wfn.org | ELCA Bishops Told Financial Results 'Mixed'; Mission Support Stable

[NEWS@ELCA.ORG]

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 news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news