Editors of the Anglican church’s diocesan newspapers have released a position paper expressing concern about the possibility of “very large cuts” to the Anglican Journal saying they would “seriously impact” their own newspapers and deprive Anglicans of “one of the most visible signs of unity” and “the most useful tools of evangelism and education in the church.”
The statement, available at their Web site, www.aeaweb.ca, was released in the wake of reports that the $1.1 million deficit incurred by General Synod in 2005 might translate into significant cuts for the Journal, the church’s national newspaper. The Journal receives a grant of $584,000 from General Synod to help defray the cost of publishing and distributing 10 issues per year to its 200,000 subscribers. “There is absolutely no cheaper way to communicate, to go into the home of virtually every Anglican,” the position paper stated. The editors also launched a petition (linked from their Web site) arguing against major cuts.
The editors said they feared that major cuts to the Journal might end the newspaper and, without their printing and distribution partnership with the Journal, “virtually every diocesan newspaper faces extinction.” The dioceses of Montreal and British Columbia have since passed motions of support for the Journal and the diocesan newspapers and recommended sustained funding for the Journal.