Women of the ELCA Executive Board
The churchwide executive board of Women of the ELCA met October 19–21 in Salt Lake City,
Utah — site of the 2008 Triennial Convention and Gathering. Budget matters made
up a significant portion of the agenda. The board also learned more about our
host city for 2008 and toured the Salt Palace Convention Center.
On budget matters, the
board approved the 2007 budget for the churchwide organization, which is based
on anticipated revenue of $3,397,106. The majority of this income, as always,
comes from the regular offerings and Thankofferings contributed by the generous
participants in Women of the ELCA who continue to faithfully uphold the mission
and ministry of the organization.
The budget for the
2008 Triennial Convention was also reviewed and approved. The budget for the
convention is $855,000. The costs of the convention are borne by the annual
budget for the churchwide organization, which sets aside roughly one third the
cost of the convention each year of the three years preceding the event.
The board recommended adjustments to the 2008 Triennial
Gathering budget and will seek to approve that budget at its March 2007
meeting. The triennial gathering is intended to be fully self-supporting.
Expenditures are based on projected revenue primarily from paid attendees,
exhibitors, grants, and sponsorships, without further support from the
churchwide operating budget. The gathering budget is expected to be about
$890,000.
The Seventh Triennial Convention and Gathering will be held the
second week of July 2008 in Salt Lake City. Rather than run the convention and
gathering concurrently, as has been the practice, the convention will now take
place Tuesday, July 8, through Thursday, July 10. The gathering begins later
that evening on July 10 and concludes with worship on Sunday, July 13.
The two major factors influencing this decision, which was made
by the board at its October 2005 meeting, were cost savings to the organization
and feedback from Sixth Triennial Gathering participants. Holding the
convention over a more concentrated period of time will reduce delegate
expenses for the organization and eliminate the need to staff and equip two
large halls with staging, lighting, sound, and so on. Also, although 84% of
recent attendees who filled out an evaluation form said they would likely
attend another gathering, the data collected showed that the greatest obstacles
to attending were cost, time away from home, and time off from work.
The financial audit for fiscal year 2005 was presented to and
approved by the board.
Other actions and activities of the board
The executive board approved the establishment of two new
special units in the Virginia Synodical Women’s Organization: Bedford Lutheran
Church and Brandon Oaks Retirement Community.
Bedford Lutheran is a worshipping community in the process of becoming an ELCA
congregation, so at this time, forming a special unit is the best way for them
to organize.
Responding to a request of the staff for the ELCA National
Youth Gathering, the board considered a tentative proposal for the 2009 youth
gathering that would involve adults within the ELCA, including Women of the
ELCA participants, partnering with youth in service. The board’s considerations
will be forwarded to the youth gathering staff.
The board and staff also toured the Salt Palace Convention
Center as well as the city itself and learned more of the city’s fascinating
history and its role in the settlement of the American West. The Salt Palace,
everyone agreed, is a compact, attractive, and friendly facility that is easy
to navigate. The primary hotels are all within a block or so of the convention
center, closer even than in San Antonio.
Salt Lake City is, not surprisingly, home to a significant
number of Mormons, though less than half of Salt Lake’s residents claim
affiliation with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are 15
Lutheran congregations in Utah, four of them in Salt Lake. Of those four, two
have Women of the ELCA units, Mount Tabor Lutheran Church and Zion Evangelical
Lutheran Church.
On Friday, October 20, the board and staff traveled to Zion
Evangelical Lutheran Church for a potluck dinner hosted by Zion and Mount
Tabor. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their wonderful hospitality and the great
meal they prepared, and appreciated being able to get to know more about the
Lutheran community in Salt Lake.
The next meeting of the executive board is March 22–24, 2007, in
Chicago.
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