Budget trouble in Episcopal diocese
A special session of the Pa. convention will be asked to approve cuts. Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. is under fire.
By David O'Reilly
Inquirer Staff Writer

Faced with a revenue shortfall driven in part by dissatisfaction with Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr., the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania today is expected to cut 19 percent from its 2007 operating budget.

Meeting in a special session of the annual diocesan convention, delegates will be asked to slash the budget from $3.45 million to $2.82 million.

If approved, the cut will force major reductions in the diocese's contribution to the national Episcopal church and to aided parishes within the diocese. Funding for a new assistant to the bishop would also be eliminated.

Delegates had approved the $3.45 million program budget at their regular convention in November, based on anticipated parish pledges of $1.6 million. To date, however, the parishes have pledged only $1.2 million, prompting the diocesan program budget committee to recommend a new budget. the rest