
alongside at least £200,000 from Districts.
The memorial refers to the recent
independent VentureFX evaluation report
which is indeed positive about the existing
work. However, it does recommend that
the number of pioneer projects be capped
at the current number of 13 and not
expanded to the originally planned 20.
It also recommends the creation of an
additional half-time central post. In the
current economic climate the Strategy
and Resources Committee did not feel
that it could support this addition to
the Connexional Team headcount, so a
significant share of the savings (around
£25,000) comes from not creating a
new post that does not yet exist; it does
not represent a cut to the budget for any
existing projects.
Furthermore, the VentureFX programme
has always been a shared financial
responsibility between the Connexional
Budget and the Districts within which
the Pioneers are located. Discussions at
the Connexional Leaders’ Forum and the
Methodist Council have indicated that
some of the participating Districts would
784 Conference Agenda 2012