I have been in the A.M.E. since birth and I am aware of the General Budget Fund, however; I would like a clear explanation of what it is and how it is calculated.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2002

Answers

Hi, Deborah! The General Budget Fund is the fund from which we administer the connectional church. It's described in each discipline, usually somewhere in the back. If you recall at a previous Annual Conference (2000 at Evangelist Chapel, maybe?) Bishop Young (109) distributed copies of the budget so that everyone would have an understanding of what it covers. Line items include:

• Finance Department
• Episcopal Salaries
• General Officer Salaries
• Educational Institutions
• Retirement benefits for bishops, general officers, and episcopal widows (and widowers)
• Operations for the departments (Church Growth and Development, Research and Scholarship, Missions)
• Overseas Development
• Service and Development Agency
• Lay Organization
• Interdenominational Funds
• Women's Missionary Society
• Episcopal District Projects
• General Conference
• Endowment
• Debt Retirement
• Contingency for Budget Adjustment

In 1996 the budget was $8.7M. in 2000 the budget was $11.3M, with about a 2% increase in each of the years in this quadrennium.

The budget allocation by district is as follows (using 2000 figures):

	District	Amount
1	$1,556,359.00
2	$1,466,525.00
11	$1,223,425.00
5	$1,119,251.00
6	$1,093,473.00
7	$1,040,636.00
4	$990,232.00
10	$668,919.00
3	$521,120.00
9	$466,049.00
8	$374,815.00
13	$370,109.00
12	$364,771.00
19	$18,000.00
15	$15,000.00
17	$7,000.00
18	$7,000.00
14	$2,000.00
16	$2,000.00

I believe these are the numbers that Bishop Young distributed in 2001 at the Annual Conference. Each district then apportions the budget across the charges of the district, usually based on the "Conference" Roll for the charge. For example, in our Annual Conference Wesley Chapel's "Conference" Roll is 3200, so its budget is about $37,950. Payne Cathedral of Faith has the next highest apportionment at $18,000, and if I recall your Annual Report, your Roll this year was 725. The General Budget is collected at points in the year. In the tenth, I believe we pay a portion at Founder's Day, and the rest at Annual Conference. These are the numbers reflected in Questions 32-34 (Cash on Budget - what's brought to conference, and Receipt on Budget - what's been paid previously). There is another item, Owed on Budget, but it is seldom seen on the floor because most elders strive to assure a "round" report, i.e., all budget assessments paid. Pastors who fall short here may find themselves before the Ministerial Efficiency committee. See you soon,

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2002

The Statistical Abstract of the U.S. in the library which contains 10 year old data about the AME church states that the AME church has 2.5 million members. Does anyone know the present membership levels?

Jazzman

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2002

Dear Jazzman My Brother I do not believe there is any reliable information that spots the true membership of the Church. I am looking for it as well.

-- Anonymous, October 19, 2002

I'M VERY MUCH INTERESTED ON WHAT IT IS AND HOW THIS IS CALCULATED.

THANKS

MARGARET

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2002

If you call the Genral Secretaries office or the office of Research & Scholarships they would be able to tell you what each district report as far as members, but to actually say realistically how many members are in our connection would be hard because members are joining and leaving weekely so if we purge our rolls as we should and give an acurate number on our reports we could better have a handle on this situation.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2002