CHICAGO -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) must cut its spending by $2.415 million this year to make up for budget shortfalls, according to the ELCA News Service.
The Church has asked all its units to prepare lists of how they can reduce spending by 4 percent this year and next. ELCA still expects to complete 2002 with a $350,000 shortfall in its $70.4 million budget.
The denomination expects to come up $1.5 million short in projected income from bequests and trusts and nearly $450,000 short in interest and investments income, said the Rev. Charles S. Miller. Miller is the ELCA's executive for administration and executive assistant to the presiding bishop.
"I have relied on the churchwide units to find a way to manage this, and I have asked them to do this with the least harm to staff and programs," Miller said.
Income projections for 2003 were also lowered, by $1.3 million. The adjustments reduce churchwide spending authorization to $82.6 million in 2002 and $85.1 million in 2003.
Miller said unemployment is contributing to lost income for congregations. Declining interest rates for investments and recent stock market declines also are affecting the denomination, he said.
"Mission support (regular tithing) remains the stable anchor of the churchwide budget," Miller said. "We deeply appreciate the financial support of synods and congregations."
