Re Churches Share Less with National Offices, January
The news item implies Presbyterians had been less generous in their support of Presbyterians Sharing in 2009 than in previous years. In 2003, $8.4 million (in real, inflation-adjusted figures) was given to Presbyterians Sharing; in 2009, $7.4 million (again in real dollars) was given. A $1-million drop in purchasing power.
In 2009, an average of $65.02 (adjusted for inflation) per member was received by Presbyterians Sharing. In 2003, the average was $64.85 (adjusted for inflation). Over the past seven years (2003-2009) the support has been remarkably constant, ranging from $64.85 to $66.54 (adjusted for inflation) per member. This indicates there is a consistent level of support for Presbyterians Sharing over time.
Given this consistent level of giving, why has there been a $1 million decline in the real dollars flowing to Presbyterians Sharing? At the start of 2003 there were 129,684 members in the Presbyterian Church in Canada and as 2009 began there were 113,104 members — a decline of 16,500. Sixteen thousand, five hundred members times an average giving per member of $65 (consistent giving level) is just over $1 million (in real, inflation-adjusted dollars). The crisis in givings is not that Presbyterians are less generous than they used to be, it is that there are fewer Presbyterians than there used to be.
It seems unlikely there will be any increase in the financial resources available to Presbyterians Sharing until the membership decline ends.
