MOORHEAD, MN — Churches United is continuing to look for long-term solutions, after a plea for help in August that led to an outpouring of support from the community.
The comments were made by Interim CEO Devlyn Brooks in a conversation with WDAY Radio. He says 20% of their staff, and 25% of their full time employees were let go due to budget constraints and return to a “volunteer focused” institution. Brooks says the layoffs were necessary in order to “rightsize” their organization. Other programs remain on the table, including the Dorothy Day Food Pantry and Micah’s Mission community center. They could be cut if a stable funding source is not secured by the end of 2024.
“We’ve worked very hard in three months to show we are a different organization and at some point I hope people can see that,” said Pastor Devlyn Brooks. “[I hope] people come along and [support] our final transition. That final transition is finding a long-term funding source.”
Brooks says the organization currently receives 70% of their operating budget through donations, a model he says is unsustainable. He appreciates the small-dollar donations, but says a substantially sized donation is needed to establish stability for the organization.
You can learn more about Churches United by clicking here.
