COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Focus on the Family says it has eliminated more than 200 positions, the largest staff cuts in the evangelical Christian group’s 31-year history.
Citing the faltering economy and a decline in donations, Focus officials said Monday that 149 employees would lose their jobs, most by month’s end.
Another 53 open positions will be left vacant.
Ministry spokesman Gary Schneeberger says the group’s board has approved a $138 million budget for the fiscal year that began last month after bringing in a record $146 million in revenue the previous year.
“There was an economic reality that said we had to meet this budget,” Schneeberger said. “We found ourselves in a position where we can’t continue to place an additional burden on donors.”
Donations in October were down $2 million compared to the same month in 2007, Schneeberger said.
The cuts are ministry-wide. Glenn Williams, Focus on the Family’s chief operating officer, said many involve operations, human resources, finance and marketing. Some programs also are being eliminated, including a magazine for teens that lost readership to the Internet, he said.
“We’re really trying to look at this strategically,” Williams said. “You’ve got the economy on one hand, but we still have huge demands for our content and counseling. This was really an opportunity for us to say we still have significant revenue coming in, how do we use this and defend marriages and family?”
Founded by child psychologist James Dobson in 1977, Focus on the Family is one of the nation’s most powerful evangelical groups. While the group emphasizes its main thrust is offering parenting and marriage advice, it is best known for promoting conservative moral stands in politics.
Schneeberger said the group remains committed to those causes.
The cutbacks come on top of an announcement in October that Focus on the Family would lay off or reassign 46 employees next year due to the restructuring of its distribution arm. Once both cuts are carried out, Focus on the Family will have about 950 employees, down from a peak of 1,400 officials said.
