The treasurer’s report to Annual Council delegates at one of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s biannual business meetings Oct. 11 revealed growth in mission offerings worldwide during the past year; “good increases” in tithe in North America—the Sept. 30 interim financial statement shows an 8 percent increase over last year; and the world headquarters office expenses are slightly under the 2005 budget. 

While world mission offerings have been a concern for some time, as overall worldwide mission offerings have not kept pace with tithe increases, there is a 7 percent increase over last year in offerings, reported Steve Rose, world church under-treasurer. This is U.S. $36.3 million year-to-date as of Sept. 30, 2005, as compared to U.S. $33.9 million year-to-date 2004.

Overall, however, during the past 25 years annual mission offerings have remained static at U.S. $50 million, reported Bob Lemon, treasurer for the world church, while tithe has gone up consistent with church membership from U.S. $398 million in 1980 to U.S. $1.3 billion in 2004. Total offerings as a percentage of tithe have significantly declined, a problem that has been a focus for church leadership for several years. “This shift is one we have to spend real time in studying,” Lemon said.

Cecil Perry, president of the Adventist Church in Britain, asked if people are giving much more to independent projects.

“There are many factors,” Lemon said, in determining why mission offerings have declined since 1930, a time when mission offerings as a percentage of total world tithe were about 65 percent, with current rates at about 5 percent. “This trend was going down before we had project giving. We have to be careful not to say that these projects are a cause of mission giving decline.

“One of the biggest things is that we have just failed to communicate an unfinished work. Our main emphasis is mission awareness—not fundraising. When God’s people understand the need, they are the most generous people in world,” said Lemon.

Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the world church, commented on the increase in tithe. “It is strong, it is steady. It is our people saying to us, ‘Look, if you focus on being what the church is supposed to be—an instrument of mission—we will support the mission of the church, we will support the Lord’s initiatives.’ It is important for each of us, as you go back to your various territories, to make sure you communicate openly with people. It’s important that they be told, because that in itself stimulates faithfulness of our people.”

He added, “The real success of our mission ... is going to depend on a sense of direct ownership for which members will have in the global mission of the church. It’s not for leadership alone to carry.

“It’s good to know we are not a business subject to many uncertainties that business in general is subject to. When we vote a budget, it’s always a statement of faith,” Pastor Paulsen said.

Responding to inquiries he’s received about spending at the church’s headquarters building as compared with the world church, Lemon explained the committee has placed a tithe limitation of 2 percent on the church’s world headquarters operation. The largest portion of the budget goes to support the work in the world church regions.