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2003 - The New Year
Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden. - Corrie ten Boom
In continuing our ministry of informing the people of what is happening in our United Methodist Church, this edition of The Christian Methodist Newsletter offers the following data for the annual conferences. One area of concern for those of us in Concerned Methodists is the continuing loss of members from our denomination over the past thirty-three years. We are working with others to address our problems so that this trend can be reversed. Following are results from the various annual conferences for 2002:
Annual Conference Membership Net Change Jurisdiction
Alabama - West Florida 145,786 + 1,144 SEJ
Alaska Missionary 4,110 - 11 W-J
Baltimore - Washington 206,830 - 1,126 NEJ
California - Nevada 90,954 - 1,246 W-J
California - Pacific 92,298 - 366 W-J
Central Pennsylvania 157,916+ - 1,863 NEJ
Central Texas 156,767 +1,695 SCJ
Dakotas 45,293 - 917 NCJ
Desert Southwest 45,660 - 1,091 W-J
Detroit 103,914+ - 370 NCJ
East Ohio 190,735* - 3,068 NCJ
Eastern Pennsylvania 133,441 + 390 NEJ
Florida 334,053 - 1,185 SEJ
Germany North 7,627 + 2 N/A
Greater New Jersey 113,824* - 1,640 NEJ
Holston 169,339 - 1,507 SEJ
Illinois Great Rivers 164,495 - 4,141 NCJ
Iowa 199,534 - 1,009 NCJ
Kansas East 76,706+ + 3,283 SCJ
Kansas West 89,473 - 512 SCJ
Kentucky 153,2041 - 350 SEJ
Little Rock 62,136 - 942 SCJ
Louisiana 126,664 - 982 SCJ
Memphis 91,382 - 429 SEJ
Minnesota 90,900 - 2,169 NCJ
Mississippi 190,698 + 197 SEJ
Missouri East 73,788 - 577 SCJ
Missouri West 106,230 - 440 SCJ
Nebraska 92,196 - 2,197 SCJ
New England 105,450 - 1,200 NEJ
New Mexico 42,113 - 736 SCJ
New York 135,059 - 4,594 NEJ
North Alabama 159,730 - 1,042 SEJ
North Arkansas 80,271+ + 1,821 SCJ
North Carolina 230,836 + 1,896 SEJ
North Central New York 82,809 - 1,783 NEJ
North Georgia 322,125+ + 7,404 SEJ
North Indiana 103,379+ - 971 NCJ
North Texas 160,029 +2,266 SCJ
Northern Illinois 120,325* - 824 NCJ
Northwest Texas 69,458* - 12 SCJ
Oklahoma 252,467 - 245 SCJ
Oklahoma Indian Missionary 6,275 - 92 SCJ
Oregon - Idaho 37,902* - 283 W-J
Pacific Northwest 63,900+ - 151 W-J
Peninsula - Delaware 95,866 - 193 NEJ
The Polish Conference 4,000* N/A N/A
Red Bird Missionary 1,479* + 34 SEJ
Rio Grande 15,227* + 66 SCJ
Rocky Mountain 72,389 - 679 W-J
Russia Conference No figures are available Eurasia Area
South Carolina 242,190 - 619 SEJ
South Georgia 141,974 - 320 SEJ
South German 11,656 + 106 Eurasia Area
South Indiana 123,425+ - 1,776 NCJ
Southwest Texas 120,853 + 1,383 SCJ
Tennessee 114,584 + 845 SEJ
Texas 285,237 + 2,892 SCJ
Troy 56,798* - 925 NEJ
Virginia 340,231 + 701 SEJ
West Michigan 71,204 - 1,384 NCJ
West Ohio 255,312 - 3,912 NCJ
West Virginia 110,634 - 2,388 NEJ
Western New York 60,813* - 442 NEJ
Western North Carolina 291,727 + 243 SEJ
Western Pennsylvania 200,194 - 936 NEJ
Wisconsin 101,657 - 2,559 NCJ
Wyoming 66,248 - 576 NEJ
Yellowstone 17,312 - 330 W-J
Footnotes:
* Indicates 2001 figures are shown since more current statistics were not available.
+ Indicates figures that we received differed significantly from the computations of Concerned Methodists.
The statistics shown were the ones that have been received.
1 Indicates figures that were reported last year. These are believed to be incorrect but no others are available.
Jurisdiction to which each annual conference belongs:
"NCJ" - North Central Jurisdiction
"NEJ" - Northeastern Jurisdiction
"SCJ" - South Central Jurisdiction
"SEJ" - Southeastern Jurisdiction
"W-J" - Western Jurisdiction
The estimated change in membership in the United Methodist Church is a decline of 30,643 people for the year. Sources: Annual Conference Reports, Newscope, United Methodist News Service, the Internet.
At the end of each year, we make our annual request for contributions; we ask that each of you pray and seek the Lord's leading as to how you might support the ministry of Concerned Methodists. We make the most efficient use possible of the money you entrust to our work. Since we have no paid employees and minimize overhead, we are able to translate the maximum amount of donations into our ministry of informing people about what is happening within our United Methodist Church. For those who do choose to provide financial assistance to us, we send our "Monthly Update" that contains even more news on what is happening across our denomination. Finally, it should also be noted that all donor information is kept strictly confidential.
* We do not share donor information with any outside organizations.
* You will not be solicited through regular mailings or "telemarketing" calls.
* You will continue to receive newsletters, informational mailings, and notices of issues pertaining to our United Methodist Church.
We would ask you to make a contribution to the ministry of Concerned Methodists to support publication of The Christian Methodist Newsletter if you have never previously done so. Please consider this request.
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World Methodist Call to Prayer and Fasting and to Faith-Sharing
The World Methodist Conference in England called upon Methodists around the world to "follow the Wesleyan pattern of prayer and fasting, focusing on spreading the gospel of Christ Jesus through word, deed and sign" by participating in the same weekly fast which John Wesley observed most of his life. Because of this commitment, Methodists in 130 countries go without solid food after their evening meal each Thursday until mid-afternoon each Friday. This time of fasting is focused in prayer…-to see the Methodist movement alive, vibrant, growing and yearning to spread the good news of Christ Jesus in a world that so desperately needs healing, hope and salvation.
John Wesley wrote, "When you seek God with fasting added to prayer, you cannot seek His face in vain."
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ASnapshot: Two Financial Statistics of The General Board of Global Ministries Over the Years
Year: 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Assets: $295,956,199 $387,994,505 $409,210,898 $449,030,754 $485,333,138 $530,756,314 $500,793,417
Income: $133,173,640tr $173,348,658tr $191,551,170tr $187,536,100 $198,899,393 $204,193,966 $126,694,401
All figures are taken from the Financial Disclosure Reports for each of the respective years from The General Board of Global Ministries with the exception of those figures marked "TR".
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Snapshot: What is the Value of the United Methodist Church?
The total value of UM church, land, buildings, and equipment as well as church-owned parsonages and furniture, as of the end of 1999 was $37,284,544,799, up from $24,079,027,263 at the end of 1990.
- Letter received from the General Council on Finance and Administration dated March 14, 2002
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