Our Aim
Our aim is to finance the tasks of the Foundation on a long-term basis.
The commitments of the Foundation follow from its purpose, or rather that of the Council (delegates from all regions worldwide) in accordance with its constitution. Both are very broadly conceived and comprise those current obligations having the greatest financial demands, or of those bodies that are fulfilling them: the leadership of the Priesthood and the Executive). This requires periodically re-evaluating and, depending on the circumstances, re-adjusting the priorities.
The following list of priorities and aims ensue from the tasks and commitments valid for the present and the immediate future:
- Providing the funds for the budget
- Financing the long-term obligations in our budget: currently these are the central Leadership of the Priesthood, the Executive, the international retirement plan and priest-training and post-ordination training
- Financing the rest of the current budget (e. g. support for sending out priests, regional support)
- Financing the extraordinary budget (e. g. investment contributions for church building or specific requests for aid).
Principles of the Financial Policy
- The finances flow primarily into the current budget according to the fundamental principle of the Foundation (from the periphery to the centre). Flowing through the contributions from the regions, these originate in the congregations and are therefore ultimately provided by members and friends. We aim at a system of sharing, where all parts of the running expenses are financed by regular income.
- Excess proceeds in the current budget of the Foundation are allocated to the reserves for the following year.
- Where deficits occur, they are to be covered by reserves and extraordinary sums (e. g. disbursements from the “Treuhandverwaltung”, board of trustees). Should the current budget end in deficit, this is to be covered first from the regional contributions then by further reducing expenses.
- The wealth accumulation of the Foundation is to be kept to a minimum. The balance sheet total should not give the impression of a wealthy society. The motto is: as poor as possible and as wealthy as necessary.
- This means that we receive gift-money and forward it as such to further recipients.
- Loans made by the Foundation to institutions of The Christian Community are generally free of interest. In exceptional cases a rate of interest is agreed (for example, interim cover as an alternative to a bank loan). Loans are financed through surplus funds (for example, committed sums temporarily held by the Foundation). When loans are made, they must be repaid within the period stipulated by the original contributor. It is then clear that loans will not be made for long-term projects that essentially require gift-money.
The Foundation accepts in principle only loans that are free of interest, actually having the character of conditional donations.
Thus the Foundation is not a clearing house for loans or grants between the regions. In such cases it acts merely as an intermediary between the parties and ensures transparency during the exchange of information between the coordinators (manager of the regions).
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