Nothing like stirring up an old topic but I thought this was interesting.
Sorry to those of you who get it already.
Michael G
Subj: AG-NEWS #264: March 12, 1999
Date: 3/12/99 3:26:39 PM Central Standard Time
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AG-NEWS: Friday, March 12, 1999
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** Assemblies of God prepares for Y2K
(Administrators optimistic as old systems are tested,
new software purchased)
** A/G Colleges
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** ASSEMBLIES OF GOD PREPARES FOR Y2K
"We have tested our share drafts, which is our checking accounts
that we bring in every day," explains Peggy Lawson, president of
the Assemblies of God's General Council Credit Union. "We've done
five tests with five different banks through Missouri Corporate
Credit Union in St. Louis to make sure we could receive through
them. We've tested two banks with the Federal Reserve and have
some more yet to do."
The testing Lawson is referring to is in connection with "Y2K,"
the compact symbol for the year 2000 that has come to symbolize
the end of civilization in some alarmists' minds. Lawson and
other administrators of Assemblies of God departments and
financial entities agree--prudent preparation has virtually
guaranteed the problem will be an inconvenience rather
than a catastrophe.
Simply put, the Y2K "bug" is the inability of older computers to
recognize the first two digits in a four-digit year in a date.
Decades ago, when computer memory space was very expensive,
programmers got into the habit of only referencing the final two
digits for a year in any date. Thus, 1960 was reduced to "60"
when translated into computer code. With 2000 approaching, it
became necessary for computers to recognize that "00" is the turn
of a new century and not "1900."
With less than 300 days remaining in this millennium, news about
Y2K is as widespread as ever. The U.S. Senate issued its 160-page
special report on the subject this month. The New York Stock
Exchange began a 2-month series of tests on its computer systems
on Saturday, March 6. Federal Reserve Governor Edward Kelley
issued a confident statement regarding U.S. banks this week.
"There has been enough media press about the year 2000 that I
cannot imagine a company in existence that would not know about
this and would not be preparing," says Tim Strathdee, chief
information officer for the Assemblies of God. "Because every day
you are preparing to be in business tomorrow."
Strathdee has overseen a wide array of preparations to make sure
that the General Council Headquarters of the Assemblies of God
will be in business tomorrow when that "tomorrow" is any day
after December 31, 1999. And those preparations have been
developing for several years.
"The first Y2K problem that I was aware of was in '97 with people
calling in with credit card orders to Gospel Publishing House,"
he remembers. "Brand new credit cards are issued for 3-year
terms. The expiration date was in '00,' and our system wouldn't
accept it. It said their credit card was invalid. I think it took
a day to correct it."
The overall plan to address Y2K, however, began a year earlier.
In 1996, Laurel Miller was hired to focus exclusively on Y2K
compliance in the Assemblies of God's mainframe programs.
"As Laurel and the programmers have gone through each system and
made them Y2K compliant, we have tested that system and it has
been put in production," Strathdee says. "Now our focus is on
testing those systems together with a post-Y2K system date."
Besides working to create date "patches" on existing systems,
Assemblies of God departments have purchased new software where
feasible. These programs do not have any problems with the change
in the century.
"Our software package that does time and attendance is the KRONOS
software package," explains Jim Stalnaker, director of Human
Resources. "We have been in contact with that vendor and been
assured that the program is Y2K compliant and that we will not
have any problems there. And they are even sending us an upgrade.
Even though our version is Y2K compliant, they're going to go
ahead and send us a later one."
Sue Wright, payroll services manager, reports that the entire
payroll system is about to be upgraded with "Personality 2000"
next year.
"The reason for our changing that software has nothing to do with
Y2K," Stalnaker says. "It is simply that the software package we
are on is based on a platform that isn't as desirable as the new
one which will be much more efficient. The new system will be
Windows based. It's more user friendly."
"Many companies are purchasing new technology rather than
rewriting or patching existing technology," Strathdee says.
"Purchasing new technology gains a fix for the Y2K bug and
provides significant enhancements in their capabilities."
With local preparation solidly in place, however, concerns remain
over the international ramifications of Y2K. Even here, the
Assemblies of God is taking thoughtful measures aimed at reducing
the problem to the level of inconvenience.
"It was recommended that missionaries who will be in their
regular overseas assignment in January of 2000 get a double
salary check in November of 1999 and work funds only in January
of 2000," explains Bob Braswell, special assistant to the
executive director of the Division of Foreign Missions. "That is,
they would get their January salary advanced in November. This
recommendation was approved, subject to working out the details
of how it can be implemented without breaking the backs of our
accounting staff."
How the Assemblies of God oversees its own funds is one issue.
Many people also invest their funds with the church in order to
support the church and receive regular income.
"Their funds would be safe there because our systems will be Y2K
compliant," stresses Clyde Hawkins, administrator of the Division
of Treasury. "The biggest fear we have is that fear or panic
might ensue if people start to treat this too negatively and
begin to withdraw their money and actually cause an economic
crisis because of that. It could be a self-fulfilling prophecy."
In regard to the Credit Union, Lawson couldn't agree more.
"Nobody keeps enough money to accommodate everybody to withdraw
at one time. And there's no need for that either. I think it was
Alan Greenspan who was saying recently that even though your
money is legally assured, nobody keeps it all available
for withdrawal."
"The thing that would bring about a collapse is not the computer
problem of the two digits," Strathdee says. "It is the social
virus of releasing fear in a society and that fear taking on a
life of its own."
"Even if food transportation is disrupted by computer problems,
farmers and ranchers can't figure out how their wheat, corn,
soybeans, vegetables and livestock will stop growing because
of computers," noted Randall Barton, CEO of the Assemblies of
God Financial Services Group, in an article for the
"Pentecostal Evangel."
Note: For more information on Y2K-related issues, visit the "A/G
Online" website and access the following URL:
<http://dev.ag.org/y2k/gen_format.cfm?root=3924>.
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