$150-million ‘gift’ is still up in the air
The Layman Online, September 28, 2006
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Presbyterian Church (USA) isn’t ready to make any commitments to spend the $150 million that a Colorado businessman promised to the denomination before there were disclosures that he was in financial trouble.
The only mention of the status of the gift was in the written report of the executive committee of the General Assembly Council to the full council.
During a press conference at the 2006 General Assembly, Stanley W. Anderson and John Detterick, then executive director of the General Assembly, announced that Anderson would give the $150 million to the PCUSA as an expression of his love for the denomination and hope for its future.
But during the week the General Assembly was in session, a Colorado newspaper published a story pointing out that Anderson was in financial trouble and behind in his mortgage payments on what the newspaper described as modest.
After talking with Anderson by telephone, Detterick issued a second statement during the General Assembly, saying that he believed Anderson would fulfill his pledge.
However, the statement in the executive committee’s report sounded less sure.
“Mr. Stan Anderson made a large pledge to the General Assembly Council,” it said. “However, questions were raised about his ability to meet the pledge. Mr. John Detterick, former executive director of the General Assembly Council, has met with Mr. Anderson, and there is no additional news. Our position is that he has made a pledge, questions have been raised, and we are not making any plans until funds have been received.”
If the gift comes through, the $150 million would be the largest contribution in the denomination’s history. The amount is more than $50 million higher than the PCUSA’s 2007 total mission budget of $98 million.