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Letter from The President |
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "
plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
I thank God daily that ECWR’s future and hope is in our Savior, Jesus and it is through your gifts and talents that God’s message of love and acceptance continues to flow to our world. I thank you for your faithful support of this ministry over the years.
ECWR is venturing off on a new path for ConnECtion this year, moving from our traditional venue of college campus and the comfort of dorm beds and the delicious dorm food we all anticipate enjoying each year! This year we will be at the Holiday Inn in Palm Springs! Many have expressed support for the move and we are all looking forward to the change in venue. This change has its roots in several things; request from our members to save our poor aching backs from those horrid twin beds and all those cheerleaders!!! Personally I did not mind the cheerleaders! Another large contributing factor was the cost. At one time colleges provided an inexpensive way to bring conference to you. That has changed. Today the cost associated with holding ConnECtion on college campuses is as much, if not higher in some cases, as holding the conference in a hotel setting.
Many things will be different this year starting with registration. In the past your annual ECWR membership payment of $35.00 could be renewed with the registration and would be offset in the registration cost. This year, due to technical limitations, we are not able to offer that option. We do provide a way to pay your annual membership on line when you register and pay through PayPals or by check. You can also donate to the scholarship fund.
Membership registration provides the organization roughly $7,600 annually, most of which is paid during the registration process for Conference. I urge you to please remember to renew your membership at registration. The money the organization receives as membership is vital to our operations. The money paid for registration covers the cost of the venue and keynote speakers. All other monies required to run the organization, such as salaries for our part time staff; Office Manager, Conference Coordinator and Web Manager; and all our scholarship funds for first time conference attendees come from membership and donations.
This year makes 29 years ECWR has been reaching out to those in need of reconciliation and answers regarding God’s acceptance of GLBT Christians. Hearts and lives are saved through your financial support of ECWR. As you can see in the article in this months newsletter, our new website is reaching GLBT folks all around the world. We receive emails and request for support almost daily. The economic downturn is being felt by everyone. Between 2007 and 2008, ECWR experienced a 15% drop in our operating revenues. Thank God we are still blessed with a healthy balance sheet. We are concerned though about membership donations being lower this year due to the change in registration process. So please, prayerfully consider continuing your support of this vital ministry. Many of your brothers and sisters around the world are depending on it.
Prayerfully and in humble thanks –
Pat Neal
ECWR Board of Directors, President
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