Delegates pass 2015 budget
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Delegates of the Ninth Triennial Convention of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approved a 2015 budget of nearly $3 million. The vote was 346 to 5.
“These have been years of challenge,” said Ely Smith, Women of the ELCA treasurer. “Prudent measures by the staff and (Women of the ELCA’s executive) board have ensured that expenses have been under budget, but our revenues continue to decline.”
The proposed budget was introduced to the convention July 22 and a hearing was held later in the day to discuss budget matters prior to the July 23 vote. During a discussion preceding the vote Jody Smiley, an executive board member and newly elected vice president, proposed an amendment that “the governance add $7,000 to the proposed $135,500 to make it $142,000 and in order to balance that increase, decrease the reserve fund by $7,000 to make it $20,000 from $27,000.
“The proposed 2015 budget reflected the reduction of the executive board from 17 to 9,” said Smiley. “We voted not to pass that constitutional change, so we needed to add back in $7,000 under governance, and the reduction of $7,000 under the transfer fund allows us to pass a balanced budget.”
Delegates approved the amendment with a 344 to 7 vote.
The accepted budget accounts for revenue, support and other income equal the expenditures at $2,941,593. The expenses include $425,000 to be given to the ELCA churchwide organization, based in Chicago.
Provided by the ELCA News Service