wfn.org | Church sees giving increase during difficult year

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Feb. 4, 2002  News media contact: Tim Tanton7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{037}

By United Methodist News Service

In the face of a recession and events related to the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, United Methodists increased their giving to the denomination's
general funds by more than $2.4 million, or 2.1 percent, in 2001, according
to the church's finance agency.

Giving to the seven general apportioned funds hit $114.7 million for the
year, according to the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA)
in Evanston, Ill. Local churches support the apportioned funds through
payments to the denomination's annual conferences, or regional units. 

Beyond that amount, United Methodists gave $17.5 million to the church's
ongoing "Love in the Midst of Tragedy" offering, made in response to the
aftermath of Sept. 11. 

Sandra Kelley Lackore, the denomination's treasurer and top staff executive
of GCFA, said she was "overjoyed" at the 2.1 percent increase in general
fund income, achieved despite an economic recession and a national tragedy.

"Our annual conferences and local churches have worked diligently," she said
on Feb. 1. "This is a remarkable demonstration of the faithfulness of our
connection."

The $114.7 million figure represents 90.1 percent of the denomination's goal
for the year, according to GCFA. That's down slightly from the 91.1 percent
level of support for 2000. However, the 2001 budget represented a 4.4
percent increase to the annual conferences compared with the previous year.
General Conference, the church's top lawmaking assembly, sets the budgets
and increases when it meets every four years.

The 4.4 percent represents the biggest yearly increase for the 2001-2004
quadrennium. The increase for 2002 will be 0.4 percent, according to Steve
Zekoff, communications officer for GCFA.

Three of the general funds received an increase in support. The biggest of
the seven funds, World Service, received a 5 percent increase for its work
supporting the church's program agencies. The Interdenominational
Cooperation Fund had a 28.7 percent increase, and the General Administration
Fund saw a 12.9 percent increase.

Receipts for the four other funds decreased slightly. The Africa University
Fund, supporting the United Methodist-related school in Zimbabwe, decreased
1.1 percent, and the Black College Fund dropped 1.6 percent. Giving to the
Ministerial Education Fund was down 0.8 percent, and support for the
Episcopal Fund dropped 1.0 percent.
 
Total giving for all general funds, including the apportioned ones, reached
$171.3 million, up from $153.9 million during 2000.  

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) received $32 million of the
giving beyond the apportioned funds. The $17.5 million for "Love in the
Midst of Tragedy" accounted for more than half of the giving to UMCOR, which
is administering the money.

Giving to all of the denomination's Advance Specials, which include "Love in
the Midst of Tragedy," was $49.2 million. Other denominational outreach
funds collected $807,396 in special gifts.

United Methodists also gave more to support the church's six Special Sunday
offerings, sending that total figure up 7.5 percent to $6.7 million.

Fourteen annual conferences paid 100 percent of their general fund
apportionment: Baltimore-Washington, Central Pennsylvania, Desert Southwest,
Detroit, Kansas West, Minnesota, Northern Illinois, North Texas, Oklahoma
Indian Missionary, Peninsula-Delaware, Red Bird Missionary, Western
Pennsylvania, West Michigan and Wisconsin. That number is a slight decrease
from the year before, when 16 conferences paid all of their apportionments.
 
Another six conferences paid 100 percent of their World Service commitment:
Illinois Great Rivers, West Ohio, Troy, Oklahoma, Rio Grande and North
Carolina. The autonomous Iglesia Metodista de Puerto Rico also paid 100
percent of its voluntary participation in the United Methodist Church's
general funds.

The United Methodist Church has about 8.4 million U.S. members and more than
1 million additional members in Europe, Africa and Asia.
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United Methodist News Service
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