The Episcopal Church will contribute 27 percent of the budget of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) in 2007 and for the fourth consecutive year, no funds have been set aside to cover the cost of the 2008 Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops.

Meeting in Portland, Ore., March 2-4, the Executive Council voted to fully fund the ACC’s asking for the current triennium, and pledged $661,000 for 2007, $687,440 for 2008 and $713,880 in 2009, making it the second-largest donor to the ACC among the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion.

A summary income statement and balance sheet was given to The Living Church by a staff member of the ACC.

The Church of England provides approximately 30 percent of the member contributions. The three largest provincial contributors to the ACC budget--England, the U.S. and Canada--together cover almost 75 percent of the member contributions, a ratio that has held constant over the past several years.

In addition to its membership contribution of 27 percent, The Episcopal Church, through a direct contribution, bears much of the $319,000 cost to operate the office of the Anglican Observer to the United Nations, while Trinity Church Wall Street in New York underwrites a portion of the ACC’s communications and publication costs.

The 2007 budget of $3.5 million adopted by the ACC forecasts contributions from the 38 provinces at just under $2.5 million, with additional grants of assistance from the Compass Rose Society, a charity supporting the work of the ACC, of $289,000. Additional grants of aid and income from subscriptions from Anglican Episcopal World magazine, rental income, and investment income providing a further $527,000 for total income of just under $3.3 million.

Prior to 2003, the ACC set aside funds each year toward the cost of the Lambeth Conference. The Rev. Canon John L. Peterson, secretary general, requested no funds be set aside that year and that policy continues in the budget requested for 2007.

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