Nashville (ABP)—LifeWay Christian Resources will cut 5 percent of its workforce by Sept. 30 because revenues are lower than expected, officials of the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing arm have announced.

The cuts represent about 100 jobs. Officials would not say exactly how many workers will be displaced.

The agency’s $458.7 million revenue last year was higher than expenditures. LifeWay spokesman Rob Phillips said income this year is ahead of last year’s pace, but below projections on which the budget is based.

LifeWay also is cutting expenses in other parts of its operations, according to President Thom Rainer

“These are hard but necessary steps to ensure the continued effectiveness of LifeWay ministries,” he explained in a written statement.

The organization is funded totally through the sale of its resources and does not receive direct financial support from the SBC.

According to SBC Life, a publication of the SBC Executive Committee, LifeWay provides income over its expenses to the SBC. Last year, LifeWay contributed $790,000 to the SBC operating budget, according to a story written by Phillips. Those funds were part of nearly $12 million in financial and “in-kind” contributions to the SBC and its entities.

Phillips said in an interview that there is “a whole lot of in-kind contributions” in that total. In-kind contributions are services or products provided free of charge. Therefore, Phillips noted, concluding that LifeWay would have sufficient income to retain the jobs without the contributions is like comparing “apples and oranges,” he said.

“Those are two totally different ways that funds are being spoken of here,” he added.

The shortfall in revenue could be due to a number of factors: less business than expected at LifeWay’s regional bookstores, fewer participants attending events at the agency’s two national conference centers and fewer outside retailers stocking literature published under LifeWay’s Broadman and Holman imprint.

“The economy is basically hitting consumers in their pocketbooks,” Phillips explained. “Discretionary spending is down all over.”

Phillips said the 100 jobs would be lost “mostly in Nashville,” where the agency is headquartered, and “across the spectrum,” including administrative, professional and support positions. Some employees losing their jobs are eligible for retirement, but he could not say how many.

Rainer indicated those whose positions have been eliminated will receive severance pay, some benefits and outplacement services. He said LifeWay is enduring the economic downturn better than other Christian ministries.

“LifeWay is debt free and in excellent financial condition,” he noted. “Although we are adjusting our priorities and scaling back some operations, we are well positioned to continue our ministry to people and churches across the nation and around the world.”

Phillips said LifeWay officials implemented “some reallocation of resources” in the past year that resulted in a “fairly small number of staff reductions.” He emphasized that LifeWay’s employment has “ebbed and flowed with the economy throughout its history.”

The agency’s most dramatic job reduction in recent memory came in 1992, when revenues were not keeping pace with expenses, according to Phillips. Jimmy Draper, who had recently become head of what was then called the Sunday School Board, instituted a voluntary retirement incentive program, which was accepted by 159 employees.