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[Back to index of May/June 2009 articles] Council Set to Vote on Revised 2009 Budget By Lucy Chumbley At its May 19 meeting, the Diocesan Council will vote on a revised diocesan budget for 2009. The new budget, which would replace the one approved by January's Diocesan Convention, aims to offset a larger-than-projected reduction in income–more than $400,000–with further expense reductions and contingency funds from several sources. All congregational pledges are now in, Canon to the Ordinary Paul Cooney told the council at its April 14 meeting, but are "substantially lower" than originally forecast – a $357,800 reduction. Additionally, he said, due to the current financial crisis, the diocese's interest and investment income will fall by an estimated $26,400 this year. "The challenge to get this budget to balance is a half million dollar challenge, and that is what caused us to make an aggressive and rapid reduction in staff, across all levels," he said. The reduction in staff salaries and benefits – four members of Church House staff were let go in February – will result in savings of more than $110,000 in 2009, he said. (Savings will increase to about $350,000 in 2010.) The diocese is proposing to make up the remaining budget shortfall by reducing its annual gift to the national church by $126,000 this year. It plans to do this by eliminating the Soper Tithe, a 10 percent gift from the income of the Ruth Gregory Soper Trust, but will continue to give 21 percent of all other revenue to the national church, Cooney said, for a total of $649,230 in 2009. The diocese also plans to use the remaining $162,319 of 2008 income from the Soper fund to help offset this year's reduced income, and plans to eliminate its $100,000 contingency fund. "The theme of this is how much our world has changed," Cooney said. In addition to the revised diocesan budget, the council will vote on a new proposal for the funding of the diocese's Latino Ministries at its May meeting. The existing diocesan Latino Ministry Fund will be depleted in June of this year, Cooney said, and a new plan must be put in place if the ministry is to continue to flourish. "In terms of ministry and work, we have a real success story going on here," he said. But of the six Latino congregations within the diocese, four receive significant support from the diocese. Council members will consider a plan to fund Latino Ministry through June 2011 by enabling a $400,000 congregational development grant from the proceeds of the sale of Nativity, Camp Springs. Additionally, the council will charter a group by June to work with the diocese's Latino Missioner, the Rev. Simón Bautista, to develop a proposal for the long term funding of these ministries. The proposal will be presented to the council by June 2010. "I think this is fitting – to take $400,000 from the Nativity fund – because it's church growth and it's already building on success," said the Rev. Donna Brown. Bishop John Bryson Chane pointed out that Spanish-speakers represent "the fastest growing population in the Episcopal Church today." The Bishop drew the council's attention to the parish pledge figures which were published in last month's Window. "I realize these are hard times," he said. "But some of these numbers are very troubling to me. We're not even at 10 percent and that's not good. I need your help. I need some solid thinking about this. What does this say about who we are and where we're going?" "I'm feeling a bit embarrassed that I can't answer the bishop's question," said Gerry Perez. "What does a 3 percent, 4 percent gift mean? Does it mean that a congregation's in dire straits or just out of touch with the diocese?" "What do these numbers say about this diocese?" Linda Freeman asked. "There are many answers to that question. There is no one size fits all. … It isn't just the numbers – each number out there has some kind of story to it." "People always say to me, ‘What do we get from the diocese?'" Brown said. "And I say, ‘We are the diocese. It's just part of our responsibility." Council members discussed possible causes and solutions, and the conversation will continue at future meetings. Michael Whitson urged all members of council to personally support the Bishop's Appeal. "All of us have to be part of this," he said. "Maybe this is an opportunity. We can't turn water into wine, but nonetheless the good that we do here can outlive the current situation." In other matters, as part of its committee review project, the council voted on the status of seven committees, officially closing the Committee on Christian Formation (which no longer exists); the Committee on Prison Ministry (which has not been meeting); and indefinitely postponing the formation of the proposed Committee on Affordable Housing due to a lack of resources. The Hunger Fund Committee will continue in its present form and the Committee on the Environment will be asked to do a self-assessment. The Honduras Coordinating Committee and the Committee on the Southern Africa Partnership will continue, and the Committee Oversight Group will explore the possibility of creating an informal "umbrella" group to strengthen the diocese's international mission. Lucy Chumbley is the editor of Washington Window, the newspaper of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. [Back to index of May/June 2009 articles]
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