LC: 55. FINANCIAL RULES
A. Any Home that lists non-payment of bills on two consecutive monthly reports will automatically be placed on first-stage Probationary Notice. If the following monthly report still lists non-payment of bills, the Home will automatically be placed on second-stage Probationary Notice, in accordance with points E. and F. of the Procedures for Placing a Home on Probationary Notice.
As Dad has so often said, paying your bills on time is part of your Christian and Family testimony. If your Home doesn't pay its bills on time, you will be required to report it on your TRF. If your TRF indicates that for two consecutive months you are behind, then your Home will automatically be placed on Probationary Notice.
When a Home is having regular financial problems, the VS should audit the Home's books and offer advice regarding their budgeting, income, etc., as per the Responsibilities and Authority of Area Officers, H.
If they [financially unstable Homes] don't follow advice, they're going to reap the results. ... The VS can tell them but he can't make them do it. But if they won't listen, then they don't get the Word any more (ML #683:52,53).
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B. The Home Emergency Reserves (HER) are WS funds, which a Home has been given to keep on hand to be used solely in case of a serious and genuine emergency, other than normal daily living. (For example, they're not to be used for the payment of rent, etc.)
1. In the event of a field or Home being declared under emergency conditions as per the Authority of WS leadership, point B. WS reserves the right to recall all or part of the HER funds.
In situations where there has been a genuine emergency such as severe persecution, WS may find it necessary to authorize collection of all HER funds of the area involved in order to help in the evacuation and other related expenses.
2. The disbursement of HER funds must be done according to the provisions listed below. Funds used according to these provisions do not have to be repaid by the Home and are therefore not debts. HER funds that are not used according to these provisions will be considered debts that the Home and its members will be held accountable to repay.
a) In case of an emergency, the Home can use up to $1,000 of the HER without permission from the continental office. (This is later referred to as the "$1,000 limit.")
(1) A Home can, by a two-thirds majority, decide if an emergency is serious enough to warrant the use of all, or a portion of, their $1,000 limit, and upon deciding, can use such a portion. Within three days the Home must notify the continental office of their decision, the nature of the emergency and the amount of funds withdrawn from their HER.
(2) If a Home uses any of the $1,000 for non-emergency needs not covered by the HER provisions, the Home will be responsible to repay the debt. Funds deemed by the continental office, as having not been used for emergency purposes will be considered a debt. The continental office will inform the Home within four weeks if this is the case.
(3) Once a Home has used up their $1,000 limit, either because of one or a number of emergencies, any further withdrawal from the HER can only be made with permission of the continental office as outlined in point b. following.
b) If an emergency arises, which would put the Home over their $1,000 limit (of cumulative expenditures), the Home can, by a two-thirds majority, decide to request permission of the continental office to use a specified sum over the $1,000 limit. Upon receipt of permission, the Home can use the agreed amount.
(1) If a Home or Home officer uses any of the HER funds above the $1,000 limit without receiving permission from the continental office, the amount used will become a Home debt and must be paid, in accordance with Responsibilities of the Charter Home: Regarding Financial Matters, B. 1.
c) If a Home officer uses any of the HER funds without agreement of two-thirds of the Home (plus continental office approval if over $1,000), the Home officer will immediately lose his position as a Home officer and will not be eligible for Home office responsibilities for a period of not less than one year. The amount used will become a personal debt of the offending Home officer and must be paid, in accordance with the Right of Mobility, point A. 4.
(1) The Home by two-thirds majority can instead decide to incur this as a Home debt.
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d) When a Home closes and disbands, the HER funds that remain, after legitimate expenditures (approved by the CRO office and therefore not considered Home debts), must be returned to the continental office in order to be available for other Homes.
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C. Every Home must maintain at least $50 per person in Tool funds. Either the tools or the funds must be transferred with individuals to their new Home when they move. Not maintaining the $50 Tool fund per person will be considered a Home debt, as outlined in the Financial Rules, A. and Home members will be in violation of the Charter for non-payment.
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When an individual or family is moving to a new country or continent where the tools of their former Home/field are either not useful (due to their format or language), or inconvenient to travel with, the member(s) may prefer to carry their Tool fund in cash, and this would be the ideal.
The Home could decide to purchase the tools from the individual or family with the cash they are setting aside as seedcorn instead of ordering those tools from their PPC/SC. This or any other arrangement should be brought up for discussion in the Home council and would need to be decided upon in love, prayer and counsel by the Home and individuals involved - taking into consideration what will be most beneficial for all.
D. The amount of funds collected by an individual Home member for travel, landing funds or the purchase of some major personal item, as well as the methods and procedures used to collect them, and the disbursement of such, is to be decided upon by a two-thirds majority.
As you will recall, some years ago everyone turned in their personal reserves and finances for the sake of the HER fund, which has been addressed above. At this point, allowances need to be made in certain situations where a Home member might have to build up some personal savings for a specific purpose, such as saving funds for traveling and landing funds for changing fields, or the purchase of some major personal item such as a guitar or a caravan, or something along those lines.
In the past, there were occasions where members held personal flee funds, but when their Home had financial problems there was sometimes pressure from the shepherds on a person to donate their flee funds to pay the rent or other bills. In order to keep this from happening again, all voting members (18 years of age and over) of the Home will need to be involved in these decisions, so that everyone is aware of all aspects of the situation.
The methods and procedures for collecting and saving these funds and how the funds can be spent, and the amounts that are collected, have to be decided upon by a two-thirds majority of the Home's voting members (18 years of age and older). There needs to be agreement between the person trying to save the funds and the Home as to how the collecting, spending and amounts will be handled.
The person should first explain to the Home why he needs to collect the funds, how much he needs, and how he intends to get and save these funds. For example, he may say that he needs $4,000 to pay for his fare to India, to purchase some needs before he goes, and to have some left over for landing funds when he gets there. His plan for raising the funds is to write his relatives, and he would like to approach two of the Home's friends specifically, and also to inform the members of the Home's Church of Love of his vision, in the hope that they may want to help him with some gifts. Also, he'd like to ask if he can keep five dollars from every video and two dollars from every tape that he gets out.
The Home would then need to discuss this and decide which of these proposals they agree to. They may say that they really can't afford to let him have five dollars from every video, but that all of the other proposals are fine. They would then have to commit themselves to allowing him to keep the funds collected, no matter what the financial state of the Home is, or becomes in the future. So if in three months, when this fellow's parents have given him $2,000, and the Home's friends have given $1,000, and the Home is financially behind and needs $3,000 for rent and utilities, they can't demand or coerce or otherwise attempt to persuade him to unwillingly use his funds to pay the rent and utility bills. Of course, the member is free to use these funds for this purpose if it is what he feels the Lord wants him to do.
On the other hand, when initially discussing the arrangement with this member, the Home may decide that the amount of time he is going to spend on fundraising for his trip is going to take away from his other duties, so they could decide that 15% of what he collects should be turned in to the Home for running expenses. If all parties agree, then that would be what should happen.
The main point is that the Home should discuss it at the onset and decide together on some arrangement that seems good to all, and then they should stick to their agreement. The member should be allowed to personally keep the funds the Home has agreed to let him keep in his possession if he chooses to.
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If the member's plans change and he decides to remain in the Home, or will be making a move that will require less funds than the original amount voted on, the funds which the Home allowed the member to set aside in preparation for his move should be returned to the Home and distribution made in accordance with point A. 4. f) in the Right of Mobility.
1. Solicited "designated gifts" must be used for the purpose for which they were designated according to the prior agreement of the Home.
2. Unsolicited "designated gifts" must be used for the purpose for which they are designated.
There are times when members are given financial gifts for a specific purpose; these are known as designated gifts. When a Home or an individual are given such gifts, they must use them for the purpose for which they were given.
Designated gifts are a holy responsibility to be given to whom and for what they were given! And if you want or need them for something else, then you must not give them to something else without asking the permission of the donor. ... Many the time I've been tempted to use something for something else, but thank God, I think I've always used it for what it was given for. So when God found out I could be trusted to be honest and use it for what He wanted it used for, or for what the donors had expressed their desire to have it used for, then both God and the donors found out I could be trusted, so I get more and more and more. Because I don't want it for myself. I ask for it for others and I give it to others just as fast as I can! Praise the Lord! (ML #2447:15,42.)
If the gift is solicited--that is, the member is specifically asking someone for a donation for a specified purpose--then he or she should do so in counsel with the Home. If the gift is unsolicited--that is, someone gives it for a specific purpose, but the member or the Home did not ask for it--it must also be used for the purpose it was given.
If there are funds left over after the item is purchased, these funds should be used as the Home sees fit, as with all other Home income.
In regards to unsolicited designated gifts, Home members should keep in mind the "One Wife" vision and take into account the needs of other Home members, and particularly the children of their Home, and share the abundance of the gifts they get with others in their Home, and thereby train our children to be giving and unselfish.
The principle of designated gifts is that a gift to an individual should be used for the purpose it was given, but once the item is purchased, it becomes the property of the Family, and of the Home in particular. If the Home decides the member can take it with him when he leaves the Home, then the member is free to do so. However, if the Home feels the Home's need is greater, then the Home can vote for the item to remain in the Home. In praying and counseling about this, the departing member's ministries, gifts and talents should be taken into consideration before the Home brings the matter to a final vote. For example, in most cases an inspirationalist would be allowed to take his guitar, a secretary her computer, and a handyman his tools.
Living Acts 2:44-45 and sharing our material goods can sometimes be a complicated issue, since there are many different factors in the equation that need to be taken into consideration. We can't deal with every single case here, since every situation is so different, so the Home has to pray and seek the Lord about the decision together. It's really up to your Home to make the decision by a simple majority. But please keep in mind that the Lord will bless you and your Home if you apply the Law of Love in these matters as you seek to find the solution that is best for all--for the individual, those who gave the donation, the Home, and the overall work--as Dad and Mama have taught us for years. The main factors in making such a decision are love and a sacrificial, giving attitude that prefers the needs of others more than your own.
E. Voting members who are less than 18 years of age may attend Home council meetings when finances are discussed, and participate in the discussion, but not vote on financial matters, which require a two-thirds majority vote.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family