Diocese of Rhode Island Faces Naked Truth about its Future
Diocese of Rhode Island Faces Naked Truth about its Future
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 1, 2011
The Diocese of Rhode Island is on the brink of extinction. It has lost 30% of its attendees in the last 10 years. It is presently closing churches at an alarming rate, running down endowments and putting off maintenance. There are virtually no young people coming forward and no next generation to fill emptying pews.
A resolution was to have been presented at the Rhode Island Diocesan Convention on November 12 but has since been withdrawn because, "conversations were contentious and divisive."
It reads thusly: "The Diocese of Rhode Island is at a crucial tipping point in relation to its long‐term health, vitality, and growth. We are currently a diocese of fifty‐three churches, down from sixty‐five less than ten years ago, and several more churches face closure in the next two to three years.
"In 2009, twenty‐five of the fifty‐three churches in the diocese used more than 5% of their investment accounts for operating expenses. This is shocking news when you consider that the survival rate for non‐profits spending from their endowments at the same level is 50%.
Read the full story at www.VirtueOnline.org
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 1, 2011
The Diocese of Rhode Island is on the brink of extinction. It has lost 30% of its attendees in the last 10 years. It is presently closing churches at an alarming rate, running down endowments and putting off maintenance. There are virtually no young people coming forward and no next generation to fill emptying pews.A resolution was to have been presented at the Rhode Island Diocesan Convention on November 12 but has since been withdrawn because, "conversations were contentious and divisive."
It reads thusly: "The Diocese of Rhode Island is at a crucial tipping point in relation to its long‐term health, vitality, and growth. We are currently a diocese of fifty‐three churches, down from sixty‐five less than ten years ago, and several more churches face closure in the next two to three years.
"In 2009, twenty‐five of the fifty‐three churches in the diocese used more than 5% of their investment accounts for operating expenses. This is shocking news when you consider that the survival rate for non‐profits spending from their endowments at the same level is 50%.
Read the full story at www.VirtueOnline.org
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