CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In the midst of a volatile U.S. and global
economy, Christina Jackson-Skelton, treasurer of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), sent resources to the 65
synods of the church to assist leaders in budget planning and
financial management.
Responding to requests from several ELCA synods, Jackson-
Skelton provided specific information to synod leaders covering
contingency planning, operating reserves, cash flow, budget
reductions and banking relationships.
"The (ELCA) churchwide organization and synods are seeking
to be responsible leaders, attentive to the context and faithful
to the mission," she wrote in a Dec. 15 cover memo to synod
leaders. The churchwide organization is operating "with solid
financial performance and very little variability, particularly
compared to most other organizations," Jackson-Skelton wrote.
Income is up compared to the prior year and expenses are being
managed closely, she wrote. The churchwide organization is
expected to end the fiscal year with expenses below the approved
spending authorization, due to savings from staff vacancies and
other normal occurrences, Jackson-Skelton wrote.
"Clearly, however, some areas of the country are more
directly affected by the economic conditions, and the full
potential impact of the current economic recession is not yet
known," she wrote. "We want to stay in close communication with
synods during this time, especially where you anticipate
significant swings in income."
Jackson-Skelton wrote that it is always advisable to be
prepared to adjust spending programs and activities based on
revised income estimates. "The easiest way to do this is to
develop contingency plans and strategic plans that will guide you
in adjusting spending if there should be a large decrease or
increase in income. Budget contingency planning is not new for
the churchwide organization, although the tools we use to
prioritize our programs vary from year to year," she wrote.
The ELCA treasurer concluded her memo by inviting
suggestions and thanking synod leaders for their "commitment to
employ good stewardship of the resources entrusted to this
church."
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Information about the ELCA Office of the Treasurer is at
http://www.ELCA.org/treasurer on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
