September 12, 2004; Proper 19, Year C
This is a pastoral letter, which
according to national canon III.18.5, is to be read aloud in all
congregations either on Sunday September 12 or 19, 2004.
The Diocese of Western Michigan
Office of the Bishop
September 10, 2004
Dear People of God,
Today, I am addressing you concerning a serious and important matter which affects our common life. As your bishop I feel it is my duty to name this matter so that the burden of it falls on the whole diocesan community and not just on the shoulders of a few who would find it impossible to repair. However, working together with the resources that are already available to us we can overcome our current critical situation. That matter is our historical and current lack of sufficient money to carry out the work of the Church and the Vision of God through the people of the Diocese of Western Michigan. Over the past two years of my episcopacy an unacceptable financial picture has emerged that limits us from fully implementing our Vision for growth, inclusivity, creative ministry, life-long formation in the faith, youth ministry, and becoming an anti-racist church. This past spring, after I declared at our last Diocesan Convention that we would no longer dip into the principal of investment funds to make ends meet, we discovered that a severe cash flow problem caused us to be in arrears in the payment of almost $90,000 in outstanding bills plus our diocesan pledge of $120,000 to the national church. In addition money for budgeted items set aside for General Convention, episcopal search and transition, Lambeth Conference, and the diocesan auto is not being funded.
“How did this happen? Why didn’t we know?” are two questions you may be asking. These are the same questions I have asked. This first question “How did this happen?” has been answered for me by our diocesan auditor, Ray Lowry. First of all this financial problem has been a long time in the making. It did not arise two years ago when I came on board. Instead, funding budget deficits by using our investment funds has been going on for quite a few years. During the years of market growth this was a less apparent problem. You see, according to our auditor, for years we have not had sufficient pledges from most of our parishes to adequately fund our common work as a diocese. In my younger years my dad often reminded me that there are no free rides in life. That sooner or later what I thought was a free ride would need to be paid for. In our life together as a diocese we are at the point of needing to pay.
Our financial problems began to become apparent as we took two hits to our investment funds. First was the market crash following 9/11 followed immediately by the cost of your search and election of a bishop; that search and transition, which brought me to the diocese, cost $200,000. Because this transition was not planned for in our budget over a period of time, this money came from diocesan investment funds. That’s the story of how we got here.
The second question, “Why didn’t we know?” I cannot answer, because it is a question that I too am asking. It is my leadership style and my intention to name our issues, as well as our joys, in the most public way possible, because we can’t work together at solving problems we do not know we have.
Now that the problem has been named, for many of you perhaps for the first time, I want to tell you what is being done about it. As these serious concerns became apparent, your elected leadership on the Standing Committee and Executive Council worked diligently and began to remedy this situation. Initially as a stop gap measure we authorized the use of investment funds to pay many of the outstanding bills. The Executive Council, with Standing Committee support and input, appointed a Steering Committee, including a business accounting consultant, who meet regularly with me to offer guidance and direction to the Council’s work. The Council at its June meeting approved twenty-two resolutions regarding our fiscal responsibilities including the elimination of all program funds. The Executive Council also petitioned the Bishop Whittemore Foundation for a grant of $20,000 to help pay for outstanding youth camp charges from 2003, which they graciously approved and funded. We have changed a number of our business practices, are developing a new budget process, and will propose two canon changes to our convention. One of these proposed canon changes will reinstate an assessment from parishes to the diocese and the other will require at least one delegate from a parish to be a member of the vestry. Our diocesan convention will determine the implementation of these proposals. In spite of these actions, we remain with serious cash flow problems; a number of our parishes remain in arrears with their monthly pledge payments, have not made a pledge, or contributed financially to the well-being of the diocese.
In addition to naming the problem and informing you about the steps taken to begin our journey toward financial health, I am appealing to parishes large and small to own our collective responsibility for the larger diocesan community. Every problem that is set before us is an opportunity for spiritual growth. I see our financial shortfall as an opportunity to respond anew to the call of the Jesus of the Gospels to follow him – to become committed disciples who are willing to risk all for the sake of the Kingdom of God. The Vision of this Diocese is God’s vision for us. Who is against including all people at the banquet table? Who is against making the spiritual nurture of children and young people a priority in this diocese? Who is against church growth and the planting of new congregations? Who is against the formation of healthy and dynamic clergy and lay leadership to move us into the future? Who is against life-long Christian formation? Who is against the Diocese of Western Michigan taking its place and offering its gifts to the whole Church of God nationally and globally? Who is against the Episcopal Church continuing to proclaim the Gospel and providing the sacraments in ways relevant to those who come after us? All of this is embodied in the Vision of the diocese. Many of these things are happening locally in our congregations, but I see opportunities throughout the diocese that we are missing.
There is always a cost for saying “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to follow him. There is always the promise of new life which follows the cost of discipleship. I am asking each of you to say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to follow him by working in a partnership with all the people of the diocese to implement the vision you discerned. I am asking you to move into the freedom that comes with believing that the living God has set a vision before us and expects us to respond. Believing that frees us to risk all for the sake of the Kingdom.
God has given me a heart which holds a passion for this vision—God has formed me in such a way that I love a good challenge. God has brought us together at this time for our mutual growth and development. You brought me here to lead you into this vision and I came willingly. Neither of us knew what it would cost, but now we do.
We are only at the beginning of a long process that will lead us back to financial vitality, and yet we are abundantly blessed in the Diocese of Western Michigan. Including our seasonal chapels and parochial missions we are a diocese of sixty-five congregations, sixty-five missionary outposts of the Gospel, with gifted people and many resources who must work cooperatively and committedly for the Kingdom of God in Western Michigan. The Vision of the Diocese, which I believe is the call of God to our diocesan community, shapes the work we do, and, in accordance with my covenant agreement with the diocese, I have formed a staff, an extension of my office, to help us implement this vision. They serve as resource people for you. This staff has come together and works as a team always with an eye on God’s vision for us. Their work has been enthusiastically received and supported by the Standing Committee and Executive Council and those congregations who have experienced their work. Together we believe that it is imperative for us to maintain this talented staff, but we need your help.
Let me share some facts with you that might help you understand our diocesan realities. In the Episcopal Church a diocese of our size has an average budget of 1.5 million dollars; our budget reality is less than $670,000. In our neighboring dioceses of Michigan and Northern Indiana the assessed percentage of giving to the diocese is at 15% and 15.9% respectively, and in Northern Michigan the assessment is 20% of parishes net disposable income; our reality is that the parish average is approximately 8%. It is easy to see that we are woefully under funded for the ministry we say we want to do.
I am asking each congregation, and particularly its elected leadership, to look at how it contributes to the vision and ministry of the diocese beyond your local community and to take a giving risk for the Gospel’s sake. Often we fear that if we are generous, then we won’t have enough for ourselves. But that is not the Gospel truth. The Gospel teaches us that in generosity we become abundant. The Executive Council asks that each parish increase its pledge to 12% of its net disposable income, the level that was approved at last year’s convention to fund our budget. If that is not possible, then make a one time significant contribution to the diocese, and even if that is not possible consider paying your pledge ahead or at the very least in a timely fashion each month. Even small efforts are helpful and appreciated. Some of our parishes have already responded generously to our circumstances and we are grateful for their commitment to the vision.
Your vestry will be receiving more information about committing to our financial well-being in the future. I am calling on all parishes to pray for our financial well-being at all liturgies.
My journey to this diocese began when I received a packet of information which contained “The Vision of the People” of Western Michigan. I read that vision and said to my wife, “This is me. This is my soul.” This vision was the guiding document for the Diocesan Calling Committee, and here I am. I arrived saying, “Yes!” to your vision. I arrived with a passion and hunger for this vision and an enthusiasm to begin our work together. I believe this work is God’s vision – a gospel vision – for Episcopalians in Western Michigan. I have not lost my passion or enthusiasm for this Vision, and I am committed to working with you for its implementation.
Sincerely,
†Robert
The Rt. Rev. Robert R. Gepert
VIII, Western Michigan
The Vision Statement of the Diocese of Western Michigan [click here]