ELCA NEWS SERVICE October 7, 2004 ELCA Bishops Told Financial Results 'Mixed'; Mission Support Stable 04-189-JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Overall financial results for the churchwide organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) were "mixed," with income, in general, relatively stable, said Christina Jackson-Skelton, ELCA treasurer, in an Oct. 2 report to the ELCA Conference of Bishops. Jackson-Skelton reported on the first seven months of the ELCA's 2004 fiscal year, ending Aug. 31. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the church consisting of the church's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary. It met here Sept. 30-Oct. 4. ELCA synod vice presidents, meeting here simultaneously with the conference, met with the bishops Oct. 2. "This was a period of relative stability for the churchwide organization," Jackson-Skelton told the bishops and vice presidents. She reminded the bishops that, at their last meeting in March, she told them of the difficult work that had to be done to align churchwide expenses with anticipated income. "That has paid off," she said. "This is a piece of good news that I am happy to share with you." Receipts were $43.6 million, compared to $42.7 million in the same period one year ago, Jackson-Skelton said. Receipts were $500,000 above budget projections. However, expenses exceeded income by $1.9 million in current operating funds for the seven-month period -- a "seasonal norm," she said. Expenses were $45.5 million. Compared to one year ago, expenses for the first seven months of the fiscal year were $2 million less, and expenses were below budget projections by $3.6 million, Jackson- Skelton reported. "Expenditures by churchwide units reflect positive restraint and control," Jackson-Skelton wrote in her report. Income in the form of mission support from synods, which accounts for most of the churchwide organization's income, was $35.6 million, down about $100,000 from the same period in 2003. Mission support from 35 ELCA synods was lower so far in 2004 than it was in 2003; 30 synods are showing increases in mission support, she said. Overall, Jackson-Skelton said many synods are "running pretty close to budget" on mission support funds sent to the churchwide organization. "We are having a better year," she said. "It has been a more stable period for mission support." In March, Jackson-Skelton said 2003 income and spending plans for the churchwide organization were hampered by an unanticipated fall in mission support funds to 91.4 percent of what synods said they would share. As a result, spending authorizations for the churchwide organization were reduced several times in 2003, and there were some personnel layoffs. At their March meeting, the Conference of Bishops agreed to "encourage" each of the church's synods to maintain or increase their current giving percentage of mission support funds to the churchwide organization for fiscal 2004 and 2005. Jackson-Skelton also reported on other programs within the ELCA's budget. Contributions to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal through August were $6.9 million, up $20,000 from the previous year, Jackson-Skelton said. ELCA Disaster Response income through August was $1 million, she reported. In the same period one year ago, gifts to disaster response totaled $1.7 million. Income for "Stand With Africa," a ministry aimed specifically at helping people who live in Africa, was $439,000 for the first seven months of fiscal year 2004. In the previous fiscal year, income for Stand With Africa during the same period was $820,000. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news