“The duty of the treasury is to safeguard the church’s assets,” said Robert Lemon, treasurer for the Seventh-day Adventist world church. “The assets are not investments, bank accounts, or buildings, but members.”

Lemon made this statement during the treasurer’s report to the church Friday, July 1. The report revealed that the 14.3 million-member church averaged U.S. $1.87 billion in tithe contributions for each of the past five years. While this number stays consistent, the church treasurer expressed concerns that for the last 25 years giving to missions has remained around U.S. $50 million each year with no distinct increases.

He pointed out that tithe-giving, which is 10 percent of a church member’s income, has kept pace, increasing from U.S. $398 million in 1980 to what it is today.

Over the past five years worldwide tithe has been up by 29 percent, from U.S. $1,029,257,377 in 1999 to U.S. $1,333,482,562 in 2004.

“We praise the Lord, but mission giving does not seem, at this point, to captivate the imagination of the church as it should,” Lemon said.

Steve Rose, undertreasurer for the world church, explained that while mission giving has not increased substantially, members are still giving, just through other channels.

Of the total world tithe and offerings, only 1.5 percent, or an average of U.S. $28 million, is spent operating the church’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lemon expressed concern that the actual costs of headquarters operations—which includes building maintenance and staff—are inching closer to the spending limit.

The world church draws funding from church members around the world, and then allocates or appropriates funds to a variety of areas in of great need. Lemon emphasized the church’s commitment to mission; to increasing funds that will make possible programs that introduce the Gospel to the millions who have not heard it.