Mission campaign reports pledges totaling $6 million The Layman Online Friday, May 30, 2003 215th General Assembly Denver, Colo. May 24-31, 2003 General Assembly news index DENVER – California businessman Bill Sauls, the chairman of the Mission Initiative Campaign – a.k.a., "Joining Hearts and Hands – told commissioners to the General Assembly that Presbyterians have committed $6 million to the campaign. Of that amount, $300,000 in cash has been raised since the campaign was authorized in June 2002 by the 214th General Assembly. "Joining Hearts and Hands" seeks to raise $40 million. Roughly half will be used for new church development, with an emphasis on racial-ethnic congregations. The rest will be used to restock the denomination's depleted missionary force. The same General Assembly that authorized the fundraising campaign also approved a 2003 budget that cut the denomination's foreign mission force by 10 percent. Sauls told the commissioners that the campaign initially intended to focus on wealthy Presbyterians who had "extraordinary means." But presbyteries themselves have been in the forefront of making pledges to support the effort, he said. One presbytery, Los Ranchos in California, has pledged $1 million over a 10-year period. Seven others are part of a pilot fundraising project, Sauls said. When he announced the $6 million in commitments, the commissioners applauded. "That's wonderful, but we will really applaud when we hit $40 million," Sauls said.

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