If IRTD (Part 9) … I’d let the Diocesan organisations sink or swim on their own merits

So, time to make some hard choices (are there hard choices in a thought experiment?).

From flickr by astrovine

There is a great concept in economic theory, one which applies to most areas of life – it’s called ‘opportunity cost’. The idea is that in doing anything, there is a cost, even if the thing is free. The cost is the opportunity of doing some other thing at the same time. Doing one thing means not doing something else. And that’s even more the case when there’s money involved. 

To put the parishes at the defining center of the Diocese is going to mean re-allocating resources.

At the moment, there are all sorts of organisations that do all sorts of valuable things, and that receive financial grants for doing so – Evangelism MInistries, Anglicare, Youthworks, Moore College, Anglican media etc. 

I think the following 2 principles should be ruthlessly applied:

1. Organisations only get funding for doing things that Parishes could never do (not things that parishes could do, but are not doing)
2. Organisations never get funding for things they sell in an open market

The way Diocesan money is currently spent is found here. It’s not so difficult to work through it. But lots of money goes to the different Diocesan organisations. For some of them, that forms only a small part of their budget, but a large part of the Diocesan budget. And I suspect that much of it would breach those 2 principles.

I think it could better be redirected to the frontline ministry of the parishes.

In fact, the amount available next year will be substantially cut. It’s part of the GFC, and as one of Obama’s aids said, there’s no point in wasting a good crisis.

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