$150 million gift targets church growth By Steve Strickler The Layman Online Saturday, June 17, 2006 217th General Assembly Birmingham, Ala. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A Colorado businessman has made a $150 million gift to the Presbyterian Church (USA) to be applied toward increasing membership growth through congregational transformation, racial ethnic congregations and new church development. Stanley W. Anderson, a member of Central Presbyterian Church in Denver, made the donation to the Loaves and Fishes Church Growth Fund, which will distribute the funds to presbyteries through various grants, ranging from $250,000 to $1 million. Presbytery mission causes and seminaries also may benefit from the funds. John Detterick, the retiring executive director of the General Assembly Council, made the announcement during the opening session of the 217th General Assembly. Calling it a "historic event in the life" of the denomination, he said "I pray [it] will set the tone for our worship and work this week and in the years to come." Anderson said he made the contribution, which will be submitted to the Presbyterian Foundation by the end of November, because of his frustration at the continuing decline of the denomination. "I share with you that I am tried of seeing the annual report of our denomination that shows a net loss of membership, the decrease in mission giving and a struggle to balance the books. "We are God's children, full of talent, ideas and His promise," Anderson said. "Let's reverse the negative trends. We can grow. We can do more, we can stretch, we can push, we can be like that little boy who gave what he had to Jesus. We can do no less." He then quoted Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." At a press conference later, officials said the gift will be applied toward the denomination's Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts and Hands campaign, which is seeking to raise $40 million for church growth and international mission personnel. A member of the Mission Initiative steering committee, the Rev. Tim Hart-Andersen of Minneapolis, told Anderson that, "It's a remarkable witness to your faith and to what the church can do when it leans into a challenge. Of late, the church has felt like the wind has gone out of its sails. Suddenly, the winds are back in the sails in some new ways and the ship is beginning to move." Disbursements from the fund will begin during the first quarter of 2007, and all applications must be processed and determined by the end of 2009. "I strongly urge all presbyteries to look seriously at this opportunity, use their creative talents and resources and determine how they can best respond," Anderson said. Presbyteries may receive on grant, according to a fact sheet, and must agree to several conditions: -- 10% of the grant must go to approved presbytery mission causes, including support for national and international missions within the PCUSA). This 10% in funding must be matched by the presbytery. -- 1% of the grant must go to the Theological Education Fund in support of seminaries. This 1% also must be matched by the presbytery. Therefore, this means that for a grant of $500,000, the presbytery would have to raise $55,000. Then: the presbytery's membership growth project would receive $445,000. the presbytery-approved mission cause would receive $100,000. the Theological Education Fund would receive $10,000.

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