ounting deficits have forced Florida Conference officials to initiate a major staff reduction that will ultimately affect 58 pastors, teachers, and office personnel.

Already 28 full- and part-time office personnel have been eliminated (the equivalent of 21 full-time positions), says Michael Cauley, who has served as president for a little more than four months. "In the coming weeks and months about 30 [of the conference's 183] pastoral positions will also be eliminated. The total number of full-time-equivalent reductions in Florida Conference will be in excess of 50 employees."

In a video sent to 205 churches in Florida, Cauley explained the underlying reasons for the deficits. "Florida Conference has grown as fast as any conference in North America." Cauley said. "Membership has been increasing at the rate of five percent a year. Over the last three years we organized 28 new churches and companies. Accomodating this growth has taxed our financial resources to the limit. For the past several years our expenses have exceeded our income.

"Because we had unusually high increases in tithe from year to year, most years we have been able to meet many of those needs. However, last year [in 2002] we found ourselves facing unusual circumstances. Our tithe increase for 2002 was unusually low. We experienced unusually high increases in healthcare costs, and a number of churches and schools fell behind in their payments to the conference for their portion of the church school expenses or insurance. This left us with an operating deficit in 2002 of $5 million. In 2003, we finished the year with an operating deficit of about $4 million."

In light of the deficits, the conference executive committee decided to reduce the $40 million operating budget by $5 million, or 12.5 percent.

"This has been one of the most painful and difficult experiences that I have faced as a conference administrator," Cauley said. "None of those who are being eliminated from the work force are leaving for moral or ethical reasons. Some of our finest people have lost their positions due to restructuring."

In spite of the current deficits, Cauley believes the conference will emerge stronger over time. "The Lord will guide us as we adjust our expenses to live within our means," he said. "God has a great future for His work in Florida. We will recover and continue to grow and be better for this experience of austerity." The cutbacks in Florida are simply the latest illustration of how the tough economic times are affecting Adventist entities in North America. Last year, the Northeastern Conference, based in St. Albans, New York, reduced its staff by more than 50 employees, and the Potomac Adventist Book Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, reduced its staff by 25.

Another Record Enrollment for Adventist Colleges
and Universities in North America
Adventist Colleges and universities in North America set another record enrollment for full-time equivalency (FTE) enrollment.

The 2003 tally of 18,719, up 4.4 percent from the previous year (see table), represents the seventh consecutive record high. The enrollment count also marks 18 consecutive years of FTE increases, according to statistics supplied by the North American Division Education Department.

Along with FTE enrollment, head count for 2003 also experienced a substantial increase, totaling 22,436, up 3.7 from the previous year.

Florida Hospital College in Orlando led all schools with the largest numeric and percentage FTE increase, up 212 to 892, or 30.7 percent. The second highest numeric increase was Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, with an increase of 143, or 10 percent.

COMPARATIVE FALL ENROLLMENT REPORT
COLLEGE UNIVERSITY	FTE
	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Andrews University	2,453	2,239	2,111	2,224	2,256
Atlantic Union College	476	552	552	571	494
Canadian University College	364	367	367	393	394
Columbia Union College	696	749	750	852	867
Florida Hospital College	363	374	492	680	892
Kettering College of Medical Arts	361	381	422	455	513
La Sierra University	1,098	1,235	1,341	1,511	1,633
Loma Linda University	3,045	2,989	2,951	2,947	3,089
Oakwood College	1,599	1,642	1,637	1,615	1,629
Pacific Union College	1,712	1,517	1,545	1,378	1,521
Southern Adventist University	1,593	1,817	1,908	1,991	2,007
Southwestern Adventist University	902	925	950	727	799
Union College	768	754	824	852	829
Walla Walla College	1,617	1,616	1,635	1,721	1,796
TOTALS	17,047	17,146	17,485	17,917	18,719

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