Giving for 2004 climbs $692,000 from ’03

Southwest Texas United Methodists gave $692,405 more to connectional ministries beyond local congregations during 2004 than they did in 2003.
Support for apportioned causes last year totaled $8.75 million, the Office of Finance and Administration reported Jan. 12. That was 94.71 percent of the $9.24 million total asking for 2004.
The apportionment payment rate was down 0.2 percent from 2003. Congregations paid 94.91 percent of the $8.49 million asking that year.
Total giving to apportionments and designated causes, such as special offerings and Advance Specials, climbed to $10.42 million during 2004. That was up from $9.84 million during 2003.
“Giving to nonapportioned causes through the conference Treasurer’s Office increased by 40 percent to a total of $1.67 million,” said the Rev. David A. Seilheimer, conference treasurer. “One reason was disaster relief. Our churches gave more than $200,000 to 43 different disaster-relief projects during 2004, with $104,279 directed to (Florida) emergency hurricane relief.”
The Conference Disaster Response Fund (Advance 2050) received $5,042 for ongoing disaster relief work in Southwest Texas. That was down from $15,979 in 2003.
The 2004 disaster-response total includes only $13,494 for relief from the Dec. 26 South Asia tsunami, Seilheimer noted.
“Those funds have only begun to arrive,” he said. “In fact, we now are processing a large stack of 2005 checks for tsunami relief.”
As of Jan. 19, giving in Southwest Texas to the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s South Asia Emergency (Advance 274305) had topped $104,000.
Bishop Joel N. Martinez had called all Southwest Texas congregations to collect a special tsunami-relief offering Jan. 23.
Of the 345 congregations with apportionments during 2004, 301—or 87 percent—paid their asking in full. That number is down from 306 in 2003 and 302 in 2002.
Six congregations sent in more than 100 percent of expenses for ministries across the state, nation and world. Bruni UMC led the list. The 20-member congregation paid 112 percent of its apportionment.
Bruni United Methodists also contributed $10,000 to the relief fund for Florida hurricane recovery and another $10,000 for response to the Dec. 26 South Asia tsunami.
Other congregations paying more than 100 percent of their 2004 apportionments were Monthalia UMC (105 percent); Epworth UMC, San Antonio (103 percent); First UMC, Medina (102 percent); Day Memorial UMC, San Angelo (101 percent); and Windcrest UMC (101 percent).
Forty congregations submitted at least part of their share of conference and denominational ministry expenses. Partial payments ranged from 3 to 91 percent.
Four congregations gave nothing: Scott’s Chapel UMC, Kingsville; Cokesbury UMC, San Antonio; Sanford Chaple UMC, San Antonio; and Staples UMC.
Pedernales River UMC, a 3-year-old congregation in western Travis County near Spicewood, had no apportionments for 2004.
All congregations in the San Angelo District paid 100 percent of their 2004 apportionments.
Two districts—Corpus Christi and San Antonio—recorded higher support for apportioned causes in 2004 than in 2003.
Giving to five of the six annual denominationwide special offerings was up during 2004:
> One Great Hour of Sharing—$61,270, up from $57,350.
> World Communion Sunday—$16,401, up from $15,787.
> Peace with Justice Sunday—$9,221, up from $8,606.
> United Methodist Student Day—$8,627, up from $6,829.
> Native Awareness Sunday—$6,916, up from $5,175.
The sixth denominationwide offering, Human Relations Day, brought in $4,768, down from $5,341 in 2003.
Support for the conferencewide Harvest Sunday anti-hunger offering was $26,116, up from $25,160 in 2003.