Giving for 2005 climbs $205,000 from ’04

Southwest Texas United Methodists gave nearly $205,000 more to connectional ministries beyond the local church during 2005 than they did in 2004.
Support for apportioned causes last year totaled $8.95 million, the Office of Finance and Administration reported Jan. 19. That total equaled 95.63 percent of the $9.63 million asking for 2005.
The apportionment payment rate was up 0.92 percent from 2004. Congregations paid 94.71 of the $8.75 million asking in 2004.
Total giving to apportionments and designated second-mile causes, such as special offerings and Advance Specials, went up to $11.71 million in 2005 from $10.42 million in 2004.
“Giving to connectional causes continued to be extremely strong in 2005,” observed the Rev. David A. Seilheimer, treasurer. “Total apportioned giving increased by $204,728 while the tremendous surge in giving to disaster relief raised second-mile giving to $2.8 million, an increase of $1.1 million.”
The change in second-mile giving represented a 67 percent increase from 2004 levels, Seilheimer noted. The 2004 second-mile total was up 40 percent from 2003.
Four hurricanes hitting Florida and a December tsunami in the Indian Ocean helped boost 2004 giving, Seilheimer said. Continued giving for tsunami relief in 2005 plus responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita helped boost second-mile giving last year.
Southwest Texas contributed $591,896 to the United Methodist Committee on Relief during 2005 for disaster relief in South Asia following the 2004 tsunami. Church members gave another $989,215 to the relief committee last year for domestic disaster response. Most of that work was along the Gulf Coast.
The Conference Disaster Response Fund (Advance 2050) received $91,119 during 2005 for ongoing disaster relief work in Southwest Texas. That was up from $5,042 in 2004.
“This generosity is truly the mark of a faithful response of God’s people to those in need,” Seilheimer said.
Of the 346 Southwest Texas congregations, 302—or 87 percent—paid their 2005 apportionments in full. That number was up from 301 in 2004.
Two congregations sent in more than 100 percent of their share of expenses from ministries across the state, nation and world. Epworth UMC, San Antonio, paid 103 percent of its apportionments. Bruni UMC paid 101 percent.
Forty-one congregations submitted at least part of their share of conference and denominational ministry expenses. Partial contributions ranged from 3 to 94 percent.
Three congregations gave nothing: Malalieu UMC, Cologne; Rolling Hills Community Church, Lago Vista; and Cokesbury UMC, San Antonio.
All congregations in the Kerrville and San Angelo districts paid 100 percent of the 2005 apportionments.
Giving to apportionments in the Austin District went up 1.39 percent in 2005 compared to 2004. Giving in the San Antonio District was up 0.02 percent.
Giving in the Corpus Christi, McAllen and Victoria districts for 2005 was down from 2004 levels.
Giving to two of the six annual denominationwide special offerings was up during 2005 compared to 2004:
> World Communion Sunday—$19,338, up from $16,401.
> Peace with Justice Sunday—$9,457, up from $9,221.
Other special offering totals were:
> One Great Hour of Sharing—$59,917, down from $61,270.
> United Methodist Student Day—$6,937, down from $8,627.
> Native Awareness Sunday—$5,319, down from $6,916.
> Human Relations Day—$4,387, down from $4,768.
Support for the conferencewide Harvest Sunday anti-hunger offering totaled $27,829, up from $26,116 in 2004.
After disaster-response causes, the most popular recipients of second-mile gifts during 2005 were:
> Methodist Children’s Home, Waco—$164,175.
> Missionaries Bill and Diane Upchurch—$104,490.
> Mount Wesley Conference Center, Kerrville—$98,386.