by Emilie Purvine & Carolyn Davis, Council Treasurers

For as long as anyone can recall our fiscal year has been July – June, stewardship is in October/November, and the pledge year is January – December. This mismatch has been confusing to many people and the main reason it has remained this way for so long seems to be so that we can pass the budget at our annual meeting in June. At the June 2024 Our Redeemer’s Annual Meeting a request was made for the treasurers, finance team, and council to look into changing the fiscal year (a.k.a. spending or budget year) to align with the giving and tax years; either propose to make the change or explain why it’s best kept as is. Over the months since June we have considered this question, looked at the church’s constitution, and weighed the pros and cons. We arrived at the conclusion (with a recommendation from the finance team and a passing motion from council) to move the fiscal year to January – December starting in January 2026. Here we will provide answers to a few questions you may have. We want to hear from you about this if you have additional questions or comments. You’ll find our contact details at the end of the questions. 

Our current budget ends June 2025. What happens between then and January 2026? Great observation! We will create and present a July 2025-December 2025 six-month budget to vote on at the annual congregational meeting in June 2025. 

There’s already a lot going on in the church around Christmas and New Year. When will we vote on a January – December budget? After receiving advice from a congregation member that has worked in non-profit accounting for several years we understand that it is common practice (and thus our recommendation) to pass the new budget at an annual budget meeting at the end January or beginning of February. Payroll and other expenses that need to be paid in January before this vote will be paid at the monthly rate of the prior year. Assuming the budget passes with increased salaries and other expenses, back-pay will be added to the February payments to make up the difference between what was paid in January and what is passed.

So we’ll meet in January/February. What will we do at that meeting? And will we still have an annual meeting every June? The constitution requires that we “designate one regular meeting per year as the annual meeting of this congregation” but allows that “two additional regular meetings of the congregation may be held.” Further, the constitution states that “The Congregation Council shall submit a comprehensive report to this congregation at the annual meeting” and that “[members of the council’s] terms shall begin at the close of the annual meeting at which they are elected.” Having all of that happen in January, with all the required preparation necessary around Christmas, does not seem feasible. Therefore we propose to continue designating our June meeting as “the annual meeting” where we present the state of the church, elect new council members, honor volunteers, and celebrate the work of the church. The January/February meeting will be solely budget-focused and, we hope, quick(er). The treasurers will give a financial report of the prior budget year, present the current budget, and invite a vote to pass it. That’s it.

You’ve anticipated a lot of my questions, but I still have more. How can I ask them? We’re happy to answer any questions to ensure we have the best plan going forward. Some questions may require us to think more about the proposal. Others we’ll have a quick answer to. Please feel free to reach out to the treasurers Emilie Purvine (emiliepurvine@gmail.com) or Carolyn Davis (ckd98117@hotmail.com). If you’d rather speak with us in person or via phone you can find us on Sunday at church or get our phone numbers from the church office. We also plan to hold a between services meeting for more discussion (date TBD). We want this transition to be as transparent and smooth as possible!