Source:  Anglican Curmudgeon

The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church (USA) opened its winter meeting today [January 27] at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum Heights, Maryland. Immediately two widely differing plans for the next triennial budget of the Church were presented for its consideration.  (The Executive Council has to approve a draft budget at this meeting to hand off to the General Convention's Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance, which will finalize it between February and July for presentation at General Convention.)

The first version of the proposed budget came from the Presiding Bishop and her Chief Operating Officer, the Rt. Rev. Stacy Sauls.  It maintains the percentage which the Church will ask for in contributions from its member Dioceses at the current 19% for the next triennium (it had been reduced from 21% to 19% in the budget adopted in 2009 at Anaheim.)  It also projects a reduction of $5.9 million in income over the period 2013-2015, and calls for a corresponding reduction in outlays.

The second version of the proposed budget came from the President of the House of Deputies, Bonnie Anderson.  It calls for a reduced asking of 15% from the Dioceses, and would result in a budget reduction of $19.3 million, which Finances for Mission Committee Chair Del Glover admitted would lead to (further) "personnel adjustments."...

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