October 22, 2009

CHICAGO – Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America eliminated seven full-time positions from its churchwide staff, the result of a reduction in the organization's 2010 budget. "The Lutheran," the magazine of the ELCA, will eliminate two positions from its staff in 2010 because of circulation and advertising declines.

Affected staff members were notified Oct. 20 that their positions will be eliminated Jan. 31, 2010.

The executive board of Women of the ELCA made the budget decision at its Oct. 16-17 meeting in Spokane, Wash., site of the organization's 2011 Triennial Gathering.

Because of a decline in revenue to the organization and the state of the U.S. economy, the Women of the ELCA executive board in April reduced the approved $3.11 million budget for 2009 to $2.85 million, a cut of $261,000. Anticipating continued fiscal challenges, the board asked Linda Post Bushkofsky, executive director, Women of the ELCA, to propose a budget for 2010 that would include a reduction and restructuring of the churchwide staff.

When it met last week, the board also adopted a 2010 budget plan of $2.46 million, another $377,000 reduction from its adjusted 2009 budget.

Beth Wrenn, president, Women of the ELCA, wrote a letter to the churchwide staff of Women of the ELCA expressing her "deepest regret that the decision to make a reduction in staff was necessary in order to ensure that we can continue our ministry to women across the church."

"You are often the unseen faces that enable us to accomplish so much," wrote Wrenn, Kill Devil Hills, N.C., and a member of Kure Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kure Beach, N.C.

"These were strategic and prudent decisions," said Bushkofsky. "There is much hope in what the future holds." She emphasized, however, that "with one-third fewer staff members, we will have to do one-third less work. The board and staff will decide, through strategic planning, what will not be continued into the future."

Women of the ELCA's reductions affect staff working in administration, finance, governance, marketing, meeting planning, Lutheran Woman Today magazine and special projects. Thirteen churchwide staff will remain with the organization.

Nine staff will remain with The Lutheran after Jan. 31. Of the two staff editor positions eliminated for the 2010 fiscal year, one was a planned retirement, said Daniel J. Lehmann, editor. That position will remain unfilled for the remainder of 2009.

Lehmann pointed out that The Lutheran "receives no mission support from the churchwide office," other than its space in the Lutheran Center. The magazine's budget is financed through subscription sales and advertising sales, he said.

Women of the ELCA also receives no mission support from the ELCA budget. It is a separately incorporated unit of the church and operates almost solely on gifts and offerings from the organization's participants.

The ELCA churchwide organization anticipates similar reductions as part of an overall revision to its approved 2010 budget. Earlier this month, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, sent an e-mail to churchwide staff announcing possible budget revisions to be presented to the ELCA Church Council, which meets here Nov. 13-15.

"Unit executives have been working diligently to prepare changes that will best support this church's mission and ministry in light of reduced income projections," said the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, executive for administration, ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop.

ELCA News Service