Other offices at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, including the Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation and Presbyterian Women, will remain open during this week. Here are direct dial numbers to their offices:
 

• Churches and individuals interested in calling PPC about These Days and Theology Today should call (800) 624-2612.
• Individuals and churches with questions about TheThoughtful Christian.com should call (800) 554-4694.
• Churches and individuals wishing to place orders should call Cokesbury at (800) 672-1789.
• Bookstores who wish to place an order should call (800) 523-1631.

 
GAC staff will return to the office on Tuesday, May 26, following the Memorial Day holiday. Thank you for your continued partnership in ministry.

Linda Valentine

Members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) lit a candle during a service last night for each of 28 staff members who had been laid off at the denomination’s headquarters because of recent economic woes and a restructuring process in the church.

“Help us find faith in this difficult time,” said one congregant during a part of the service dedicated to voicing laments.

The denomination cited a foundering economy and a long-planned restructuring process as reasons for laying off 14 employees on Friday and another 14 since September.

About 90 people attended last night’s hourlong service in a chapel at Central Presbyterian Church, 318 W. Kentucky St., to honor those workers. The service included Scripture readings, songs and a candle-lighting ceremony that recognized each laid-off person by name, as well as current and past employees of the church.

Continue Reading…

by Jerry L. Van Marter
Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE – The General Assembly Council (GAC) closed a $9.92 million shortfall in the 2009 General Assembly Mission Budget today (March 27), making budget reductions of $3.99 million and using unspent previous year revenue totaling $5.93 million.

In doing so, the council reduced the mission budget from $110,885,317 – which it approved last September – to $106,914,584. The overall 4 percent budget reduction includes a 16 percent decrease in unrestricted spending and a 1 percent increase in restricted expenditures.

The budget cuts announced today include the elimination of 14 incumbent positions and 19 vacant positions at the Presbyterian Center here.

Combined with personnel actions prior to this meeting which impact the 2009 budget, the GAC staff has been reduced by a net total of 44 positions, with 56 positions eliminated and 12 new ones created. The GAC staff now numbers just over 400, not including mission co-workers, conference center staff at Ghost Ranch and Stony Point and other GAC-related entities.

“The decision to eliminate positions was difficult,” said GAC Executive Director Linda Valentine in a press release issued shortly after the GAC adjourned its May 25-27 meeting. “We know it will have a real-life impact on people for whom we care and with whom we have worked side by side. We truly appreciate the work of all our employees. I want to personally thank those who are leaving us for their efforts on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).”

Four minister members of Mid-Kentucky Presbytery will be at the center Friday afternoon to counsel with affected employees. Central Presbyterian Church here has scheduled a “Service of Gratitude, Lament and Hope” Monday evening (March 30) at 5:30 in its sanctuary.

Throughout the meeting here and in a budget orientation video released last week, GAC staff leaders have emphasized that that the budget-reduction decisions have been accompanied by an accelerating strategic vision process designed to “reshape” the GAC’s work.

“This process has been going on at least as long as I’ve been at the GAC,” Valentine said earlier this week. She began work as the GAC’s top executive in July 2006.

“This has been a constant process of reshaping our mission and ministry,” Valentine said. “We relentlessly ask: ‘What are we uniquely positioned to do? What do we do best? What does the church most need from us?’”  

In addition to across the board cuts of 10 percent in postage and mailing and 15 percent in travel, the cuts reflect this strategic realignment.

A number of service and program areas have been eliminated: Media Services (last fall), National Health Ministries, and a training event for mission personnel in the Middle East and Central Asia. The budget cuts also reduce support for military chaplains by about 5 percent and Mission Program Grants (by suspending the fall cycle of grants).

Other programmatic work has been restructured, including:

• the Evangelism area in Evangelism and Church Growth;
• the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program;
• the Christian Formation office in Theology Worship and Education;
• Church Financial Campaign Services (in December 2008);
• Financial Aid for Studies in the Vocation ministry area;
• combining youth ministries with collegiate ministries in Evangelism and Church Growth;
• combining the Educational Ministries office with Curriculum Publishing’s marketing office;
• combining the Child Advocacy and Social Welfare Organizations offices; and
• moving the Multicultural Ministries office from Evangelism and Church Growth to Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/PW and renaming it Multicultural Congregational Support. That office and the congregational enhancement offices will be blended into a new Office of Cross-cultural ministries and Congregational Support.

Additional savings are being realized by foregoing a planned $500,000 allocation to the Capital Reserve Fund; by changing payroll software, and by renegotiating some contracts with outside vendors.

A mandatory one-week furlough for all GAC staff, May 18-22 – announced earlier – is expected to save in excess of $420,000.

“Some of the changes to our budget were made to improve our flexibility, effectiveness and responsiveness, while others are purely cost-cutting measures,” said Joey Bailey, treasurer and chief financial officer, in the press release. “Overall, I think the new budget reflects our commitment to being responsible stewards of the funds that are entrusted to us, being accountable to the church, and to our constituents.”

Valentine acknowledged that the GAC faces a “similar projected shortfall next year.” The council will take up that task at its September meeting. But in her closing remarks to the council, she remained upbeat.

“The cup is more than half-full,” she said Friday morning. “It is overflowing with the mission and ministry of Presbyterians all over the world. Soon we’ll be moving from Lent to Easter,” she said, “and there’s an incredible amount of good news to tell.”

Eliminated positions

The 14 incumbent staff positions eliminated March 27:

• Communication and Funds Development: art director, Presbyterians Today
• Compassion, Peace and Justice: associate, Social Welfare Organizations
• Compassion, Peace and Justice: administrative assistant, Director’s Office
• Compassion, Peace and Justice: associate, network support (part-time), Presbyterian Peacemaking Program
• Compassion, Peace and Justice: administrative assistant, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program
• Compassion, Peace and Justice: administrative assistant, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program
• Compassion, Peace and Justice: associate, National Health Ministries
• Compassion, Peace and Justice: associate for program resource development (term), National Health Ministries
• Evangelism and Church Growth: associate, collegiate ministries
• Evangelism and Church Growth: program assistant, collegiate ministries
• Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women: administrative assistant
• Shared Services: maintenance engineer, Building Services
• Theology Worship and Education: administrative assistant, Theology and Worship
• Theology Worship and Education: associate, Christian Education, Middle Governing Bodies

A complete list of previously eliminated incumbent and vacant positions as well as vacant positions eliminated March 27 is available online.

Plenary presentations-led by Nathan Dungan, founder and president, Share Save Spend; and David Lose, The Marbury E. Anderson Professor of Biblical Preaching, Luther Seminary-will take an up-front approach to what individuals are facing in today’s economic climate, then help congregation and community leaders understand what they can do to reach out and be proactive in times of significant need.

Attendees will also participate in small-group conversations and workshops led by experts in their respective fields. Workshop topics include: Preaching in Times of Economic Crisis, Working with Youth and Their Families in Times of Financial Stress, Financial Stewardship Ministries: How to Start Them and Why They Work and Navigating Troubled Waters with the Unemployed.

Congregational leaders, pastors, youth directors, stewardship chairs and anyone interested in leading their congregations and communities through this economic crisis will benefit from participating in Navigating the Great Recession. Cost for the event is $25 per person or $20 when two more people from the same congregation register at the same time. Lunch is included. For more information or to register, visit the Luther website or call 651-641-3416.

The mission of Share Save Spend is to help youth and adults achieve Financial Sanity^TM by developing and maintaining healthy money habits. Learn more about Nathan Dungan at www.sharesavespend.com.