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| The fat lady hath sung. |
From SP Mark Schroeder:
The Synodical Council (SC) held its winter meeting on February 24-25. Major items discussed included:
Budget update and future planning
The SC reviewed the ministry financial plan (budget) performance through the end of calendar year 2011. Congregation Mission Offerings (CMO) in 2011 fell short of commitments by $340,000. Actual gifts were $460,000 less than 2010. While more congregations submitted CMO commitments for 2012 than the previous year, the commitments are 0.2 percent less than the actual receipts for 2011; planning had anticipated a 3 percent increase.
The Financial Stabilization Fund will enable current programs to continue without immediate program changes, but the reduced level of expected financial support will require adjustments to spending in the next fiscal year. The Synodical Council asked President Schroeder to prepare a plan for increasing support or reducing synod expense amounts by $1.5 million for the next fiscal year beginning in July, 2012. The areas of ministry will also be encouraged to underspend the current budgetary allocations (as they did last year) and to begin to make initial plans for reduced financial support in the next biennium. Program reductions can be avoided if financial support from Congregation Mission Offerings and gifts from individuals increases beyond the current projections.
