For the upcoming triennium, revenues are forecast at $141.3 million as compared with a projected $164.9 million in the current triennium. A major area of change is a reduction in Diocesan commitments of $11 million from $90.5 million to $79.2 million. Much of this reduction is due to the increased exemption (going from 100K to 120K) and a reduction in the asking percentage from 21% to 20% to 19% in the years 2010 through 2012. This may still prove an optimistic assumption as to revenues from the various dioceses. Time will tell.
Total expenses for the coming triennium were budgeted at $140.8 million as compared to a projected amount of $163.9 million for the current period. Entire programs were cut and this should lead to a reduction in the workforce at 815 (the Church’s national office). One category of expenses was considerably increased from the draft budget circulated
several months ago and that item was for the Title IV legal assistance. The original draft budgeted $1,800,000. The approved budget is $4,000,000. Title IV and legal assistance to dioceses relates to property litigation and disciplinary
situations.During the budget hearings, there were numerous calls for amendments to various areas of the expense budget. All were defeated. After the budget was passed, prayers were offered “for those who bear great burdens for what we have chosen not to do in this budget.”
One of the interesting proposals in the budget is a two day reduction in the next General Convention. It will be interesting
to see how that proposal fares as it seems to me that those who “drive the train” really like “driving the train”.