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Church giving shows decline Mary Jacobs, Oct 30, 2009
UMNS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE DUBOSE
Churches are spending an increasingly smaller percentage of contributions to support causes outside of their congregations, according to a new report.
By Mary Jacobs Staff Writer
American Christians aren’t putting their money where their faith is, according to a new report from Illinois-based research firm empty tomb, inc.
The report, “State of Church Giving Through 2007: What Are Our Christian Billionaires Thinking—Or Are They?” examined trends in denominational giving. The most troubling trend, according to authors John and Sylvia Ronsvalle, is that Christians are giving less to the “least of these” and spending more on maintaining their local churches.
While overall contributions to churches as a percentage of individual income increased from 2006 to 2007, giving for benevolences hit an all-time low in 2007. An average of just 14 percent of member contributions went to needs beyond the church, down from a high of 21 percent 40 years ago.
Benevolences includes causes outside of the local congregation’s operations, such as missions and seminary support, in contrast with congregational finances such as salaries, operating budget and building costs.
“Churches are giving a smaller and smaller portion of contributions to causes beyond the local congregation,” said Ms. Ronsvalle. “Church members are de-emphasizing the larger mission of the church.”
Aside from a small uptick in 2005—due to giving related to the tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina and an earthquake in Pakistan—the downward trend in benevolences has continued since 1968.
“If that continues to happen, how can the church really be the church?” Ms. Ronsvalle said. “If you go to maintain your institution, you’re going to find that your institution dies.”
The report did show some positive trends. Churchgoers gave 2.26 percent of their income to charity in 2007, considerably more than the 1.8 percent contributed by members of the general population.
However, the Ronsvalles, who attend First United Methodist Church in Champaign, Ill., say their report shows that United Methodists aren’t immune to the downward trend in giving to benevolences.
As a percentage of income, benevolences in the United Methodist Church declined from 0.4 percent in 1969 to 0.28 percent in 2007, a 30 percent difference that is on par with decreases tallied in other denominations. (The report’s calculation of benevolences does not include Connectional Clergy support, which covers district superintendents’ and bishops’ salaries, pastor pensions and benefits.)
Similarly, the United Methodist Church dedicated only 1.3 percent of total contributions to overseas missions, compared to an average of about 2 percent for the 34 denominations compared in the report.
“The denominations have not used their bully pulpit, so to speak, to call on people to do something great,” said Ms. Ronsvalle. She cited the United Methodist Bishops’ Initiative on Children and Poverty, announced with great fanfare in 1997 but quietly discontinued in 2004, as an example.
“You have this great vision, this rhetoric, but not the stick-to-itiveness to see it through and really get something done,” said Ms. Ronsvalle. That’s a fair criticism, according to Bishop Thomas Bickerton, chairperson of the Global Health Initiative for the Council of Bishops. “It’s safe to say that we tend to get onto something for a while and then move onto something else,” he said. “We’ve got to stay on message if we’re going to meet the challenges we’ve set.”
The 2008 General Conference launched the Global Health Initiative, with a goal of raising $75 million to eliminate malaria by 2015. To date, $7 million has been raised—putting the effort on target for 2009, according to Bishop Bickerton.
Interest remains high in the cause of fighting malaria, he added, and that makes him optimistic about reaching the fundraising goal.
“We have a very intentional 5-year game plan to raise the $75 million,” Bishop Bickerton said. A new campaign, Imagine No Malaria, is set for a public launch on April 25. Fundraising consultants have helped create a five-step plan to attract donations.
That kind of goal is doable, Ms. Ronsvalle said, but only if the denomination commits to a clear strategy for carrying it through. Churches do know how to run focused fundraising drives, she added—building campaigns being a prime example.
“When a local church has a building campaign, every week there’s someone standing in front of the congregation reporting how much has been raised and reminding them of the deadline,” she said. “But you don’t see that follow-through with more important denominational efforts that could really make a difference in the world.”
The report stated that foreign-born people living in the U.S. sent $79 billion overseas in 2007—an average of about $2,076 per person. If churches sent money overseas at the same rate, that would mean an additional $314 billion for international needs.
The report also advocated the idea of “wholesale billionaires”—high capacity donors—helping to mobilize individual donors by matching their contributions.
“Here we are living in the largest economy the world has ever seen,” Ms. Ronsvalle said. “Are we taking our calling seriously, or are we building institutions?”
UMNS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE DUBOSE
However, the Ronsvalles, who attend First United Methodist Church in Champaign, Ill., say their report shows that United Methodists aren’t immune to the downward trend in giving to benevolences. 
