Editorial

A crisis is a terrible thing to waste. In a down economy, this is the point: During what is now being called the Great Recession, congregations must take the opportunity to make changes more radical than would be possible during good times.

The year may be coming to an end, but the lingering effects of this recession will continue to stress congregations and leaders for some time. Some have utilized the current economic climate to make changes.

To find out what Mennonite congregations have done this year, Mennonite Mutual Aid polled 200 pastors and received 49 responses. MMA then published the results in ist newsletter Teleios. We also published the results in our Nov. 17 issue.

On the list of changes reported by these pastors were several that caught my attention:

• installing solar panels to provide electricity;
• considering sale of the church building and other property;
• using any extra funds to reduce church debt.

Perhaps none of these would have happened without an economic crisis that is creating urgency for change. Current financial pressures also appear to be pushing congregations to look at another change: electronic giving.

MMA’s research found that some congregations are exploring or have begun using this new tool proven to increase contributions from parishioners. Church consultants say electronic giving options increase giving by young adults and those who do not attend church every week.

Along with most congregations and other church organizations, we at The Mennonite made some changes as a result of the financial challenges before us. The major redesign of this magazine, to be launched in January 2010, is an example. Had the economy been sailing along, we may not have made the changes that are on the way.

The decision to redesign the magazine began as a way to reduce costs. But it turned into an energizing experience for staff and board members as we imagined new possibilities. We looked at some sections of the current magazine that readers rank lowest and decided to replace them with some innovations: a new column by and about young adults, a news analysis section, a crossword puzzle with puzzlers’ names listed and, when a subject warrants the space, an article up to 3,000 words. We will also publish more original news stories and give increased attention to the cover of each issue, commissioning a photographer when necessary. Mennonite Church USA’s incoming executive secretary Ervin Stutzman will grace the cover of our January 2010 cover.

Financial pressures caused by the Great Recession are coinciding with a seismic shift toward electronic journalism, forcing many secular newspapers into bankruptcy. We feel the same pressures as those who advertise in The Mennonite reduced their ad buys or stopped altogether. Our response: to generate more advertising revenue on our Web site and in our two electronic magazines (ezines), TMail and Meno Acontecer. Now we talk about the combined readership of all four media. With more than 10,000 unique visitors on our Web site each month and some 3,000 ezine subscribers, more than 30,000 people interested in Mennonite Church USA read what we publish. This is up from approximately 25,000 five years ago.

Not all the 2009 changes forced by our current economy are good, however. Most notably for us: discontinuing OurFaith Digest when its advertising revenue dried up. Had we continued to print and distribute that wonderful digest, it would have cost us more than the $13,600 loss we now carry on our books.

While 2009 was a tough year, and we were pushed into making changes we did not originally welcome, on this side of those decisions we are excited about the new year. We hope we have not wasted the opportunities afforded by a crisis economy. How about you and your congregation?