The per capita budget for 2005 was set at $12,559,362 and the per capita budget for 2006 was set at $15,165,205.
A per capita rate of $5.57 was approved or both upcoming years. The Committee on General Assembly Procedures recommended, and the Assembly approved, a proposal to average the rate over the two years before the next General Assembly, rather than set gradually increasing rates for the two years.
Elder Joan Fong of San Francisco Presbytery questioned the wisdom of the increase and said it would be hard to interpret to the churches. But Norman Wittig, an elder from Lake Erie, said his week at GA has helped him to understand how per capita is used. “I am convinced that we need to support the work of the General Assembly,” adding that the per capita increase is just a little over one percent.
The Assembly also approved that $956,563 (about half the cost of the Assembly meeting) in the 2005 per capita budget be designated as reserved for use in 2006, the year of the next Assembly.
— John Sniffen
