Per-capita apportionments raised for 2003 and 2004 The Layman Volume 35, Number 4 Posted July 19, 2002 To keep pace with a shrinking denomination, the General Assembly has approved increases in per-capita apportionments for 2003 and 2004. The per capita for 2002 is $5.25 per Presbyterian member. Commissioners voted to increase it by 19 cents to $5.44 in 2003 and another two cents to $5.46 for 2004. If membership held steady at 2,493,781 (as of Dec. 31, 2001) and all churches paid their full per capita, the apportionment would raise $13,566,169 in 2003 and $13,616,044 in 2004. PCUSA has lost members However, the Presbyterian Church has lost members every year since 1965, including more than 66,000 in 2000 and 2001. The commissioners also approved spending $80,137 over what had already been budgeted for 2002, which would have required a 3-cent increase in the per capita. But the staff assured the General Assembly that it has reduced other expenses so that the budget will balance without an increase in the per capita. The General Assembly per capita pays for the operations of the staff and headquarters in Louisville, Ky. That budget is $14 million. Special contributions and revenue from the Presbyterian Foundation pay for the mission of the church – which was budgeted at $144.1 million in 1991, but was pared to $134 million in actual outlays that year. The mission budget for 2002 is $132.1 million and, for 2003, $130.1 million. Membership declines, redirecting per-capita payments because of conscientious objection to some of the denomination’s actions, and donor-designated giving instead of general purpose contributions have reduced Louisville’s ability to move money around to cover unpopular programs.

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