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General Assembly 2008: Kirk's budget plans unveiled
Commitment to maximise resources
available to local churches
This week, the Kirk's Council of Assembly will outline
its plan for local churches to retain control over at
least 50% of their overall income.
The General Assembly (15 - 21 May) will be presented
with the Co-ordinated Budget Proposals for 2009, as
well as an indicative Rolling budget for each of the
five years to follow.
In 2009 the Council of Assembly's
Budget proposals will reach a milestone when congregations
in aggregate will have more than half of the
total general income available for local mission after
meeting their contributions towards the costs of
parish ministers and the other work and mission of the
Church. (Section 5.1)
In line with its long standing policy of maximising
the resources available to congregations, the Council
of Assembly is delighted to be able to keep the amount
required from congregations down, with overall contributions
increasing by less than 1%. This follows on from a year
in which the aggregate level of congregational contributions
actually decreased by
£1 million.
The Assembly will also hear that, once again, the amount
given by church members in the form of regular offerings
has increased. The sum given has increased by 2.1% in
the last year, and this follows on from a similar increase
in previous years.
It is the resilience of members' offerings, and the
prospect of real growth through the implementation of
the Pilot Stewardship Programmes, that has allowed the
Council of Assembly to deliver on its policy of maximising
the level of resources retained at the congregational
level.
Ends
Note to Editors:
For more information, please contact Grant McLennan at
the Church of Scotland Media Relations
Unit in the first instance. Telephone 0131 240
2268.
A full copy of the report is available on our General
Assembly pages online
here.
GANR/29/05/08
Monday 12, May 2008
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