I can't help thinking that the key to this whole financial mess is the decline in the number of people who are pledging annually. The drop in the number is alarming because of more than just the bottom line. It's not just less money for church coffers. It's less interest in the church. It's less commitment. It's less involvement. And what that means for the rest of us is pretty obvious: it's less of a church.
I've been pondering that point, because this crisis is about more than just how to find enough money to pay a few badly needed part-time employees. It's about who we are and what we want to be.
And what's become ever more clear to me is that part of what's happening is an unease about our minister. Some people wonder about the pay Jan receives - well over $100,000 a year - and aren't sure whether she earns it. They wonder if the push for a second minister is to fill a vital need, or how we can afford someone new at a salary of $80,000 or more.
Personally, I have to make clear that I joined this church in part because I was impressed with Jan and Jean. I still am, most of the time, though I'm not ready to dismiss the concerns that I know are swirling about.
But I would like to know - from Jan and from Jean - why, and whether, we need another full-time minister. I respect the opinions I've heard on this issue, which is driving the budget gap, but I want to hear from the two women who know most about what they do and what's necessary.
The only way that Jan is going to quiet the whispers is to address what's being said.
I also want a clearer explanation of just how the proposal on the table, with its dramatic cuts, is going to improve the situation. I can see the need to face fiscal reality, but I can also see a reason to face head-on the reason we are in this mess.
And it's not, despite the lectures we heard for months urging us to dig deeper into our empty pockets, because too many members are stingy. It's more than that.
Instead of whispers and rumors driving that discussion behind closed doors, let's talk openly about what people are thinking and feeling.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
Being "open" and "open-handed" should begin with who you are. There is innuendo here that is planned land-mines. Since you infer you have a sense of fair compensation for ministers maybe you can shed light on how this church is unfairly working this since you presume to have an inside track on what a fair compensation package for this church should look like. Agreed, we need an open forum to discuss all issues but we'd rather not spook the horses and shoot the whisperer's when we can mend the fense in the light of day.
I had no idea we paid ministers so much.
Yes, to the first person to leave a comment, mend the fence in the light of day. However, when you also want to buy a new horse, it makes sense to talk price and value.
Plus, you want to make sure you really need a new horse.
What is happening with the custodian? As I understand it, he has been a loyal employee for 30 years and is nearing retirement age. Cutting his hours seems cruel.
Post a Comment