January 30, 2014
Dear Wellington Presbyterian Church family,
The Session desires to be good stewards fully transparent in all ministry and financial dealings. This is often made difficult by the fact that providing information may cause greater concern for all parties involved. This is particularly true in discussions regarding the school ministry because the school operates as a business as well as a ministry and troubling financial news can affect the decisions families make when considering their choice for a school. We are at a point in the history of the church and school where important, long-range decisions must be made and at this time in the life of the church it is the Session’s opinion that we must redirect the ministry of Wellington Presbyterian Church by closing the school after the completion of this school year, selling the property and relocating to a new site. We know that a church is defined by its people, not the physical buildings, and we firmly believe this approach opens the next chapter in our outreach to our community and connecting with the world.
The Session wants to express its gratitude to so many who have committed to serving the ministry of Wellington Presbyterian Church through Wellington Christian School. The generous commitments to the Annual Fund and to the fund-raising effort of Save Our School by the church family, the PTF parents plus the ongoing tireless work of so many has been a tremendous blessing to the whole Wellington Presbyterian Church family.
After all of that effort we do not believe that it is financially feasible to continue to operate the ministry of the school. It is very likely that there will continue to be major budget shortfalls in the school operations in the coming years and the church would need to provide financial support far beyond our ability.
A decision to sell the property and relocate the church is a daunting task. Although we believe we would have proceeds from the sale, we would need to secure a new location for the church which could require additional funding. More importantly we would need to find our new direction for ministry in our community. How can we have the greatest impact for the gospel in this scenario? This is the question that we will wrestle with together.
In order to facilitate discussion we will be scheduling three (3) informational meetings over the next two weeks. You will be able to sign up online or call the church office to register. We will also be having a congregational meeting in the coming weeks. The Session not only desires this meeting but any decisions related to the church’s property must be made with the consent of the congregation.
Please know that we are praying, looking to Christ with you for wisdom and direction and are available to serve you in any way that we can.
In His Service,
The Session
Wellington Presbyterian Church
A disciple-making community of grace that connects deeply with Christ, authentically with one another, and lovingly with the world.