wfn.org | United Methodists give steadily for ministry, mission

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Oct. 9, 2000  News media contact: Joretta Purdue ·(202) 546-8722·Washington
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By United Methodist News Service

Contributions from United Methodist congregations to support churchwide
efforts this year are holding steady in spite of an allotted increase, and
some totals are ahead of last year's comparable figures, according to the
church's financial agency.

For the first three-quarters of the year, the General Council on Finance and
Administration (GCFA) noted an increase of almost $2 million in
contributions to the church's eight apportioned funds - those for which a
dollar amount is asked of each regional body to meet the denomination's
budget.
 
Since the apportionments for 2000 reflected a 2 percent increase approved by
the 1996 General Conference, dollar receipts reflecting a 3 percent increase
to date were especially welcomed by the agency. 

The $61 million received for the apportioned funds in 2000 was $1.8 million
more than the $59.2 million in hand at the same time last year. It also
represents 50 percent of the total amount asked of the congregations through
their annual conferences. In 1999, only 49 percent of the apportioned amount
had been received. Typically, much of the year's income reaches GCFA during
the final three months.

"Even though we had a 2 percent increase, it's coming in a bit better (than
in 1999)," said the Rev. Robert W. Fishel, a GCFA executive.

The 2 percent increase in apportionments was the largest in the four-year
period that ends with the year 2000. The formula approved by the church's
1996 legislative assembly called for no growth in the budget totals for the
years 1997 and 1998, and then a 1 percent rise in 1999's total
apportionments.

World Service, the church's largest apportioned fund, grew 2 percent to
reach $32 million. Other funds experienced increases from 1 percent to 8
percent. Of these, the highest increases measured 5 percent in the Black
College Fund, which has reached almost $5.3 million, and 8 percent for the
General Administration Fund, which now totals almost $2.4 million.

"It is encouraging that both the Black College and the General
Administration funds went up those much higher percentages. That's
significant, especially the Black College Fund," Fishel said.

Other apportioned fund Sept. 30 totals and their percentage increases were:
·	Ministerial Education, $9.9 million, a 4 percent increase;
·	Interdenominational Cooperation Fund, $806,980, 3 percent; 
·	Focus 2000: Mission Initiatives (special programs), $596,588, 2
percent;
·	Episcopal Fund, $8.8 million, 2 percent; and
·	Africa University, $1.2 million, 1 percent.

Giving to six Special Sundays with offering is down for the most part, with
current totals for the six free-will offerings totaling $4.1 million. That's
10 percent less than at the same point in 1999.

A third category of giving - Advance specials, to be used as designated
without administration costs - netted $23.9 million so far this year. The
category includes bishops' appeals, mission program areas and United
Methodist Committee on Relief projects. These gifts are not compared to
those of other years because they vary widely, with differences in need
related to the scope of natural disasters and human conflicts.

Total giving for churchwide causes also includes contributions to the Youth
Service Fund and World Service Special Gifts fund. In all, United Methodists
had contributed almost $90 million to support the mission and ministry of
the denomination at the international and national levels by the end of
September. 

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United Methodist News Service
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