ELCA NEWS SERVICE
December 22, 2008
ELCA Treasurer Advises Synod Leaders on Planning for Budget Contingencies
08-209-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In the midst of a volatile U.S. and global
economy, Christina Jackson-Skelton, treasurer of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), sent resources to the 65
synods of the church to assist leaders in budget planning and
financial management.
Responding to requests from several ELCA synods, Jackson-
Skelton provided specific information to synod leaders covering
contingency planning, operating reserves, cash flow, budget
reductions and banking relationships.
"The (ELCA) churchwide organization and synods are seeking
to be responsible leaders, attentive to the context and faithful
to the mission," she wrote in a Dec. 15 cover memo to synod
leaders. The churchwide organization is operating "with solid
financial performance and very little variability, particularly
compared to most other organizations," Jackson-Skelton wrote.
Income is up compared to the prior year and expenses are being
managed closely, she wrote. The churchwide organization is
expected to end the fiscal year with expenses below the approved
spending authorization, due to savings from staff vacancies and
other normal occurrences, Jackson-Skelton wrote.
"Clearly, however, some areas of the country are more
directly affected by the economic conditions, and the full
potential impact of the current economic recession is not yet
known," she wrote. "We want to stay in close communication with
synods during this time, especially where you anticipate
significant swings in income."
Jackson-Skelton wrote that it is always advisable to be
prepared to adjust spending programs and activities based on
revised income estimates. "The easiest way to do this is to
develop contingency plans and strategic plans that will guide you
in adjusting spending if there should be a large decrease or
increase in income. Budget contingency planning is not new for
the churchwide organization, although the tools we use to
prioritize our programs vary from year to year," she wrote.
The ELCA treasurer concluded her memo by inviting
suggestions and thanking synod leaders for their "commitment to
employ good stewardship of the resources entrusted to this
church."
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Information about the ELCA Office of the Treasurer is at
http://www.ELCA.org/treasurer on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
