Annual Meeting Update and How We'll Move Forward

Dear Ones,

If you missed this past Sunday’s Annual Meeting, then there are important pieces of data that you’ve missed about the state of the parish at this critical time in its history. Here is the information in a nutshell:

Our expenses have outweighed our income for some time. We have passed deficit budgets repeatedly and prayed for end-of-year gifts to help bridge the gap. When they haven’t come, we’ve used our reserve funds to make up the difference.

In 2022, we had to use $80,000 more of our reserve fund than we had planned (we budget $50,000 from our reserves into the Operating Fund already). That is an unsustainable model and is not a financial situation that can set up a new permanent rector for success. Were we to pass a similar budget for 2023 and end up in the same boat as 2022, our reserves would be all but depleted. I cannot, in good conscience, kick the can down the road because you’d be in the exact same boat a year from now, but even more dire.

Budget Cuts

So we made significant and painful cuts to our Operating Budget to get us into the black. This will allow us to only use the planned $50,000 of reserves during 2023, and it will set us up to wean ourselves off using that amount in 2024, leaving the reserves there for vital projects that will be needed going forward (AC replacements, parking lot care, building painting, etc).

 Here are the reductions we made in the 2023 budget:

• The Landscaping budget was cut by half.
• Our Friday/Sunday Sexton, Gerardo, was eliminated.
• Our Associate Rector, Chaplain Erin, is budgeted for only half a year – we will move to being 
  a 1-priest church.
• The Role of Parish Administrator (held by Allison Brown) was eliminated to avoid cutting three lay positions to half time (and thereby risk losing all of them).
• The choir will have only 2 Staff Singers rather than 4.
• The role of Permanent Organist will not be filled at this time. We have budgeted to have an organist for 14 Sundays of 2023.
• The Rector and Associate Rector have taken a 5% pay cut.
• 
  

I realize these are challenging changes in many regards. They impact people we care about and who have worked faithfully for us. And, sadly, to create a sustainable path into the future, these choices had to be made. I realize that it’s a particular loss to say goodbye to Allison Brown as part of our staff. If you would like to send your thanks/regards to her, we are collecting notes or cards in the office and will send them along to her.

9am service will End

These changes also mean that we need to reallocate the staff time of those who are left. To that end, we are ending the 9am Zoom worship service. Our last Sunday for that service will be February 12. We may explore live-streaming the 6pm service and/or setting up socially distanced seating for the 10:30am service so all are able to attend safely (there are many who still need Covid-safe accommodations!)—if you have ideas or expertise about this area, please let me know.

We will all need to pitch in together moving forward. If you have other areas of ability that you can offer your church, now is the time to offer yourself! We will need all hands on deck to keep our church moving forward in a robust way.

If you have questions or concerns, ideas or encouragement, please feel free to reach out to me. We are in this together. And as always, pray for your church.

Peace,

Mother Erika



The Rev. Canon Erika von Haaren

Interim Rector

Christ Church of the Ascension