Mission Giving and Per Capita – What’s the difference and why do we pay both?

Mission Giving and Per Capita – What’s the difference and why do we pay both?

Mission_Percapita_StewardshipThroughout the breadth of our Church organization – our Presbytery with 125 churches and 30,000 members; our Synod with 16 presbyteries, 1,200 churches and over 200,000 members; and our P.C.(USA) denomination with 16 synods, 10,250 churches and about 1.8 million members – we are blessed by the gifts of individual members and their congregations. Unlike most non-profit charitable organizations we are a “closed model” for donor contributions, and our ministry, mission and administrative purposes are often defined and sustained by the level of generosity of people sitting in the pews. We typically roll this up into one word: stewardship; but often the spiritual discipline of giving tithes, offerings and apportionments to the greater Church is not easily understood in just one word.

To start, we give to the extended Church in two ways: mission and per capita.

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Basic, or Shared, Mission Giving is an expression of our understanding that the work of the church extends far beyond our sanctuary walls. It is how we support the ministry and mission of the Presbytery and Synod, as well as the Presbyterian Mission Agency in Louisville. Within the Presbytery this includes funding for Chester Eastside Ministries, John Gloucester House, West Kensington Ministry and our camping ministry at Kirkwood-Brainerd. It also supports the administrative staff that coordinates and distributes the “Great Ends” and Covenant Fund grants to congregations. Beyond these very tangible programs, our defining mission priority is to share in the dreams of our congregations through the development of pastoral leadership, the training of lay leaders, and assistance as needed in their spiritual, organizational and financial growth.

Per Capita Apportionment is the way that each member of every congregation is able to acknowledge their connection to the broader Church and to sustain the unity of all members within the body of our denomination. By contributing a small amount – currently $25.27 per member, per year – we are each able to support the meetings and gatherings of the Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly; to pay for the essential ecclesiastical offices of Stated Clerks, Treasurers and Accountants at all levels; and to preserve the heritage and record of our Church through the Presbyterian Historical Society.

With grateful hearts we ask all our congregations to contribute generously to Basic Mission, and to ensure that all members are represented through Per Capita contributions.

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