Executive Director Working to Make Programs Vital and Efficient

Appointed to position of executive director last September, Dr. Sam Mikaelian has spent a good part of his first year getting familiar with the day-to-day activities of the Diocese and working to strengthen Diocesan ministries despite an inhospitable economic climate.

As with many other non-profit organizations, that climate has forced the Diocesan leadership to make some tough decisions.

According to the National Association of Church Business Administrators, "Many churches are finding that contributions are down, prompting tough decisions about budget cuts."

Churches are cutting all sorts of ministries. Today's ailing economy has been especially hard on denominations that survive on their investments and rely on money to trickle up from the local level, according to the association.

Dr. Mikaelian agrees. After intense study, the Diocese had no choice but to cut more than $400,000 from its annual operating expenses, an amount that represents almost 10 percent of the Diocese's original 2003 operating budget.

"We are in no better situation than most, and we too have had to make alterations--with the understanding that budget cuts are not the answer to all our budget concerns," he said. "In making reductions, we gave consideration to equity and balance in all Diocesan programs in the belief that all programs have purpose, value and importance to the mission of our church."

The budget reductions came from tighter spending and cutting back employees to the minimum in every area of the Diocese.

"The staff of the Diocese continues to perform their duties above all expectations. They truly work for each parishioner from their heart," Dr. Mikaelian said. "The people--clergy and lay leaders along with our staff make this organization uniquely different. The generosity of time, talent and treasure to the Diocese and to local parishes by an army of volunteers, of all ages, is staggering.

"The Primate and the Diocesan Council work tirelessly to provide the necessary leadership to guide the Diocese into the future. At the same time, there are clearly obstacles to overcome."

Even though cuts had to be made, Dr. Mikaelian and the Diocesan leadership continue their efforts to secure a strong foundation that will be used to restore and improve Diocesan organization and ministries in the coming years.

"We are attempting to more effectively communicate with, and reach out to our youth groups and especially our college-age students. We are scheduling more frequent visits to all our parishes by the Diocesan staff, to better serve local parish needs," Dr. Mikaelian said. "We are tightening our ranks, re-assessing responsibilities, and attempting to provide professional development to our staff. We are emphasizing more user-friendly approaches to our parishes. We are attempting to operate within a balanced budget."

He cautioned, however, that invigorating the Diocese's ministries requires the guidance and support of all Armenians.

Looking for Support

One way the Diocese is trying to educate people about its mission is through the Archbishop's Annual Appeal, which was inaugurated last year. More than just raising funds, the Archbishop's Annual Appeal is also working to raise people's understanding of how those donations are used, and how vital they are to programs that benefit each parish and all Armenian families.

The 2002 Archbishop's Annual Appeal raised $643,516 from 884 people. This year the Diocese hopes to increase the number of participants who accept the responsibility of furthering their church into the next generation.

"The obvious goal of the Archbishop's Annual Appeal is to raise money for our mission," Dr. Mikaelian said. "But more importantly, we want to involve our community by showing them what we do at the Diocese, how our programs and ministries strengthen their parishes, and how we work to touch the lives of each Armenian in America."

Dr. Sam Mikaelian's Statement of Principles

• The Diocesan office is a service center. The Diocese's staff and the Diocesan Council are charged with the responsibility of nourishing, serving, supporting, assisting, guiding, creating and communicating, with and among the Armenian American community and outward to all our parishes.
• The Diocese is accountable to its parishioners. The Diocese's staff and the Diocesan Council are committed to making a positive difference, and to improving our performance in all of our ministries, with an eye to measurable results. Change, growth, and improvement will only occur with a clear strategic plan for success.
• The Diocese needs you. Our Diocese and our church as a whole can only function as well as you want it to. Without your involvement, guidance, assistance, and support all of our programs and ministries will become marginalized. With your partnership there is no limit to what we can achieve today and for our children in generations to come.