Fourth day report General Chapter 2018 Denekamp.

Thursday, 9 August 2018.

The day started with a morning prayer prepared by the delegation of Chile with the theme “Embracing the Future with Hope”. After breakfast we convened for the business of the day.

The working Schedule of the day was adjusted a little bit. Instead of continuing with chapter seven of the GC report, it was found more practical to start with the Financial Report. Having been well informed of the financial situation of the congregation, we could then follow it up with chapter seven, as this will ensure better understanding of the picture the GC presented in chapter 7.

The Financial Report for the period 2012 to 2017 was presented by Brother Remy Nyukorong, the General Treasurer. This presentation covers four main areas namely, the balances during the years under review (2012 to 2017), with specific analysis on the development of the congregation's capital; the analysis of the results in those years with explanation of influencing factors; analysis of sources of income and expenses during those years; and size of the capital against future developments. He pointed out that the macro-economic environment has a lot of influences on the finances of the Congregation. However, the future looks bright even though the incomes do not increase significantly. He concluded his presentation by pointing out that the financial situation of the congregation has been stable even though the management was done under  nervousness due to the unstable economic environment.

There is the need therefore to generate more income, reduce running costs, set suitable priorities, and adopt a more active investment policy. After his presentation there were a number of reactions, clarifications, questions and suggestions, from the floor. The Financial Verification Committee was then charged with the responsibility of scrutinizing the financial report further and finally presenting a recommendation to the house on the report. They have one week to do this, after which the GC will be discharged of its financial responsibility.

In the afternoon session members then continued with their reactions to chapters 8 and 9 of the General Council's report. Members recognized the efforts of the General Council in the implementation of policies, improvement in communication among members of the congregation and the effectiveness of the means used to achieve an interpersonal communication among the brothers in the community, province and the Congregation as a whole.

The report of the General Council suggests areas that need to be addressed by the future General Council. Chapter members highlighted certain issues raised in these chapters and asked for some clarifications. Because of pressure on time, the chapter moderator proposed to end the session and to postpone the reactions to chapter 9 to the first session of the following day.

The last session of the fourth day concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist. During the celebration we were invited to present names of people who are significant in our lives. In addition, testimonies of the brothers of Chile province reported in the Orientatie FIC magazine dedicated to the province of Chile, were also given.

ByDiego Izquierdo.