Media release: Income downturn leads to staff reduction

In a year of growing ministry Scripture Union has regrettably had to make a cut in its employed workforce because of a downturn in charitable income. Up to 10 administrative support and direct mission posts out of the staff of 135 will be affected.

This comes at a time when Scripture Union is reaching more children and young people, involving more people of all ages in practical Christian mission, and investing in new ways to reach the young people of England and Wales with the Christian gospel. And the ministry programme for 2005 is strong.

Keith Civval, Scripture Union’s Chief Executive, said it was a difficult decision to cut back at a time when the movement’s ministry was continuing to grow and reach more people. ‘It’s a great sadness to have to make any of our devoted staff redundant and we’re offering all those affected external professional support.’

Keith added: ‘We’re a Christian charity and the ministry God has called us to depends on gift income, but donations are down by five per cent on last year. Legacies, which are always unpredictable, are down too.’

During the past year Scripture Union has seen significant growth in its residential holidays programme, launched several new initiatives and grown key ministry areas in its mission to reach a growing number of children and young people outside the orbit of the church. Among them are the eye level initiative to equip churches in running midweek clubs, and the launch of Light, for churches working with children and young people.

‘This has meant using our financial reserves, but they are now as low as we dare allow,’ said Keith. ‘We keep them low on purpose: our supporters give us money to use in ministry, not to sit in a bank account.’

Scripture Union’s ministry programme for 2005 looks stronger than before thanks to continued growth in the number of volunteers, who are always at the heart of the movement’s face-to-face ministry. This year 14 new Scripture Union holidays and three new missions are planned in England and Wales, while the growing FrontLine short-term mission programme is sending teams to Peru, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Greece.

Scripture Union is an international Christian mission movement working with churches in more than 140 countries providing resources to bring the good news about Jesus Christ to children, young people and families – and to encourage them to develop spiritually through the Bible and prayer. In England and Wales we support a network of volunteers, staff, associates and affiliates who run holidays, church-based events and school Christian groups, and we produce a wide range of publications and support those who use our resources through training programmes.

• 86 Scripture Union staff and associates work in schools to resource lessons and assemblies and support teachers.
• Scripture Union’s teaching material for churches is used by over 160,000 children and young people each week.
• Scripture Union’s It’s Your Move is the only nationally-available resource to help pupils move from primary to secondary school: almost half a million in print.
• 108 residential holidays will cater for more than 4,000 children and young people in 2005.
• Around 4,000 children and their families are expected at 29 Scripture Union missions this year.
• Scripture Union runs children’s ministry work for major Christian events: Spring Harvest, the Baptist World Congress, and Keswick Convention.
• More than 3,000 Scripture Union volunteers are involved in ministry at the height of the summer holiday season.
• 40 million Bible reading guides published by Scripture Union England and Wales have been used worldwide in the past 50 years.
• 12,000 subscribers to Scripture Union’s Light resource website make one million hits a week.

Press contact:
Richard Wells
Head of Promotion and Communication
Scripture Union England and Wales
207-209 Queensway
Bletchley
MK2 2EB

Tel: 01908 856153
Fax: 01908 856111
Pager: 07659 599 411
Email: media@scriptureunion.org.uk