RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … Reporting to the RMC Executive Committee on the financial state of the Conference on February 21, Darin Gottfried, VP for finance, gave the year-end financial report and presented the 2023 final budget.

Gross tithe was $19,592,514 in 2022, which was down from 2021 tithe of $19,670,897. Base tithe, which excludes windfall tithe and is used as the basis for the Conference budget, was down from $19,416,199 in 2021 to $18,965,519 in 2022. Due to tithe decrease and a large increase in inflation, a deficit budget was presented and approved.

“If things go well in 2023,” said Darin Gottfried, “we are confident that by the end of the year it will be balanced. The 2023 budget, which the Committee voted, includes a reduction of one FTE (full-time employee) from the pastoral team and one FTE from the education team, which will be accomplished through attrition by adjustments to currently unfilled positions, without any districts experiencing an increase in their number of churches.”

Gottfried added that “if necessary, and [if] tithe doesn’t increase, or expenses don’t remain under budget, the budget may be adjusted part way through the year.”

The RMC treasurer expressed gratitude for the support of the church in 2022. “We have been very blessed by the giving of Rocky Mountain Conference members, and while we have many financial hurdles to overcome, we are excited about what God is doing in this territory.”

The Executive Committee also voted that last year’s windfall tithe be used to increase support for schools, fund depreciation on RMC assets, and increase reserves to bring them closer to the new policy level.

Mic Thurber, RMC president, informed the Committee about the recent pastors meeting at GVR, and the meetings for North American Division (NAD) Presidents which followed that week that were held in Florida this year. AdventHeallth’s leadership did much of the training workshops for the presidents, and NAD Treasurer Randy Robinson gave a whole morning session on the church’s use of tithe and the move towards more parity in the amount of tithe contributions that each division from around the world makes to the General Conference. It has long been felt that other divisions had developed to the point that they could shoulder more of the shared load. After this year, the NAD will be contributing 3.8% of its tithe to the GC while the other divisions are working towards 3%.

He said that round table discussions covered such areas as how to help small churches in conferences, and how to make teaching and pastoral ministry more attractive so that more students will enroll for preparation for these callings at our colleges.

Douglas Inglish, VP for administration, informed the Committee that administration gave a report on the status of RMC membership, indicating that through the COVID pandemic, levels have essentially remained flat. “At the end of 2022, our church membership in Colorado, Wyoming, and one county in New Mexico, was 17, 316 members,” he said.

The Committee also approved the establishment of a fund for small-school technology to keep elementary school computer equipment up to date. Larger schools will be eligible if funds are available. The funding will be made available through 5% of the Advance offering.

In his report from Campion Academy, Principal Don Reeder gave an update on the status of the recruitment and marketing of the school. Reeder explained the process in upgrading the cafeteria ventilation system and informed the Committee about moving Academy Days to the fall. “Such decision has proven to be successful as already 37 students [have] registered for the following academic year and [their number is] equal to the level of students who are graduating in May,” Reeder said.

It was voted to uphold the recommendation of Hispanic Ministries to grant $5,000 to Denver Hispanic Church to repave the parking lot, and $60,000to the Montrose Hispanic Church for renovations, from the Hispanic Ministries fund.

Among other agenda items, it was voted:

  • to delegate authority to the Finance Committee to approve Revolving Fund loans that are within policy.
  • to agree to reconstitute the Grand Junction Hispanic Group under the sponsorship of the Olathe Hispanic Church.
  • to accept the 2022 Quasi-endowment schedule as presented for 2022, including Campion Academy Capital—$72,000; Glacier View Ranch—$42,000; Mills Springs Ranch—$17,000—all totaling $131,000.
  • To take the recommendation of the NAD eAdventist team to have the Executive Committee vote in any transfers that have been stagnant for four months or longer instead of accepting stagnant international transfers by Profession of Faith.

Members of the Committee were informed of a plan to address a program for the Conference for the next five years. A questionnaire was distributed soliciting the opinions of the Executive members on the direction the Conference should consider taking.

The next meeting of Executive Committee is scheduled for April 11.

—RMCNews. Photo by Rajmund Dabrowski.