Setting A Solid Foundation for the Future

By David Jamieson

UCC President

When I last communicated with you at the end of last year, it was to review the highlights of 2024, and to also share with you the financial challenges that we face as a conference. 

Tithe was trending down late last year, and our hope was that we would finish strong by year end. However, even though our tithe in 2024 was the second highest we have ever received, it was lower by approximately $1.4 million or just about 4.3% less than in 2023. This decrease in tithe, along with inflation and rising employment costs, have significantly impacted UCC with a total $3 million shortfall to address in our budget for 2025. Careful planning and saving by our administrative team helped to reduce this amount by $1.2 million, leaving UCC with a $1.8 million deficit that needs to be addressed for 2025. Planning is underway to address 2026.

Financial challenges are not just limited to Upper Columbia Conference. Many conferences across the North American Division are facing similar and even more difficult situations. In fact, 41 of the 59 conferences ended 2024 with less tithe than the previous year.

So, as we move forward together into 2025, we have developed a plan to address this financial shortfall and to ensure that we will be fully prepared to fulfill the mission of our conference in the future.

First, our Executive Committee reviewed staffing information from the office and across the entire conference. This governing body is made up of members just like you, elected by the constituency and representing regions throughout the conference. These business and healthcare leaders, pastors, teachers, and homemakers considered the future of our conference and how best to achieve our mission and vision to Serve One More. 

A sub-committee of lay members from Executive Committee analyzed our staffing in both the office and in the field. As a result, we determined that any necessary changes to our staffing should begin with the office first and then move to the field. 

Second, our administration conducted an analysis of our conference departments to determine which departments make the greatest impact on helping our churches and schools grow and are essential to operations. 

Third, we tasked all of our departments to reduce their budgets as much as possible in 2025. 

Fourth, we provided a retirement incentive to our office and pastoral workforce to assist us by natural attrition. 

However, these reductions, though helpful, will not be enough to address the long-term financial health of our conference, since the largest budgetary expense is salaries.

So, even though it is very difficult to consider, a reduction in force is necessary to continue to move the mission of our conference forward and at the same time to ensure that we are financially viable well into the future. This means that we have chosen to make five full-time equivalent reductions in the office and ten full-time equivalent reductions within our pastoral workforce in the field.

It is important to remember that these are not just employees, they are our friends, neighbors, and family. We care about each one of our employees very much and we will be taking additional measures to ensure that their transition will be as respectful, compassionate, and as caring as possible for everyone who is impacted. 

This reduction in force may impact a ministry that you are part of, or it may impact your local church or school, and we will make every effort to communicate with you regarding any changes in a timely way.  

We are all committed to doing the best that we can with the resources that God has given us. We ask for your prayers for the members of our Executive Committee, our pastors, teachers, and our office staff. 

Pray especially for those employees who will be impacted by these difficult decisions. Pray that God will provide each one of them with a sense of His guiding presence and a new chapter in their lives and ministry.

If you have concerns or questions about these challenges, please email us at communications@uccsda.org.

This letter is part of the President's Report, which includes actions from the February 27, 2025, Executive Committee meeting. Click here for the full report.