Posted: 9/5/03
North Carolina convention cuts
24 positions, 20 percent of staff
By Tony Cartledge
North Carolina Biblical Recorder
CARY, N.C. (ABP)–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 (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 personnel that their jobs 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.
The cuts were made in a manner that preserves positions that most directly serve churches, Royston said. Terminated were nine program staffers, including an executive team leader, and six support staffers. Royston expressed regret the cuts were necessary and emphasized that reductions were based on positions, not individuals or performance.
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Nine of the 15 qualified for retirement benefits, and four of them chose to announce their retirements. They are Doug Cole, executive director of the Council on Christian Life and Public Affairs; Bill Boatwright, communications director; Becky Stewart, secretary to the executive director-treasurer; and Ted Purcell, a long-time campus minister who was currently serving part time at Duke University.
The strategic initiatives and planning team was dismantled, eliminating the positions held by executive team leader Tom Jenkins and secretary Cynthia Howell. Remaining staffers in the group will transfer to other teams.
Two other staffers with lengthy tenures saw their positions eliminated. Velma Ferrell, who worked with international student ministries, and Carolyn Hopkins, in WMU, each had served the convention 26 years. Positions working in support of the Council on Christian Higher Education were eliminated, affecting Executive Director Wayne Wike and secretary Cheryl Cruickshank. The council will continue to function and receive program funds, Royston said, with day-to-day responsibilities shifted to other convention personnel.
Two positions in Baptist Men and one in partnership missions were eliminated. These include youth and student missions consultant John McGinnis and receptionist/secretary Carla Foster.
Positions held by benefits coordinator Donna Thompson and international student ministry secretary Alice Johnson also were eliminated.
Nine budgeted positions not currently filled will be removed from the budget. These include four program staff and five support staff. In all, the cutbacks affected 13 program positions and 11 support positions.
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