Churchwide Office restructure; staff impacts

It has been a difficult week at the Churchwide Office. Eight of our valued staff were given notice that their roles are not likely to be included in the new structure of the Churchwide Office or they will be significantly impacted.

Another three staff members were advised that their contracts will not be extended after they expire at the end of this year.

This is in addition to changes that have already been occurring within the Churchwide Office with impacts on staffing, such as in Professional Standards.

Roles across the Churchwide Office impacted this week include those in:

• Office of the Bishop – Public Theology
• Commission on Worship
• LCA International Mission – Finance
• Grow Ministries
• Cross-Cultural Ministry
• New and Renewing Churches
• Ministry Support.

‘As many people across the church know, the LCANZ is facing challenges and uncertainty on a number of fronts, and against this background we have been working hard to develop a Churchwide Office structure that will best serve our congregations, districts and agencies into the future’, Brett Hausler, Executive Officer of the Church, said. ‘The process for restructuring the Churchwide Office has focused on determining, firstly, the services that are critical for the Churchwide Office to provide to congregations and agencies and, secondly, the best ways to provide these services.’

The Churchwide Office is moving away from ‘departments’ towards a project-based structure where feasible, especially for the delivery of services supporting mission and ministry. This will involve a change in approach so as to promote greater collaboration between District and Churchwide offices.

‘It is also important that the new structure is sustainable for the longer term’, Mr Hausler said. ‘It was reported to the General Synod in February this year that the Churchwide Office is operating with an annual deficit of $1.5million. This is clearly unsustainable. We are aiming for our operations to be in a financially sustainable position by the end of 2024.’

Impacted staff have been assured that their service with the Churchwide Office will not end immediately.

‘We will be giving each person as much time as we reasonably can to allow them to work through this change during 2024 and to transition out of their current role to wherever God might be calling them next’, Mr Hausler said. ‘We are providing pastoral care, access for them and their families to our Employment Assistance Program, and professional assistance in finding alternative employment.’

‘We want to give those impacted as much time as possible to complete their valuable work so that they can feel a sense of accomplishment in what they have achieved. We also want to ensure that the fruits of their work are retained as their legacy and as an ongoing resource for our congregations and people.’

Depending on the circumstances, the transitions out of their roles might take from four to twelve months.

‘This will of course be a difficult time for impacted staff and indeed for everyone in the Churchwide Office, which includes people who are not based in Adelaide’, Mr Hausler said. ‘Please keep each of these precious brothers and sisters in Christ in your prayers as they process this news and transition out of their roles in the months ahead.’