Washington National Cathedral Sells Assets, Announces New Layoffs to Survive
Cathedral seeks $500,000 to prevent further cuts
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
May 21, 2010
The Washington National Cathedral, like a number of urban Episcopal cathedrals across the country, is struggling financially to survive. Some cathedrals have closed, others are barely financially viable. Trust funds have all but dried up with pledge plates and congregations rapidly shrinking.
The National Cathedral, the Episcopal Church's flagship cathedral just completed its fourth round of layoffs this past week. Another seven employees were laid off (65% of its work force was laid off in the first round in the fall of 2008), including senior staff member Canon John Runkle, priest, architect and conservation specialist who is in charge of the preservation of the cathedral.
The Very Reverend Samuel T. Lloyd III, Cathedral Dean, sent out an urgent appeal to supporters this week asking for $500,000 by June 30, "to prevent further budget cuts and [to] fix the damage caused by the winter storms." (A friend who has supported the Cathedral for many years has offered to match all unrestricted gifts made by June 30, 2010, up to a total of $250,000, wrote Lloyd).
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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "From Virtue Online - Washington Cathedral in Anoth...":
Ironically, they just finished completing the Natl Cathedral a few years ago. It reminds me of Herod's temple which was completed in AD 64, having started work in 19 AD, I think--just in time to be destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
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GJ - I believe a similar edifice, St. John the Divine (also called the Unfinished) is on the border of Harlem. For a time urban residents were being trained in the skills of the Medieval mason to help finish the work. There is no better way to train for future jobs!
The dimensions and the ornate stone decorations of the Washington Cathedral are astonishing, but the worship there is nil. I attended a service where the singing was barely above a whisper.
Nota bene - those plum churches quickly become prunes when the offerings dry up. That insight came from LI.
