Nearly lost among the discussions by Executive Council of the embezzlement in the treasurer's office were some negative numbers which bear watching. For the first time, dioceses are pledging to the national church program budget according to a "covenant range" approved by General Convention last year. According to the new funding formula, each diocese was given a covenant range for support of the program budget rather than a specified amount. For example, the Diocese of Alabama, the first on the alphabetical list, was given a range of $383,120 to $478,259 for its 1995 apportionment, based on its diocesan budget. The diocese then pledged $494,259, or above the range.

At its meeting in Seattle [TLC, July 2], council got a glimpse of how the new system is functioning. With 98 of the 100 domestic dioceses having responded, pledges for 1995 totaling $25,664,954 have been made. Considering the total minimum range of the 98 dioceses is $24.9 million and the total maximum range is $30.6 million, the average of these ranges is about $27.7 million. That means the total already pledged is about 93 percent of the average range. Officials at the Episcopal Church Center are projecting a shortfall of about $1.5 million from the dioceses.

Given the fact that this is the first year of the new funding formula, and that various circumstances could cause pledges not to be honored, it is difficult to predict whether it will succeed. But, like most numbers at the church center these days, these will be watched closely.