Home Mission Appeal 2010: Legacies boost Home Mission Appeal
Baptist Union finances were in far better shape than predicted at the end of last year after a generous response to the Home Mission Appeal and a very large income from legacies.
The Appeal target was set at £4,300,000, and while the 2010 total fell short of this – the final figure was £4,053,493 – giving was up £169,620 on last year's total, equal to a 4.37 per cent increase and the biggest increase since 2003.
Legacy income was more than £830,000, compared with a budget of £350,000 – more than double last year's figure, which also exceeded the budget at nearly £410,000.
'This is an amazing result for which we truly praise God,' said BUGB General Secretary the Revd Jonathan Edwards.
'The combination of a good appeal together with a huge increase in legacies and a better than expected level of investment income has given us a wonderful result.
'We are more than aware of the precarious financial climate in which we live, but thank God for this solid and encouraging outcome. Giving to Home Mission is an exciting way of participating in God's mission to our society and I urge all churches to work hard in 2011 to give at least five per cent of income to this important ministry.'
The increase in giving was general across the different Associations of the denomination.
Baptist Union Treasurer Malcolm Broad described the result as 'really excellent news for our Baptist denomination'.
It was the first time the Appeal had raised more than £4 million, he said, adding that he was 'delighted with the result and immensely grateful to our churches for their ongoing generosity and commitment to Home Mission'. Associations receive a refund of 25 per cent of money given to the Home Mission Appeal by their churches. Mr Broad said the result was 'good news for those churches supported by Home Mission and good news for our Associations, all of whom will directly benefit from this increase especially at a time when there are so many demands upon the family purse'.
He has urged churches to give at least five per cent of their general fund income to Home Mission each year, and said that he was grateful to churches which had committed to doing this or to moving towards it. 'The generous giving by our churches is making a real difference to the lives of countless people up and down our country and long may this continue.'
The Home Mission budget for 2010 – which supports pastors in churches, the national resource at Didcot and Associations – included a budgeted deficit of £450,000, reflecting the financial pressure felt by many organisations at this time. The fact that the combined budget for legacies and income has been exceeded will have reduced this need to call on reserves.
The largest slice of Home Mission income goes to support pastors in chaplaincies and in churches which would be unable to afford full-time ministry without central help. While so far the Union says that no church which meets the criteria for help has been turned down for a grant – which might have been less than they had asked for – last year's spending round was described as 'very tight'. It is not yet known how the economic situation, with the threat of widespread redundancies among local government employees this year, will affect the life of the churches or the level of support for Home Mission.
The Appeal for 2011 is £4,400,000.
Courtesy of the Baptist Times
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