Presbyterian mission giving changes lives. While our church’s mission is diverse, it is unified in its allegiance to a holistic witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many ways are available to support mission through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Shared Mission Support is also known as General Mission Support or Unified Giving in our denomination. Generally, such funds originate as undesignated gifts to congregations by members and friends as part of the regular offering. Each congregation’s session, through its annual budget, decides what percentage of these dollars will go to the work of the presbytery, the synod and the Presbyterian Mission Agency. At the presbytery level, a decision is made as to what percentage will remain in the presbytery and how much will go to support the work of its synod and the Presbyterian Mission Agency. The PMA uses these unrestricted funds to meet a variety of urgent mission needs.
Directed Mission Support are designated funds given to a specific ministry, mission, project or program of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. They are used exclusively for the purpose for which they are designated. Congregations make these gifts over and above Shared Mission Support gifts.
Extra Commitment Opportunities, like Directed Mission Support, provide ways to designate funds to a particular purpose. They are also gifts that are made over and above Shared Mission Support. The PMA has created a number of Extra Commitment Opportunity accounts to enable Presbyterians to give to their particular passions. Individuals who make designated gifts to the PMA ordinarily give through an ECO account.
Special Offerings are four opportunities each year for us to give together as a church so that we can have a larger, deeper impact on the world. The Special Offerings are One Great Hour of Sharing, the Pentecost Offering, the Peace and Global Witness Offering and the Christmas Joy Offering.
Per Capita Giving supports the work of the General Assembly (the meeting that occurs every two years), the work of the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) and permanent and special GA committees and commissions. It is a per member apportionment that each congregation pays. Less than 3 percent of per capita goes to the PMA to fund the mission of the church. Presbyteries and synods also set per capita apportionments to support their work.
Congregational and individual giving both support the work of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. Congregations have been and continue to be the PMA’s major source of funding. We deeply appreciate the generous congregations across the country that support the PMA’s work. We also welcome individuals to support PMA ministries directly with dollars that are over and above their regular congregational gifts. We are grateful for the many Presbyterians who feel passionately about Presbyterian mission and who want to provide direct financial support.