With the economy down and needs up for the homeless, the hungry and the elderly, donations to South Florida churches and other religious institutions are straining to keep up with soaring needs, leaders say.
At the Miami Archdiocese, collection-plate revenues are steady, but assessments that individual parishes pay are slow in coming or are down, and needs are up sharply, resulting in the layoff of 49 of the 182 staff members at its Pastoral Center on Biscayne Boulevard, said spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta.
In a letter to parishioners, Archbishop John C. Favalora said: “Each year, a greater number of parishes and programs are seeking our financial help, and, therefore, we must prioritize. We can only work with what we have.”
South Florida’s Jewish, Methodist, Episcopal and other faithful face similar problems.
People just don’t have the money they once had. Others are barely employed or living off of welfare. Something has got to give and I don’t know what. And I guess our PB just has to have the millions she needs for her lawsuits.
Well, you have to have priorities!.
Even if you are a faithful tither, if your income goes down your tithe does too.
The article states:
[i]At the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, donations are starting to slump, said Bishop Leo Frade. The diocese includes 83 congregations with 38,000 parishioners. ”When the stock market goes down, donations to the church decrease,” he said. “Our donations are beginning to show this trend. As people’s incomes decrease, their ability to help becomes less and less.”[/i]
There is some real truth to the increasingly difficult economic situation in South Florida over the past 3 – 4 years given the hurricanes of 2004 (Frances & Jeanne) and 2005 (Katrina and Wilma) and the large increases in homeowners’ insurance etc. (A policy that cost me $2100 in 2002 now costs $4300 — fortunately by installing hurricane shutters and a hurricane-strength garage door I was able to get a new policy this year for $2400). However, as bad as the economy and housing crisis in South Florida may be, I fear that it is something of a convenient scapegoat for Bp. Frade. While there has been very little public noise or “dissension” in Southeast FL over the Episcopal crisis, many hundreds of members have just quietly slipped away given +Frade’s Yes vote to consent to VGR’s election and his increasingly strong public stance advocating SSB’s etc. etc.
Membership has shrunk by 2,400 members in 4 years (2002 – 2006), a decline of 6.2%, while ASA has decreased by over 1300 members in 4 years (a decline of 9%). So… not all of the diocese of Southeast Florida’s woes are due to a bad economy. Things started getting bad in quite a few SE FL churches back in 2003 and 2004, while the economy in the area was still boomtown. Sure the bad economy hurts, but please Bp. Frade, please be willing to look at yourself and increasingly strident diocesan GLBT advocacy and recognize that they too are a big part of the cause.
I’m only one individual, but because of +Frade’s actions, my parish and the Dio. of SEF have lost about $4000/year in pledge income. My not giving has absolutely nothing to do with my economic situation, which by the grace of God is just fine.
Not to be too picky, but your headline needs a coma after Florida, unles you consider synagogues to be part of churches.