wfn.org | United Methodist churches 'leading pack' in Souper Bowl

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

March 31, 1999	Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{176}

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - The United Methodist Church has become the most
valuable player on the nationwide team that collects money and canned goods
for hungry people each Super Bowl Sunday.

A total of 2,632 United Methodist churches generated $444,758 of the
national total of $2.4 million to help the needy through the annual "Souper
Bowl of Caring" campaign, held Jan. 31.

Nationally, 11,593 churches from all 50 states and from nearly that many
denominations and faith traditions teamed up to help the hungry and hurting
in their communities, said the Rev. Brad Smith, Souper Bowl founder and
quarterback. He is pastor at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia,
S.C., the Souper Bowl headquarters.  

Participation in the 1999 effort represents a growth of 3,000 churches and
$700,000 over last year's total, he said.

The Souper Bowl, which began in Columbia in 1990, has encouraged thousands
of churches nationwide to use the Sunday of the national championship
football game to raise money for hunger projects of their choice. More than
$4.5 million has been raised in the past eight years.

United Methodist churches "are now leading the pack," Smith said. 

The 1999 Souper Bowl totals for United Methodist participation reflect an
increase of 923 churches and $138,529 over the 1998 figures of 1,709
congregations and $306,229.
 
The states with the most United Methodist participation were Pennsylvania,
228 churches; South Carolina, 193; North Carolina, 154; Georgia, 131; and
Ohio, 128.

In addition to those, states in which more than 50 United Methodist
congregations called results in to the national hotline were Texas, New
York, Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, Indiana, Kansas, Florida, Illinois and
Michigan, Smith said. 

The states that posted the largest increases in United Methodist
participation were Ohio, which had 45 additional United Methodist churches;
North Carolina, an increase of 40; Pennsylvania, an increase of 38; Alabama,
an increase of 35; and New York, an increase of 34.

Nationally, six states had more than 500 churches join the effort, compared
with only two states in 1998. The six were Pennsylvania, 1,189; South
Carolina, 872; North Carolina, 820; Virginia, 613; Ohio, 575; and New York,
512.

"It is exciting to see the wonderful increase in United Methodist
participation," Smith said. "We are grateful to God for every person from
every church who joined together in this simple but significant act of
caring and unity."

Souper Bowl officials are beginning to look toward Jan. 30, 2000. Said
Smith: "Wouldn't it be phenomenal to see 20,000 churches bring in the new
millennium by teaming up in the Souper Bowl of Caring?"

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