By Jim DeLa, diocesan director of communications

The 41st diocesan convention, meeting Oct. 10 in Punta Gorda, gave its congregations a little financial breathing room in 2010 and restored convention voting rights to its deacons.

Clergy and delegates approved an adjusted $2.8 million budget for 2010, lowering the apportionment rate parishes pay to the diocese from 10 percent to 9 percent of their yearly income.

The changes, approved earlier that week by Diocesan Council, were presented to convention by interim CFO Anne Vickers. Responding to concerns voiced about parishes still reeling from the recession, she said the drop in revenue will be largely offset by the discovery that $493,000 in income from eight congregations who were late in filing their parochial reports were not figured into the original budget.

The new budget, approved by voice vote, also increases the amount of apportionment revenue expected to be uncollectable in 2010. The revised budget also defers a previously planned $100,000 “2020 Grant” during 2010. The two congregations already receiving grant money from that fund will not be affected.

Vickers noted that diocesan office budget saw a reduction of $533,000, mainly through changes in personnel and program.
With the revisions, the 2010 budget winds up in the black by $3,000.

According to diocesan canons, each congregation gives 10 percent of its yearly revenue to the diocese to pay for programs, ministry and staff costs. The diocese, in turn, gives 21 percent of its yearly revenue to the Episcopal Church. At 10 percent, the diocese’s apportionment rate is one of the lowest in the Episcopal Church.

Last year, as the recession hit Florida, Council voted to give congregations some relief by temporarily lowering the apportionment rate for 2009 to 8 percent. The 2010 budget proposal presented to the diocese at deanery convocations last month, assumed the apportionment rate would revert back to 10 percent.

Vickers told Council that the Finance Committee listened to feedback at those convocations. But many clergy say parishioners’ giving has still not returned to pre-recession levels. The Rev. Joel Morsch, rector of Christ Church, Bradenton, told Council even 9 percent is too much. “These figures are still too high,” he said, expressing skepticism that the diocese will be able to collect even 9 percent from congregations. “Anything more than 8 percent will put an unbelievable hardship” on parishes.

On Saturday, Morsch repeated his intention to vote against any budget larger than 2009. "It’s excessive," he said.

The Rev. Ted Copland, rector of St. Boniface Church in Sarasota, also urged convention to reject the budget. “While I support what Anne Vickers has said about accountability and accessibility, I don't think the budget, as we have it, meets that test.” Copland said his vestry's attempts to discuss those issues with the Finance Committee were ignored.

“I think that the economic reality which our congregations face is not reflected in this budget,” Copland said, “that the programs and salary cuts that have happened in so many congregations have not yet been experienced at a diocesan level; that the sacrifices many of us made in 2009 indicate that we will not, in 2010, be able to pay 9 percent apportionment on 2008 money.”

An effort to amend the budget, lowering the apportionment back to 8 percent, failed. The budget was approved in a single voice vote.

Voting rights, other resolutions
Convention approved five resolutions and referred two others for study Oct. 10:

Restored voting rights of deacons. Deacons in Southwest Florida have not had voting rights at convention for a decade, after a policy implemented by then-Bishop John Lipscomb, who sought to shape the diaconate as a purely servant ministry that would be unencumbered with church politics. The issue was discussed at length at the 2008 convention, resulting in a task force researching the issue. At spring convocations, the task force declined to make any recommendation. The resolution was approved by voice vote.

It restores the voting rights of any deacon provided they are canonically resident; have an assignment from the bishop to serve a congregation; that they have a written agreement with that congregation; and that they are not retired from active service.

CDC’s name to change. Canon XX was amended to change the official name of the Committee for Congregational Development to the Congregational Development Committee.

Congregations in arrears lose rights. Convention amended Canon II to automatically strip any congregation of its right to seat, voice and vote at diocesan convention if it is in arrears in apportionment payments to the diocese. A congregation will be required to make a written request explaining any extenuating circumstances to the Congregational Development Committee by April 15 in order to have their rights restored.

Conflict avoidance: Convention approved a canonical clarification that would prohibit anyone from serving on the Standing Committee and the Ecclesiastical Trial Court at the same time, to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

Cleaning up the canons: Convention approved correcting several technical errors in the canons, which were completely revised in 2008.

Capital funds exemption referred to committees: This resolution would have exempted any funds collected in a capital campaign from the apportionment tithe to the diocese. Supporters say the current policy creates an unfair financial burden on churches trying to expand; opponents say the resolution’s financial effects on the diocesan budget would be detrimental.

Convention voted to follow a Diocesan Council recommendation to refer this resolution to the Finance Committee and the Congregational Development Committee to study what impact such a change would make.

Apportionment policy changes referred to committees: This resolution sought to modify the canons regarding apportionment; including exempting capital funds from being subject to the 10 percent tithe to the diocese. Convention voted to follow a Diocesan Council recommendation to refer this resolution to the Finance Committee and the Congregational Development Committee to study what impact such a change would make.