Episcopal Diocese of Rochester
Joy in Christ, a way of life

2015 Draft Budget: Theological Framing

Dear saints,

We present the first draft of our diocesan budget with its aspirations and challenges.  As I see it, there are three themes that frame our budget process.  They are gratitude, stewardship, and responsibility. 

At the heart of our budget is gratitude for our interdependent common life and the opportunity we share to radiate the love of God faithfully and joyfully both in incarnational and hopeful ways.   As St. Paul observed to the Church in Ephesus, "I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers." - Ephesians 1:15-16 

We are grateful to the Diocesan Council and each of its subcommittees for their diligent work in preparing and presenting the draft budget to us.  It has been prepared with intentional alignment to our Diocesan mission, which Diocesan Council approved and adopted in the spring of 2012.  Our mission springs out of the gratitude of our Eucharistic identity to grow and develop congregations spiritually, numerically and in missional leadership.

Our budget for 2015 reflects a pursuit of stewardship chiefly in two areas of intentional reduction in income: draw from investment and apportionment.   Both these decisions have been thoughtfully engaged out of a sense of good stewardship while encouraging our service of and to one another with gifts each of us has received (1 Peter 4:10). 

Finally, our development of a budget depends quite heavily on you playing your part in helping to shape and approve it in a timely manner.  This is the time-between now and September, when Council will finalize the budget and present it to Convention-for you to study the draft budget and provide constructive feedback though the avenues that are provided. The wisdom of Proverbs 15: 22-23 reminds us that,

Without counsel, plans go wrong,
    but with many advisers they succeed. 
To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone,
    and a word in season, how good it is!

In our beginning and in our end we are a people of gratitude. This is best capsulated in our common prayer of thanks:

All things come of thee O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee!

With all good wishes to you and yours for a brilliant and joyful summer! 

Your fellow servant in Christ,

 

The Rt. Rev. Prince G. Singh
VIII Episcopal Bishop in Rochester