BY THE RT. REV. DAVID C. ANDERSON,

PRESIDENT & CEO, AMERICAN ANGLICAN COUNCIL

This last year has been a time of financial testing for most of our readers and for us at the American Anglican Council (AAC). Some of our readers have faced job losses or reductions, others have faced the loss of retirement accounts, and some have experienced both. We at the AAC have seen gifts and support diminish in size as our donors' resources have been impacted by the economy, and we have responded by tightening our belts and squeezing out as much efficiency as we can in the unique type of advocacy and diplomacy work that the AAC does.

As we have gone through our expenditures to reduce costs wherever possible, one area we have looked at is printing and mailing. The AAC has made Encompass available in an electronic format so subscribers can receive it via e-mail. This not only saves the AAC in both printing and mailing costs, but the magazine gets to our subscribers faster as well. Additionally, these subscribers can then pass it on easily to others in electronic form. Please consider switching to the electronic Encompass if you have internet service. To do so, simply e-mail us at communications@americananglican.org with your name and address and a note saying you'd like to switch to the electronic format of Encompass.

The list of individuals who have contributed to the AAC's work over the last ten years is long. Since we haven't limited our mailings to recent contributors, some have been receiving Encompass as well as informational letters and fund raising solicitations even though they may have not given financial support to the AAC in the last three or four years.

Although we remove or correct addresses when advised by the recipient or the U.S. Post Office, it is difficult to ascertain the interest level of those from whom there is no response.

As an economy and to better match mailings only to those interested in the AAC's work, we will commence in 2010 to remove names from the Encompass mailing list of those we have not heard from in the last three years. We want our publications to be in homes where our news, analysis and commentary are received with interest and welcome. By doing this, we hope to better match our limited resources with those most concerned with the global Anglican restructuring and the defense of the faith.

If you are currently a supporter of the AAC's wide range of work, domestically and internationally, you will continue to receive Encompass and from time to time other mailings. If you have never financially supported the AAC, or if it has been over three years since you gave, please put a check in the mail or go online to our web site and make a secure, tax deductible gift by credit card to remain on our mailing list. Before year's end we will be mailing out a summary of the many different ministries and support activities of the AAC and staff, towards which you can specifically direct your gifts. We don't want to lose any of our readers, and this will keep you in the loop, receiving information, news and analysis from our many writers.

God bless you, and may our Lord prosper the work of those who build and defend the faith. †