Women of the ELCA, 'The Lutheran' Reduce Churchwide Budgets, Staff

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America eliminated seven full-time positions from its churchwide staff,
the result of a reduction in the organization's 2010 budget. "The
Lutheran," the magazine of the ELCA, will eliminate two positions from
its staff in 2010 because of circulation and advertising declines.
Affected staff members were notified Oct. 20 that their positions
will be eliminated Jan. 31, 2010.
The executive board of Women of the ELCA made the budget decision at
its Oct. 16-17 meeting in Spokane, Wash., site of the organization's 2011
Triennial Gathering.
Because of a decline in revenue to the organization and the state of
the U.S. economy, the Women of the ELCA executive board in April reduced
the approved $3.11 million budget for 2009 to $2.85 million, a cut of
$261,000. Anticipating continued fiscal challenges, the board asked
Linda Post Bushkofsky, executive director, Women of the ELCA, to propose
a budget for 2010 that would include a reduction and restructuring of the
churchwide staff.
When it met last week, the board also adopted a 2010 budget plan of
$2.46 million, another $377,000 reduction from its adjusted 2009 budget.
Beth Wrenn, president, Women of the ELCA, wrote a letter to the
churchwide staff of Women of the ELCA expressing her "deepest regret that
the decision to make a reduction in staff was necessary in order to
ensure that we can continue our ministry to women across the church."
"You are often the unseen faces that enable us to accomplish so
much," wrote Wrenn, Kill Devil Hills, N.C., and a member of Kure Memorial
Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kure Beach, N.C.
"These were strategic and prudent decisions," said
Bushkofsky. "There is much hope in what the future holds." She
emphasized, however, that "with one-third fewer staff members, we will
have to do one-third less work. The board and staff will decide, through
strategic planning, what will not be continued into the future."
Women of the ELCA's reductions affect staff working in
administration, finance, governance, marketing, meeting planning,
Lutheran Woman Today magazine and special projects. Thirteen churchwide
staff will remain with the organization.
Nine staff will remain with The Lutheran after Jan. 31. Of the two
staff editor positions eliminated for the 2010 fiscal year, one was a
planned retirement, said Daniel J. Lehmann, editor. That position will
remain unfilled for the remainder of 2009.
Lehmann pointed out that The Lutheran "receives no mission support
from the churchwide office," other than its space in the Lutheran
Center. The magazine's budget is financed through subscription sales and
advertising sales, he said.
Women of the ELCA also receives no mission support from the ELCA
budget. It is a separately incorporated unit of the church and operates
almost solely on gifts and offerings from the organization's participants.
The ELCA churchwide organization anticipates similar reductions as
part of an overall revision to its approved 2010 budget. Earlier this
month, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, sent an e-mail to
churchwide staff announcing possible budget revisions to be presented to
the ELCA Church Council, which meets here Nov. 13-15.
"Unit executives have been working diligently to prepare changes
that will best support this church's mission and ministry in light of
reduced income projections," said the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, executive
for administration, ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop.

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