CENTRAL GULF COAST: Diocese Considered Merger with Dioceses of Alabama and Florida

Past Separations, Sagging Finances, Poor Stewardship, Lack of Vision Cited

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
2/21/2009

Faced with perilously low income and attendant financial losses, poor stewardship, sinking parish attendance, lack of vision and relocating the Diocesan office, a Blue Ribbon Committee of the Diocese of Central Gulf Coast considered dissolving and realigning with their parent dioceses of Alabama and Florida.

The Rt. Rev. Philip M. Duncan II, Bishop of The Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast said that the committee set up to consider the viability of the Diocese expressed "passion" for the continued viability of the diocese and drew back from the edge saying it would not close down and would not consider relocating the diocesan office.

However, he said it would no longer be business as usual in the diocese. "We no longer have the luxury to conduct our business the way we have always done in the past. Change is going to take place and we need to be open to what will allow us to better accomplish the ministries that God is calling us to do."

Clearly stung by a number of parish departures to orthodox ecclesiastical Anglican jurisdictions resulting in a serious loss of income, Duncan reiterated to recent diocesan convention delegates that parishes could not leave with their property even though individuals may.

Stewardship trends, however, show that income to the diocese has been dropping dramatically since 1971 when the Diocesan budget was $819,000. By 1982, 11 years later, that figure had dropped to $300,000. Pledges from congregations had dropped from $752,689 to $289,370.

"The Committee uncovered some alarming trends in giving, and much of their report examines the reasons for these trends. We need to help leaders talk about money without being embarrassed. It is a privilege. It is about relationships. It is not about fund raising." cried the bishop.

"I made a mistake. The Standing Committee made a mistake. The Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast in Convention made a mistake. When we decided to allow restricted giving to the congregations, the Diocese and the Episcopal Church, we did so for pastoral reasons. What we have modeled is not stewardship. In our corporate behavior we are now reflecting a form of giving (which has diminished over these last few years), not with gratitude, but to meet our own personal needs, wants and desires. I believe that should be discontinued as a policy of the Diocese by 2010."

Concerning the Diocesan budget, Duncan blamed the present economy as a powerful contributor to everyone's and every institution's financial dis-ease. "This is a trend that has been ongoing for many years."

He said the 2008 budget was markedly deficit, and that the first draft of the proposed budget for 2009 was $190,000 in the hole. "These are numbers that simply cannot be made up without drastic action. The Standing Committee took drastic action in its attempt to balance the 2009 budget, but still are recommending taking just over $30,000 from the only discretionary fund we have left, to balance the budget."

The proposed budget included reduced giving to the University of the South (where it is an owning diocese.) from $15,000 to $10,000. Other cost-cutting measures included putting off employing a full-time Youth Coordinator and cutting back the employment package for the Director of Communications from $64,000 to $40,000. "These are tough decisions that lie before us, dramatically affecting our diocesan institutions and programs, and holding the line on hoped-for expansion in youth ministries and communications," said Duncan.

The bishop said the solution is to step up stewardship. "The depressed financial state of our local, national and global economies is not a primary factor in the ongoing downward slide in our giving and stewardship within the Diocese." The bishop said the next 12 months are "critical" and it will be "necessary" to reverse these trends.

"This is a difficult time for the Diocese and for the international world economy. This is also an exciting time, filled with challenge and hope. I believe we are called by God to reach deep within ourselves and share with a hurting and broken world," said the bishop.

The committee also uncovered the fact that when they asked about the diocese's vision, the majority had no vision or the vision was not known. This included 69% of the clergy, 75% of the Standing Committee and 70% of Wardens and Treasurers. In a survey, 64% of parishioners responded with less than 7% expressing any sense of vision. Of this group, 64% did not know what the vision was, 26% thought a new one was needed that was relevant to the present and 10% expressed concern for evangelism. At that point, the Committee considered the viability of whether the Diocese should consider dissolving and realigning.

The Diocese also lit into the bishop saying he was more absent than present in the diocese, doing the business of the national church and neglecting diocesan needs. They urged the Bishop to consider more frequent visitations to the congregations, including incorporating week day visitations to achieve this goal.

As one observer noted, the lesson learned here is that when head office funds get diverted to paying the Bishop's salary, staff and lawsuits, then mission is cut and parishes on the ground decline, and contribute less to head office. Eventually, the Diocese is forced into asking questions about closing. "They decided not to close down the Diocese in this meeting, but it may have been a wiser decision to take that leap, as they clearly cannot afford the luxury of a Bishop and the associated office expenses."

The deeper truth is whether the diocese is willing or able to reach "deep within" just to pay its own bills and the salary of the bishop. If not, 12 months from now, the diocese will fold its tent and "juncture" with Alabama and Florida. The prognosis is not good.

END