By Ronald
Kelly
By Ronald
Kelly
Regular daily mail donations are down almost 11 percent below our budgeted expenses for the first four months of the year--that is $1.2 million less than planned-for income.
That's a major concern for the present, but also an even greater concern for the remainder of the year. At this rate of declining income, we could receive $3 million less in donations than our departments need to meet budget.
As I have explained in previous WN articles, the only way we now have to match our donation income with budgeted expenses is to terminate employees, including salaried church pastors.
The church board of directors and the management staff in Church Administration are conducting regular meetings to determine every way possible to reduce the budget with as few employee terminations as possible.
While the sale of the Big Sandy campus has not yet been completed, officials at La Roche College have said they hope to open a new school this autumn.
They hope to complete their financial package in the near future and finalize the transaction. Please continue to pray for the successful completion of this sale.
In April, the church and Legacy Partners signed a purchase and sale agreement that officially began the escrow process for the sale of the Pasadena headquarters property.
Legacy has conducted three well-attended monthly public meetings at headquarters. They have kept city officials and neighboring communities aware of their plans for development.
Also in April, Bernie Schnippert, director of Finance & Planning, gave a campus tour to Bill Bogaard, Pasadena's newly elected mayor, to inform him about what the sale will mean for the city.
Our mail processing staff has completed tabulating and banking the spring offerings. Because many of our congregations collect offerings in different ways, it has taken us longer than usual to complete the process.
However, we are thankful that the combined giving pattern this spring has matched our budget projections. We hoped to receive $1.4 million in spring offerings, and have now received almost that exact amount.
Please refer to the accompanying charts to see a more complete financial picture for April and the first four months of 1999.
Once again I want to thank you for your love and care as you give special offerings for the work of the church--offerings above and beyond your regular tithes and donations. Your labor of sacrifice is so encouraging.
By the time you read this issue of the WN, we will have celebrated the Pentecost season. During the summer our income tends to sag a little, so we pray that each of us will be able to maintain a generous and steady pattern of giving to the work of the gospel Jesus has allowed us to proclaim.
May God richly bless you and your families through the warm days of summer.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1999