ELCA Desperate for Money

6/6/2014

The ELCA launched a five-year fundraising campaign February, 2014 called "Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA." The goal of this fundraising effort by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is to raise $198 million. (read here)

These type of campaigns, sometimes conducted by congregations, are last ditch efforts made to alleviate catastrophic financial shortfalls that often are the result of year upon year of expenses exceeding income. They are an act of desperation. A hail mary pass.

The ELCA's magazine, The Lutheran, reports that “ELCA operating income ($72.3 million) for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2014, was $2.9 million ahead of $69.4 million in expenses, but $4.1 million behind the previous year. Mission support — income from congregations through synods — stood at $48.8 million, $1.1 million below the previous year.

'We’ve come out of those years of steep decline, but we are still in a period of relative decline,' ELCA Treasurer Linda Norman said” (see here).

How interesting that a denomination that leads people away from God and His truth is hurting for money.

8 Comments

Dave from Minnesota

6/7/2014 08:57:13 am

You mean those urban liberal hipsters, the people who support gay marriage, abortion and big government, aren't flocking to ELCA churches and dropping big bucks in the collection plate?

This church that has transformed itself into a social club that reflects pop culture trends. The people in the ELCA's target market have no interest in getting up Sunday morning (after dropping $150 the night before in the trendy restaurant and club) to go to a social club with religous themes, let along give them money that they would rather spend on a new I-Phone. Or if they want to give money to a cause, they may view it more effective to give to Planned Parenthood or an organization that supports homosexual marriage (directly).

A traditional church that follows the BIble has a tough time also. But at least those who go there know why they go to church and the importance of financially supporting it. Their chruch giving comes before the art museum or public radio donations.

Didaskalos link

6/7/2014 02:25:28 pm

"Mission support," i.e. congregational giving to the ELCA, has dropped from more than $70 million in 2002 to its current $48.8 million. The real hemorrhaging began, understandably, with the ELCA's Great Apostasy of 2009. In pre-convention Feb. 2009, mission support was still $66 million.

When you look at the "ELCA Facts" page on the denomination's website, you'll find this manifesto touting the ELCA's commitment to trendy social -- and, most importantly, world-sanctioned -- activism:

"The ELCA is committed to making the world a more just and peaceful place to live. Through programs, ministries and partnerships ELCA congregations, synods and the churchwide organization work every day to address inequities in political, economic and social systems and to end conflict and violence all over the world. We are a church that believes God is calling us into the world – together. This is Christ’s church. There is a place for you here."

There's no mention of Jesus' Great Commission in Matthew 28 for this Church of Whatever the World Approves Now, which is much too busy preening and posturing for "justice" and "peace" and an end to "violence," except the unjust, peace-shattering, violent extermination of more than a million babies in the womb every year.

sad pdx

6/9/2014 06:34:54 am

This is exactly the mistake my former church is still in the process of making. They think they can reinvent themselves as a social club for liberals, with religion. They believe this because a lot of the old folks there are disillusioned with religion but enamored of every lefty trend du jour, and they have pushed to make it essentially a community center that has worship on Sundays. What they don't understand is, while a 75 year old who doesn't really believe in Christianity might still belong to a church out of some lingering sense of obligation and habit, a 25 year old who feels the same way will NOT. They won't need church to give them an outlet for their gay pride environmentalist rantings, they can get that any thousand other places, and not have to get up Sunday morning.

A. Rindles

6/14/2014 03:05:12 am

The ELCA has now decided how much carbon dioxide U.S. power plants can safely emit, though they didn't say whether this decree is based on the ELCA's scientific expertise, or on divine revelation.

6/7/2014 09:02:11 am

I was curious about membership and attendance at Grace Lutheran in Eau Claire, Wisc. This is the church that voted to leave the ELCA, but the ELCA faught it in court and won. So the members left and started a new Grace Lutheran.

Funny thing is, the ELCA web site has not updated the stats for this church for several years. They have updated the numbers for all other congergations. So you have to wonder if they have this large church and related structure (education wing it looks like) and are basically not using it. They wanted the well funded trust/endowment, but even with that money, it costs a lot to maintain a building that size and age.

6/7/2014 11:13:32 pm

Dan Skogen thought that Grace ELCA (which renamed itself Amazing Grace) was going to combine with another (declining) ELCA church in town. He doesn’t know if that has happened. A year after its protracted litigation to seize Grace’s assets, Amazing Grace would not seem to be exactly overcrowding the large church building awarded to it by the judge. One of its two interim pastors is leaving, to be replaced by another half-time interim pastor [ http://grace-church.org/images/Grace_at_a_Glance_for_may_25.pdf ]. There’s not much of an office presence during the week (10-2:00, Mon.-Thurs.). There’s no annual report (listing member numbers and financial giving) that I can find online.

Saving Grace, which fled the ELCA for the LCMC, appears to be a lot healthier, larger, and more robustly active in Eau Claire than Amazing Greed. Saving Grace's website is here: http://www.saving-gracechurch.com

Saving Grace has published a 2013 annual report, available online: http://storage.cloversites.com/savinggracelutheranchurch/documents/Annual%20Report%202013_2.pdf

A couple of interesting items in Saving Grace’s annual (April 23-December 31) report:

** from Pastor Rolf Nestigen’s report:
"We continue to grow. This year we received 634 new members with the establishment of Saving Grace. That’s not bad! People are noticing us in the community. Just about every week, I run into someone who is so glad to see that we’re thriving. There are more and more people who are watching our television broadcast. Now is the time to reach out to others and encourage them in their faith. Invite them to worship, so that can see what Christ has done. 'Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me and the God of peace will be with you.' (Philippians 4:9)"

** from congregational president Anne Carter’s report:
"July 20 – Pastor Nestingen’s personal property is released from Grace Lutheran Church after 3 months of negotiations for its return to its rightful owner. The return of other personal property continues to be denied."

"This group of believers who now call themselves Saving Grace Lutheran Church chose Jesus Christ as their King. In other countries such a choice would have cost us our lives or imprisonment. Here it cost us what we thought was most dear – a church building – a place to worship Jesus. But Jesus cannot be contained in a building. Wherever Jesus is – His church is and we worship Him wherever He leads us. He was with us then, He is with us now, He will be with us tomorrow wherever we may be. All glory to His name!
— In His Service, Anne Carter, President"

** Total income in 2013 (April 24-Dec. 31): $350,750
** Total expenses: $268,625
** Net income: $42,943

mich

6/11/2014 04:22:40 am

I have been trying to get my family's records from the Grace church for over a year they will not release them. Several folks have tried... they have no reason to covet what is not theirs. Saving Grace happens to be thriving and growing with over 600 members. Being set free of the elca was such a blessing!

Craig

6/14/2014 08:42:55 am

Are budget problems the reason www.elca.org has been down since early February?

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ELCA Desperate for Money

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Dan Skogen

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