Thursday, April 3, 2008

Case needs to be made for second full-time minister

So it's true that we're going from a half-time second minister to a full-time one, a move that will push this year's costs up by $20,000 and will, presumably, shove the following year's bottom line up by $40,000 or more.
By the end of 2009, we'll have paid $60,000, or more, in additional salary to our ministers if we hire a full-timer. That extra money would pay for six years of work by our three part-time children's, youth and bell choir directors.
In any case, it's hard to comprehend why it makes sense to double the pay of a second minister at the same time we're in a big financial hole. There's a disconnect there that requires an awful lot more explanation.
I'd also like to see a much more detailed budget in the days ahead, one that shows where every penny is going. It's hard to judge what makes sense when we only look at categories of spending. The devil, as they say, is in the details.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for saying it clearly. This is a crucial choice for our church and it looks like the people who are making the decision are wrong about the direction they are choosing to take. I am skeptical, too, and wondering if this is the same church I joined many years ago.

Anonymous said...

You underestimate the need for another full-time minister. I still agree, however, that cutting the childrens and youth choir directors is a mistake.