Graham organization to trim staff by 10 percent

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is reducing its staff by 10 percent, laying off 55 employees, according to a report in the Charlotte Observer.

A BGEA spokesman, Ken Barun, confirmed the Feb. 23 report, telling the newspaper that donor gifts have been “relatively flat” while sales of books and other products have declined as has interest income from the organization’s endowment. The organization’s budget is being pared by 15 percent, back to $84 million, through the layoffs and other reductions in expenses, Barun told the newspaper. The Graham organization is based in Charlotte.