From the Washington Times: Episcopal Church officials yesterday announced a $3 million shortfall in the church’s 2004 budget, caused chiefly by parishes and dioceses withholding funds to protest the ordination of a homosexual bishop. The shortfall equals 6 percent of the $48 million in revenue the church had expected this year. Church officials, according to documents obtained by The Washington Times, have revised the budget to $45.1 million.
I’m only surprised that it isn’t more than that. Of course, they only went off the rails in November. Over the course of the next year, that 6 percent would compute to a 36 percent drop. Since I know some very unhappy Episcopalians who plan to leave but haven’t found their new church yet, I suspect it may be even more.