The Christian Methodist Newsletter


Volume 13, Number 1                                                 Winter 2002- 2003

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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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