Dear Friends and Colleagues:
As you may be aware, the General Council has been meeting over the past year outside of our normal meeting schedule in order to address the financial situation of the Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois (PSEI), as well as the circumstances that led to that situation.
In recent years, PSEI has taken a variety of steps to decrease expenses, including closing the physical office and decreasing staff costs drastically. Yet it has become clear these steps were not enough. The General Council has been working with the Synod of Lincoln Trails to consider various options and scenarios, and have concluded that a re-structuring of staff is necessary to place us on a stable financial base to enable us to envision a future for PSEI that does not include a worsening financial situation.
The initial information on this re-structuring proposal was presented at the last stated meeting of PSEI, and sent out via e mail and snail mail the following week. In that information was an invitation to join us for a series of Zoom sessions where you can ask questions, provide input on a new job description, and generally offer to the General Council your thoughts. There are two of these sessions left, and we hope you will join us for at least one of these. General Council members are hosting these sessions and welcome your questions. Dates, times, and information to join the Zoom session is below.
The final proposal of the Council will be presented for action at a special called meeting on April 15, 2021, via Zoom. If you would prefer to offer your thoughts in a less public forum, I encourage you to e mail or call me. My contact information is at the end of this e mail.
Blessings – I hope to hear from you soon.
Karen Russell, Moderator
