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World Council of Churches
Press Release PR-02-30
For Immediate Use
17 November 2002

WCC announces measures to save costs and enhance effectiveness

The World Council of Churches (WCC) announced plans today to reorganize its
Geneva- and New York-based staff around the five "historic" themes of the
Council's work. The five themes are: 
- faith and order; 
- mission and ecumenical formation; 
- justice, peace and creation; 
- international affairs, peace and human security; and 
- diakonia and solidarity. 
The reorganization reflects the WCC's need to reduce planned expenses for
2003, and new thinking on how to fulfil the Council's mandate of seeking
unity and cooperation among its 342 member churches worldwide. 

According to WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, "The Council,
through this reorganization, has manifested its will and its ability to
respond constructively to a critical situation. The adjustment of the
internal organization and leadership structure will result in a clearer
profile of the WCC's programmes and strengthen its cooperation with
ecumenical partners."

Via the reorganization, and faced with a predicted shortfall of income
against planned expenses of CHF 6.3 million, the WCC has reduced its budget
for 2003 by CHF 7.4 million.  This amount includes a CHF 1.1 million surplus
which will allow the Council to begin replenishing its general reserves and
to provide a cushion for contingencies.  The reduction in budgeted expenses
for 2003 is to be accompanied by an income-generating strategy that will
focus on assuring the ongoing support of current donors, and then seek to
establish relations with new donors.  WCC Income Monitoring and Development
director Michiel Hardon says "The reorganization and related cuts in
expenditures are an essential element in the WCC income generation policy. A
more effective organization is key for the quality of our work and will
increase the confidence and, as a consequence, hopefully, the support of our
main funding partners".  

Financial pressure on the WCC is due to a combination of reduced
contributions from donors and losses in the value of its investment
portfolio. This led to a large draw-down on the organization's reserves over
the last three years.  The WCC's policy decision-making body, the Central
Committee, at its meeting in Geneva in September 2002, called for the
creation of a task group of four Central Committee members to review the
situation and advise staff on the steps needed to reduce expenses. Their
report was received by the WCC officers and other assigned Central Committee
members who met in Geneva from 14-15 November.		  

As a result of the announced expense budget cuts for 2003, WCC staff will be
reduced by 16 full-time equivalent positions to a level of 141 FTE's.  This
reduction will be achieved in part due to retirements, relocation of
activities and staff positions in cooperation with regional partners,
reductions of working time, and termination of contracts.  

"We hope that these changes in the organization will lead to a period of
stability in which the staff, member churches and other supporters of the WCC
are able to devote themselves to meeting the global ecumenical challenges
before us," says WCC vice-moderator Dr Marion Best.

For further information, please contact the Media Relations Office, tel: +41
(0)22 791 64 21