wfn.org | United Methodists give $3.5M more to basic church funds in '99

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

Feb. 4, 2000	News media contact: Joretta Purdue·(202)546-8722·Washington
10-21-71B{046}

NOTE: For a related report on giving to churchwide relief and missions, see
UMNS story #044.

By United Methodist News Service

United Methodist giving to churchwide mission and ministry grew during 1999
- both in millions of dollars and in the percentage of budget raised.

Receipts for the denomination's eight basic churchwide funds increased by
more than $3.5 million to a total of $108.9 million for the year, according
to the church's General Council on Finance and Administration, based in
Evanston, Ill.

Budgets for the work supported by these funds are allocated to the church's
annual (regional) conferences through apportionments or "askings."  The
budgets are adopted every four years at General Conference, the church's
highest legislative assembly.

In 1999, 14 annual conferences contributed 100 percent of their
apportionments, an increase from nine the previous year.  In addition,
another five conferences supported the World Service Fund, the largest of
the apportioned funds, at 100 percent.

The World Service Fund, at almost $57.8 million, reached 91 percent of its
apportioned budget, and the eight funds together reached the 90 percent
level.  Both figures were 1 percentage point greater than the previous
year's amounts.

The 1999 budget adopted in 1996 for these eight funds was about 2 percent
larger than the target figure for 1998. Increases in the budget for earlier
years in the quadrennium had been kept to a minimum to allow giving to move
toward 100 percent after a low in 1992, when total giving to apportioned
funds was 84 percent. 

Giving 100 percent or slightly more in both 1998 and 1999 were the following
conferences: Baltimore-Washington, Central Pennsylvania, Northern Illinois,
Oklahoma Indian Missionary, Peninsula-Delaware, Red Bird Missionary, South
Indiana, West Michigan and Wisconsin. Increasing their contributions to 100
percent of apportionment for 1999 were Central Texas, Desert Southwest,
Illinois Great Rivers, Kansas West and North Texas annual conferences.

The Iglesia Metodista Autonoma de Puerto Rico also paid 100 percent of its
voluntary financial commitment toward the denomination's mission and
ministry.

Five annual conferences that remitted 100 percent of their World Service
apportionment were East Ohio, Minnesota, Rio Grande, Troy and Wyoming.

More than half the 66 U.S. annual conferences supported the World Service
Fund with 90 percent or more of the apportionment. The World Service total
of nearly $57.8 million represents a 3 percent increase in dollars given to
this fund

Support for the other seven apportioned funds also grew, ranging from dollar
increases of 6 percent for both the Episcopal and the General Administration
funds to 2 percent for the Africa University Fund. All the funds received at
least 87 percent of their apportioned figure. Giving to all eight
apportioned funds together also increased by 3 percent over 1998.

Contributions to the six churchwide special Sundays with offerings varied,
and the overall total declined 2 percent to $6.5 million.

Responses to the bishops' appeals more than doubled over the previous year
to almost $1.5 million. Giving to these and other Advance specials used for
mission programs and disaster relief varies widely with needs. At the same
time, all administrative costs are provided for elsewhere in the church
budget, so the nearly $44.6 million given in 1999 is being used entirely for
the donor-designated purposes. In addition, more than $1 million was given
to other outreach funds.

Overall, United Methodists gave more than $161.1 million to various forms of
churchwide ministries.

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United Methodist News Service
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