About 13 percent of the General Assembly Mission Council staff was laid off in the latest round of budget cutting, the sixth major staff reduction in the last eight years.
The denomination released few details on exactly which functions were eliminated – Rob Bullock, a spokesman for the denomination, said in an interview that a list of positions eliminated would likely be released May 17. But Bullock said “the biggest hit in terms of numbers” came in Congregational Ministries Publishing, which is being reorganized to become financially self-sustaining by 2011 in all of its English-language products.
The PC(USA) will no longer have separate offices for Korean ministry in the Evangelism and Church Growth office or in Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries – the Asian American Leadership Office is being closed.
Many of the denomination’s human resources functions will be outsourced, Bullock said. And the Children’s Mission Yearbook and Ideas magazine for church leaders no longer will be published. Other cuts will come in Shared Services and Communications and Funds Development, including from Presbyterians Today magazine.
In some cases, however, the work that employees of the denomination formerly did in-house will be done on a contract basis by outside vendors – producing a savings in salary and benefits, but still generating some cost for doing the work.
The General Assembly Mission Council voted unanimously, with no debate, on May 14 to approve the denomination’s budgets for 2011 and 2012.
The layoffs come as part of an $11.8 million initial budget cut, as the PC(USA)’s mission budget drops from $93.8 million this year to $82 million for 2011 and $80.5 million in 2012 – a reduction of 12.2 percent in the first year and 2 percent in the second.
Most of the council’s discussion of the budget took place behind closed doors – and apparently without the council members knowing specifically which positions they were voting to eliminate.
Earlier this spring, denominational leaders offered severance packages to veteran staff members – 30 people who are at least 60 years old and have worked for the denomination for at least 10 years. Of those 30 employees, 12 accepted the deals – including long-time employees in World Mission and Jay Rock, the denomination’s coordinator of interfaith relations, although Rock will stay on for several months.
Another 12 positions were vacant, so those 24 positions were in play.
But denominational leaders, in reorganizing functions and reconfiguring work responsibilities, created 24.5 new positions. Of those, roughly five are positions that had been held by veteran staff members who are taking the buyouts – positions that are considered “essential,” Bullock said, and will be filled. That leaves about 20 other positions that were created in the reorganization.
In addition, 49 other jobs were eliminated – and of those, 15 of the employees have been offered one of the 24.5 new positions. The rest are out of work.
Following this latest round of layoffs, the denomination’s General Assembly Mission Council staff will stand at 341.
Linda Valentine, executive director, told the GMAC that “we believe the plan is in the best interests of the church” and that “even in a time that feels like cut, cut, cut, we know we rest in the loving hands of God.”
The budget reflects the ongoing slide that the mainline denominations are experiencing – with membership declines going back to the 1960s, shrinking congregations, and less money being given to middle governing bodies and the national church. From the top offices in Louisville way down to tiny, beloved congregations, Presbyterians are struggling – even as they remain deeply committed to their faith and to the work they do on behalf of others in their communities and around the world.
Budget presentations during the council’s meeting gave a glimpse of how serious the denomination’s financial crunch is, showing that:
» Unrestricted giving to the denomination (known as shared mission support) dropped by 44 percent from 1999 to 2009.
» In that same decade, restricted giving – designated by the donor for a particular use – dropped by 29 percent.
» The denomination continues to tap its reserves to balance the budget. Another $1.14 million is being pulled from reserves in 2011 and $1.6 million in 2012 – drawing the uncommitted reserves down to $12.22 million. That would leave the reserves about $4.1 million above the $8.12 minimum reserve requirement – and Joey Bailey, the denomination’s chief financial officer, told the council he’s not comfortable going any lower than that.
The council’s discussions also reflected shifts in the relationship between the denomination’s national staff and the broader church.
“Our role is changing from doing mission on behalf of the church to inspiring, equipping and connecting the church for mission and ministry,” Valentine said in a news release. “At the same time, God calls us to look at our resources honestly. We must be sure we live within our means to sustain ministry into the future.”
That phrase – inspiring, equipping, and connecting – is often repeated by Valentine’s leadership team.
The Presbyterian News Service – the denomination’s official news agency – detailed the cuts.
Among them:
» The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study, the Presbyterian Planning Calendar and Presbyterians Today are being reorganized, “to become self-sustaining.”
» Support for the Presbyterian Council for Chaplains and Military Personnel will be reduced.
» The National Presbyterian Scholarship Program for college students will be reduced or ended, while a new loan forgiveness program is developed for seminary students who agree to serve congregations having difficulty finding pastoral leadership.
