wfn.org | United Methodist giving rises modestly in nine-month period

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Oct. 8, 2001    News media contact: Joretta Purdue 7(202)
546-87227Washington    10-71B{452}

By United Methodist News Service

Overall giving by United Methodists during the first three-quarters of the
year is up, but the outpouring of support for the victims of the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks is probably not reflected in the latest figures, according
to church finance officials.

Money for the church's "Love in the Midst of Tragedy" offering is in the
pipeline, and more is being collected, but the report for Sept. 30 includes
only amounts the conference (regional) treasurers had received and processed
before the end of the month, according to the denomination's General Council
on Finance and Administration (GCFA).

With September ending on a Sunday, many local churches would total the
month's donations in early October, and then conference treasurers would
pass those on to GCFA.

Gifts recorded to date for the church's seven apportioned funds are up about
a half-million dollars over the comparable amount for 2000. The first
three-quarters of 2001 brought in almost $61.6 million. That doesn't include
giving to special funds and offerings.

"Actual receipts for the first nine months of 2001 reflect almost a 1
percent increase on total apportioned funds," noted Sandra Kelley Lackore,
the denomination's treasurer and head of the GCFA staff. Apportioned funds
support churchwide mission and ministry.

She is quick to note that the apportioned part of the church's 2001 budget
is 4.4 percent larger than last year's. The amount asked for World Service -
the largest single fund in that group of program, outreach and
administrative funds - is up 6.7 percent from the previous year. "These
increases were planned in order to balance funding for UMCom's (United
Methodist Communication's) Igniting Ministry initiative over the
quadrennium."

Contributions to World Service amounted to $33.2 million at the end
September, a 3.6 percent increase in the dollar amount but still 1.2
percentage points less than the 49.4 percent of the appropriation given in
the first nine months of 2000. Receipts for apportioned funds typically rise
in the final months of the year as church members catch up on their annual
pledges and local church, district, conference and GCFA finance officers
check their figures.

"Working together, we can close the gap (between giving and the budget) by
year end," Lackore said in a note enclosed with the September report,
released to bishops, conference treasurers and other church leaders on Oct.
5.

Though World Service is up, receipts for the other apportioned funds are
mixed. Africa University income rose 0.8 percent, but giving to the Black
College and Ministerial Education funds is down 1.9 percent and 1.2 percent
respectively for the nine months. 

Among the administrative funds, the Episcopal Fund is 2.9 percent behind
comparable figures for 2000; General Administration is up 9.6 percent; and
Interdenominational Cooperation - a much smaller fund than the others - is
up 27.3 percent.

None of the six special Sunday offerings of the denomination is usually held
in September, but money has continued to accumulate for these funds. The
total of  $4.2 million represents a 2.8 percent increase over the same
nine-month period last year.

When the apportioned funds and special Sunday offerings are combined, the
nearly $65.8 million total reflects a 1 percent increase over comparable
gifts in 2000.

Contributions to any part of the Advance Special gifts program are not
compared on a year-to-year basis because needs vary and are often related to
the occurrence of natural disasters or other crises throughout the world. In
this program, 100 percent of each gift goes to the designated cause, and
other church funding covers the administrative costs.

Almost $1.4 million was received in Advance Specials during September,
bringing year-to-date contributions to nearly $21.2 million for the bishops'
appeals, mission program areas and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
This is where gifts to "Love in the Midst of Tragedy" are being recorded
(UMCOR Advance No. 901125-3).

One other category of giving includes the World Service Special Gifts and
the Youth Service Fund, which have received $309,715 and $94,610
respectively this year.

Total giving beyond the annual conference or region by United Methodists for
the first nine months totaled just under $87.4 million. On the basis of
previous years, that figure represents about 4 percent of the collection
plate receipts. The largest portion of local receipts (about 83 percent) is
spent locally for salaries and benefits, utilities, maintenance and
janitorial supplies, and paint and printing. About 13 percent, depending on
location, goes to area ministries and administrative costs. 
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United Methodist News Service
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