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Income & Expense Overview and Projections, 2001 - 2008April 24, 2009 Dear Friends, In the April issue of Genesis, I wrote about the important decisions that would be considered by the vestry at its April meeting. With Messiah facing another year with a large projected deficit and a struggling investment portfolio, the Vestry felt that it was important to seriously look at the possibility of searching for a part-time clergyperson to serve as our next Rector. Many of you took the time to make your thoughts known to the Vestry either by speaking with a vestryperson in advance or by attending the meeting, and we are grateful to those of you who chose to do that. During the meeting, a motion was presented that Messiah call a full-time clergyperson to serve as the next Rector. After much discussion and prayer, the question was called, and the Vestry and Officers voted in favor of the motion, choosing to search for a full-time clergyperson to lead Messiah into the future as we pursue our mission together. My impression based on some of the comments made while discussing the motion is that the pursuit of our ministry and mission at this time and in this place requires the leadership of a full-time clergyperson who will have the time and the clarity of focus to work with us, to listen to God, and to minister to our surrounding community. I believe that this choice was made as an act of faith in God and in ourselves. The fact remains that Messiah still faces significant financial problems, but we have already experienced the abundance and generosity that exists within this congregation. Just last week, I received a verbal commitment from an anonymous parishioner who intends to give Messiah $50,000 over the next two years. It is humbling to witness such a gesture, and Messiah is truly blessed to be the beneficiary of such abundant generosity. This gift will help to ease our burden over the short-term, and I hope that it will also help to give us and our next Rector some breathing room to explore how we will go about pursuing our ministry together. Nevertheless, the vestry will still need to closely monitor our finances and look for opportunities to both limit our expenses and maximize our revenues. If you have any ideas to share or if you are feeling called to increase your level of financial giving to help support Messiah's ministry, please contact me or a vestryperson. We are eager to hear from everyone. As always, please hold the vestry in your prayers as it goes about its work during the interim period and into the future. Peace, Ira Gooding, Senior Warden
Late March, 2009 Dear Friends, In the March issue of the Genesis newsletter, I wrote about our 2009 pledge totals and how they relate to our ability to pursue Messiah's mission. During its February and March meetings, the Vestry has grappled with one very specific way in which the parish's financial circumstances have the potential to alter the way we go about pursuing God's call to ministry. The question on the table is whether Messiah's next Rector should serve on a full-time or part-time basis. The Vestry has given itself the goal of making this decision at its next meeting on April 21st at 7:00 p.m. At its February meeting, the Vestry charged Mike Dowd, Messiah's Interim Treasurer, and the Finance Committee with the task of closely analyzing Messiah's current financial picture and making projections about the next few years. The results were reported at the March meeting, and copies of their report are available in the Tower Room and on Messiah's web site. Messiah has been operating on a deficit basis for many years, and we have drawn money from our Endowment Fund to make up the shortfall. If the parish continues to operate as it currently does, with no significant change in its revenue or expenses, the Finance Committee projects that we will deplete the Endowment Fund within the next 4 to 7 years. One way to change the forecast of depletion is to dramatically reduce our expenses by hiring a part-time Rector. The Rector's salary would be reduced by half while still providing full benefits (a Diocesan requirement for jobs of 20 or more hours a week). The savings would bring us to within approximately 3% of our budget. This reduction would lessen our need to draw money from the endowment to cover deficits. A part-time Rector does not mean a part-time church; there are examples in our Diocese of parishes continuing their missions with part-time Rectors. Nevertheless, a part-time Rector would require increased responsibility for all of us, including members, wardens, vestry, and staff. Another way to change the forecast would be to dramatically grow our congregation to more than twice its current size, a development that is certainly within the realm of possibility. Messiah is located in a thriving community, and this congregation has a tradition of creative and energetic outreach. However, one question that we need to ask ourselves is whether this sort of growth is possible without a full-time Rector. These are not easy decisions, but prayer and careful attention to the details of our current situation can help us make them. As I mentioned above, more detailed information is available in printed form and by clicking here. This matter will be discussed and hopefully decided at the Vestry meeting on April 21st at 7:00 p.m. All Vestry meetings are open, and I invite anyone who wants to participate in this conversation to please attend the meeting. If you are unable to attend the meeting and would like to share your reactions and thoughts, please write to me or speak with a vestryperson. Peace, Ira Gooding, Senior Warden Church of the Messiah Income & Expense Overview and Projections, 2001-2008The above document is in Adobe Portable Document Format [.pdf]. To download a free Adobe Reader, click on the button below:
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