Committee predicts more membership losses, fewer contributions
By Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman Online, January 15, 2003
LOUISVILLE — The per capita rate will increase five cents to $5.49 for 2003 if the 215th General Assembly approves the recommendation from the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly.
The executive committee of the General Assembly Council has also approved the increase, and the full General Assembly Council will vote on the per-capita rate later in the week.
According to reports presented to the joint meeting of COGA and the GAC executive committee “It is clear that the turmoil in the church will impact both the level of membership and the percentage of presbyteries paying their full per capita apportionment. For 2003 we are projecting for budget purposes that our membership loss for 2003 (which sets the basis for the 2004 per capita apportionments) will be 35,000 and that the amount of withholding of per capita will be $350,000 in 2004.”
The proposed 2004 expenditure budget totals $14,708,259, which represents a 2 percent increase over the 2003 budget. The Office of the General Assembly will receive $9,773,825 of the per capita budget and the General Assembly Council will receive $393,434.
The Office of the General Assembly’s portion of the per capita budget includes grants of $400,000 to the National Council of Churches, $449,414 to the World Council of Churches, and $232,731 to the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.