Executive Council draft triennial budget preparation process underway
Episcopal News Service. August 25, 2011 [082511-02]
ENS staff
In preparation for the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in July 2012, the year-long budget preparation process for funding the mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church has begun, according to a press release from the church's Office of Public Affairs.
The Executive Council Aug. 25 announced a new approach to solicit input broadly from across the church on what the church's funding priorities ought to be and what the program section of the draft budget.
"Changing and challenging financial realities at the churchwide level and for dioceses and congregations demand that a reassessment be done," the release said.
The triennial or three-year budget, to be adopted by 77th meeting of General Convention in July 2012 for the years 2013-2015, will fund the governance, mission and ministry work of the Episcopal Church. The budget for the Episcopal Church serves as the blueprint for the mission and ministry that happen on a churchwide level between meetings of General Convention, the release said.
Seeking input
According to the release, the Executive Council wants to hear the voices of the church: elected deputies to the 2012 General Convention; bishops; members of the church's commissions, committees, agencies and boards; diocesan organizations such as diocesan councils and standing committees; and diocesan staff members.
To solicit input, the Executive Council, with assistance from Church Center staff, has created a survey that can be completed online. The survey is directed to those same groups
The survey is located here. The deadline to complete the survey is Sept. 7.
The data will be used to guide Executive Council in establishing its recommended priorities for mission work and funding allocations. In addition to the survey, a website has been created that will both provide information on the effort to solicit input and provide other members of the church with a way to provide input to the Executive Council.
How to be involved
There are various ways to become involved in the budget preparation process:
- Talk to General Convention deputies.
- Visit the website to provide input and for information.
- Discuss budget priorities in your congregations, diocesan conventions and provincial meetings
- Complete the leaders' survey.
Preparing the budget
The release said that the council's Executive Committee will use the input from its members as well as staff and leaders from throughout the church to form a framework and mission priorities that will be presented to the entire Executive Council at its Oct. 21-24 meeting in Salt Lake City. Executive Council will then have an opportunity to reflect on the input it received and respond to the proposed framework, the release said.
The Executive Committee will prepare a detailed draft budget proposal for the winter meeting of Executive Council (Jan. 27-29, 2012 in Linthicum Heights, Maryland). At that meeting, the council will review and discuss the proposal with the outcome forming the recommended draft budget that will be presented to the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance, commonly known as "PB&F." PB&F is responsible for recommending a final balanced budget for the triennium to the General Convention. The budget is presented to convention on the 8th legislative day (July 10) in a joint session of both houses and considered separately in each House on the 9th legislative day (July12).
The final budget must be passed by both the by the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops during General Convention next year. It will reflect their will after extensive open hearings, information-gathering meetings and other information gathered by PB&F, the release said.
General Convention is the Episcopal Church’s bicameral governing body, comprised of the House of Bishops, with upwards of 200 members, and the House of Deputies, with clergy and lay representatives from the 110 dioceses, at over 700 members.
The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church is an elected body representing the whole Church and is comprised of twenty members elected by General Convention (four bishops, four priests or deacons and twelve laypersons) and eighteen members elected by provincial synods. Also serving on Executive Council are the presiding bishop, the president of the House of Deputies, the general convention secretary and treasurer.
The Executive Committee of Executive Council consists of six elected members from Executive Council, the presiding bishop, the president of the House of Deputies, General Convention secretary and treasurer.
The Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance is responsible for recommending funding and spending for the succeeding triennium and to propose a balanced budget that reflects the will of General Convention as determined by resolutions, open hearings and information gathered. Its 29 members are the presiding bishop and the president of the House of Deputies, together with a bishop, priest or deacon and lay person from each of the church's nine geographic provinces. The priests, deacons and lay persons must be deputies to the General Convention.
For more information, contact the Rev. Canon Gregory Straub, secretary of General Convention, gstraub@episcopalchurch.org.