Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC

This article is specifically not about "bricks and mortar," but about the core of our mission and ministry: the annual operating budget - where it comes from and how it is formed.

Several years ago, the Chapel of the Cross operating budget process was revised along the lines of our diocesan model: an inclusive, "bottom-up" process which provides our vestry, ultimately responsible for decision-making on financial matters, more complete, detailed information about the ministries supported by the budget. Ideally (and in reality much more often than not), this equips the vestry to set insightful priorities among the many exceedingly worthwhile requests brought before it.

This year's schedule, for the 2006 Budget, is instructive. In early September, the Finance Committee, a "committee of the vestry," while also comprising a number of knowledgeable parishioners not serving on the vestry, issued a call for budget requests, and developed a preliminary operating estimate (an "educated guess," if you will), based on expressed needs and previous years' pledges, plus our modest endowment income for outreach and for routine and emergency building maintenance.

Later in September, the Finance Committee assigned to various subcommittees the requests received, together with general guidelines for maximum expenditures within each major budget category. Each subcommittee has in its membership vestry representatives, who will be equipped to serve both as interpreters and advocates for that budget category.

The deadline for budget requests usually falls in mid-October (this year: October 14), and at its next meeting the vestry discerns major budget priorities for the coming year - outreach is a particularly identifiable focus for 2006 - and conveys this "birds-eye" view to the subcommittees.

And speaking of outreach, it should be noted at this point that an honored tradition of the Chapel of the Cross, established by its distinguished historic lay and clergy leadership across generations, and affirmed by vestry after vestry, is to meet our full diocesan "share" (formerly "asking") for the work and witness of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. This is taken as a given in the process.

From mid-November through mid-December, the process picks up speed. First, the subcommittees report their findings and recommendations to the Finance Committee. Next, the Finance Committee develops a final revenue estimate - as best it can, based on pledges received - and a proposed budget, and submits its work to the vestry. Finally, the vestry, if all goes according to plan, discusses the figures and acts to approve the budget or to send it back to committee for revision. The goal is the December vestry meeting but by mid-January at the very latest the budget is adopted by the vestry.

The budget categories as currently organized are: outreach, worship and pastoral care, Christian formation, administration and infrastructure, and salaries and benefits.

Clearly, the work of the Finance Committee, its sub-committees, and the vestry is greatly enhanced and focused by the timely submission of pledges. Not a few parishioners need end-of-year financial projections regarding personal finances before making a commitment; and, while the official ingathering of pledges is behind us, it is still not too late: the vestry will, we are sure, be more than happy to revise the budget upward!

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