A Plan for the Support of Congregations in the Diocese of New York
Mark Bernard Cyr
Every diocese has congregations that cannot fully support themselves financially. The Diocese of New York has made a unique commitment to assist many of these congregations through a program called the Congregational Support Plan (CSP). In an exceptionally creative way, the CSP has transferred a major financial burden from the shoulders of the congregation to that of the Diocese. This is a bold undertaking for any institution, but it is an appropriate one for our Church because it is a mission and ministry oriented action, as opposed to a maintenance-oriented action. This paper is a review of the history of this unique and creative attempt to address the question: "How can a diocese support its small congregations which are struggling financially?"