CARY, N.C. — The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina cut 24 staff positions Aug. 26 in the wake of shrinking contributions from churches. Nine of the 24 positions were vacant, but 15 employees lost their jobs. The cuts represent 20 percent of all budgeted positions and 12.5 percent of actual employees, according to Ed Wiggs, the convention’s business services director. Through Aug. 22, convention income was $1.65 million — or more than 7 percent — below budget expectations and about 2.6 percent below last year’s income. Income to the North Carolina Missions Offering, which funds the state’s Baptist Men and Woman’s Missionary Union programs, is down 16 percent from last year.
The convention’s executive committee first met Aug. 12 to consider reductions and returned Aug. 26 to consider deeper cuts. Jim Royston, the convention’s executive director-treasurer, notified employees by e-mail Aug. 27 that the executive committee had ordered an immediate downsizing. He and other officials then notified the affected persons that their positions would be eliminated Aug. 31. Released employees will receive severance packages based on length of tenure, and all who qualify for retirement will receive full retirement benefits. Through the staff reductions, convention officials hope to save about $250,000 in the remainder of 2003 and $700,000 in 2004.
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