The Episcopal Church has called on the faithful to give feedback regarding its 2023-2024 draft budget. Its Executive Council has reportedly crafted the draft version of the church budget.
The Episcopal Church will receive comments from the Episcopalians until Wednesday.
Episcopalians Urged to Provide Review
According to a press release, all reviews and comments about the budget are welcome to be discussed.
Meanwhile, the Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Finance provides three questions. It is interested in the church's advice on mission and values issues about the budget.
The Executive Council seeks to assess if there is anything not in-line with the church's mission. Apart from that, it attempts to look out for possible misuse of power on the part of the church.
Moreover, it also asks if there is an area on the budget that can reduce the inequities. Aside from that, the Executive Council believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused these disparities.
In 2019, the finance committee requested the Executive Council for its top financial objectives.
The Episcopal Church earmarked major funds on evangelization and racial reconciliation. The budget also prioritized the church's mission in the environment as a steward of God's creations.
In drafting the 2021 budget, the church invited the joint standing committees to review it.
The church reportedly allocated funds for the COVID-19 pandemic response. The budget was also to combat the impact of the health crisis on the church.
The Episcopal Church's presiding officers and staff also offered feedback on the current budget.
The Church Is 'Not' Healthy
As per the report, Andrea McKellar shared her sentiments about the current budget draft. She is a finance committee member.
The finance committee member said that "while The Episcopal Church is healthy, the church is not."
McKellar made this remark during the church's Executive Council meeting in October. The meeting took place in Linthicum Heights, Maryland.
"Our clergy and lay leaders are tired," she lamented. "Parishioners are coming back more slowly than we anticipated."
Furthermore, the finance committee also laid out the components of the 2021 budget draft.
2023-2024 Updated Version
Based on the press release, the church still encouraged the faithful to evaluate the draft budget.
The Episcopal Church suggests reading "The Blue Book" or the reports to the 80th General Convention. This may reportedly inform Episcopalians about the work of various committees and commissions.
After receiving all the comments, the finance committee will craft an updated version. The updated version will be released during the meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, in January.
The budget will be sent to the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance.
The committee will then finalize the 2023-2024 budget. It will submit the final version to the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in July.
About The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church is a Christ-centered faith community in New York City, its website said.
Parishioners hail from more than a hundred Dioceses and regional locations. Nearly 20 nations shelter these religious communities.
The Episcopal Church also has an affiliation with the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The church focuses on three things in promoting the "Jesus Movement." It strives to evangelize the Word, uphold racial reconciliation, and care for the creations.
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