Within our post-communion prayer we give thanks to God “that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, the blessed company of all faithful people....” When first reading this phrase within the Rite I liturgy, I could not help but pause. I had used the verb “incorporate” so many times to mean forming a business (as a corporation) that it seemed odd to ascribe this activity to members of the church. Of course, the English term comes from the Latin word corpus (body) and the liturgical use of the phrase describes our coming together as the body of Christ, predating the application to business formation. At the same time, the corporate entity called “The Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, Pennsylvania” is not unlike a business, complete with bylaws, income statements and balance sheets.
With our pledge drive set to begin on Sunday (October 18), this edition of the Weekly Word takes the opportunity to look ahead toward our 2027 corporate budget and to assess the financial performance of Good Shepherd for the first nine months of 2026. Back in January, our adopted budget projected a challenging year, but our actual performance has been much better than anticipated. Supporting these results, our endowment draws to date are in line with expectations. However, if giving remains strong we are likely to draw much less from our savings and endowment than we initially planned.
Our favorable results partly reflect fewer expenses associated with the period of not having a full-time priest. In addition, special credit must be given to our Financial Administrator, Mary Campbell. Not only does Mary perform her work with exceptional competence, but she single-handedly identified and corrected items related to complex utility payments that provided meaningful savings. I should add that our other long-term Finance Committee member, Karen Tripp, has similarly addressed complex budget decisions with unfailing expertise and wisdom. We are very blessed by the service of these individuals.
Looking ahead to 2027, total expenses are budgeted to increase modestly after several years of expanding and refining our music program and other ministries. Given the related growth in pledge income and expenses, the Vestry has recognized the need to conserve resources. Of course, we will continue to fund a vibrant collection of ministries, but there are areas where expense growth has paused. As one example, the stipend for Mthr. Maddie and the salary of our Organist and Director of Music, Alden Wright, will be unchanged in 2027. Still, even with these and other actions, there are a variety of financial demands associated with managing our sacred buildings and grounds. As members incorporate in the body of Christ, we will continue to meet these needs as we have in past years, allowing us to proclaim with a full voice the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please plan to join us this Sunday to celebrate the start of our stewardship campaign. During that event, we will reflect on our unity as the body of Christ, consistent with the Eucharistic Prayer that “we and all the whole Church may be made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him…” We nourish this mystical body through worship and prayer, but we maintain and expand our daily ministries by also tending to the corporate Good Shepherd.
Yours in Christ,
Jonathan Adams,
Treasurer