Episcopal Church tightens its belt: CEN 7.24.09 p 1.

The Episcopal Church’s General Convention has adopted a $141 million austerity budget for the coming three years—an amount $12 million less than its last three year budget and $20 million below that authorized by the Church’s Executive Council in January.

Staffers at the national church offices in New York were the first to feel the effects of the reduced budget, with 37 employees, including the church’s national evangelism and women’s ministries officers made redundant in the closing days of the July 7-17 General Convention. The church’s overseas partners will see a reduction in support as well, with the proposed $600,000 per year contribution of the ACC cut by one third, while the line item “Anglican Communion” has been reduced from $5.6 to $3.4 million.

The austerity budget “reflects the scarcity that we are experiencing across the church,” Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said on July 15. Approximately 60 percent of the church’s income comes from contributions from the dioceses, who are asked to give 21 percent of their income to New York.

Diocesan contributions are expected to decline from $90 to $79 million over the coming three years. Of the church’s 110 dioceses, only 27 contribute the requested 21 percent of income. To assist dioceses meet their target support levels, General Convention agreed to reduce the asking to 20 percent in fiscal 2011 and 19 percent in fiscal 2012.

Cuts were made in almost all categories, save for the office of the Presiding Bishop, whose overall budget increased by 15 percent. Included in the Presiding Bishop’s budget is a nine fold increase in anticipated legal fees to $3 million, and a 122 percent increase in Legal Assistance to Dioceses and Title IV—clergy disciplinary proceedings, to $4 million for the coming three years..

The inclusion of “$3 million during the next triennium for legal assistance to dioceses is an amount less than was spent during the current triennium to support Episcopal dioceses in reorganization that need to protect themselves against the loss of their property,” the notes to the budget stated.