Oregon Conference Announces Changes to 36 Positions Following Recent Transitions
13 May 2024 |
After Oregon Conference underwent budget adjustments and staffing changes in March, and announced their suspension of camp meeting in April, they’ve now released a communication regarding changes to 36 positions within their conference. According to their website, “Some have taken calls to other conferences, others have chosen to retire, and still others have been part of the strategic reduction in our workforce that was announced earlier this spring as part of the response to the need for financial restructuring.”
Some key issues in the restructuring include financial difficulties made worse by rising costs after the pandemic. Operational costs and employee health benefits jumped from $3.5 million to over $7 million because of a single-payer system. Data showed fewer people attending church and more pastors per churchgoer, pointing to issues with how staff and activities are managed.
As a result, the high costs have led to plans to cut the number of pastors by 25-30 and reduce staff at the conference headquarters by 20%. The Adventist education system is also having trouble with funding, especially because it needs to provide financial help to students from various backgrounds and keep up a three-way cost-sharing funding model. Despite the church members giving generously, the rising costs have outpaced their donations.
The website expresses gratitude for the contributions of those impacted and offers prayers for their families as they navigate the upcoming challenging changes, with the hope that God will guide them to their new opportunities as they move on to the next phase of their lives.
To read the full list of pastoral and office positions affected, visit their webpage here.
