practicing accountability

The Retirement Services crisis should have been a wake-up call for us to scrutinize our operations more closely. We need to regularly assess how we allocate resources and seriously consider adopting a zero-based budget model, which has been discussed for years but never implemented. It's crucial to continually seek efficiencies that enable us to fulfill our mission effectively and economically. For instance, we must leverage technology more effectively to achieve our goals.

Additionally, we need to ensure greater accountability for resources once they have been allocated. General Board members, District and Conference finance/budget committees, and local church officers should be required to attend seminars on reading audits and financial reports at least once every four years. We must practice transparency, enforce the financial accountability provisions already outlined in our Discipline, and, most importantly, cultivate a culture that does not turn a blind eye to financial misfeasance or malfeasance.