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The R. E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church is lowering expectations after losing about 25 percent of its endowment in the stock market. |
Local churches say their offering plates are about as full as last year’s despite the economic downturn, but they might be unable to give more support to community outreach programs.
“We’re in a good position” for the church’s own budget needs, said Lexington Presbyterian Church Pastor Bill Klein. At the end of last year, he said, his church finished ahead of what was expected from pledges.
But with increased pledges have come increased needs. Klein said a number of outreach programs supported by his church, including the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic and the Rockbridge Area Relief Association, have asked for more help in recent months.
Virginia’s current unemployment rate, though lower than the nation’s, is one indication of the extra help people might be seeking from churches. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Virginia’s unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in December, almost double what it was 10 years ago.
At R. E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church, the Rev. Tom Crittenden said he has seen the extra need as well. And his church has not been able to reach out to the community as much as in the past, he said. While this year’s contributions have come in at last year’s levels, Crittenden said the church has had to suspend plans to increase staffing for its own programs.
His church lost about 25 percent of its endowment in the recent stock market plunge, he said.
“It’s just lowering expectations,” he said of the church’s plans for the coming year.
But two local churches reported actually doing better than in past years, despite the poor economy. Pastor Mark Schroeder at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Pastor Terry King at Faith Assembly of God both said that they have seen increases in their congregations’ giving and in church attendance.
King said he has seen some effects on the church as the community’s need increases, but that there is no need to panic.
“It’s not ‘Oh no!’ It’s not the end of the world,” he said.
Project Horizon, a service and advocacy agency for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, has reduced its staff, partly in anticipation of receiving less support from local churches. But Executive Director Judy Casteele said she has not seen a significant decline in church giving.
“I am hopeful that we won’t have to reduce services to clients,” Casteele said.
At Yellow Brick Road Early Learning Center, which also receives money from area churches, Executive Director Glenn Deacon said that the school has had to adjust to reduced funding. The learning center this year asked for more money in grants from the United Way and the city of Lexington but did not receive any more than last year.
In anticipation of likely cuts in church assistance, the learning center has put some of its long-range plans on hold, including creating an outdoor classroom for children to explore and learn about nature.
“Because the economy is in the situation it is, there’s more need in the community,” Deacon said. “We’re just hoping to ride things out.”
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Lisa Tracy
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd