Dioceses in the Midwest were the most responsive to General Convention’s request of 19 percent of diocesan income for 2014. That’s according to a province-by-province comparison of figures in the mid-year report released July 1 by the Episcopal Church’s Office of Finance.
In releasing the report, the Office of Finance noted that 42 percent of dioceses meet the request, and 39 percent give between 10 and 19 percent.
This is the ranking of the church’s nine provinces by the percent of dioceses that meet General Convention’s request:
- Province 5 (57.1%)
- Province 8 (55.55%)
- Province 1 (50%)
- Province 2 (50%)
- Province 3 (41.66%)
- Province 7 (41.66%)
- Province 6 (37.5%)
- Province 4 (30%)
- Province 9 (14.28%)
In Province 3, Central Pennsylvania boosted its commitment from 17.6 percent in 2103 to 21.4 percent this year.
In Province 8, the highest percentage is from Alaska (23.3%).
There are outliers in most provinces — dioceses that give less than average because they are impoverished, torn by church divisions and lawsuits, less populous than most, protesting the politics or theology of General Convention, or placing greater emphasis on the diocese as the center of the church.
The Diocese of South Carolina pledged $49,020 in both 2013 and 2014. The church counted that as 0.9 percent of diocesan income in 2013 but as 19 percent of diocesan income in 2014 — a reflection of the people and income the diocese has lost since the departure of the Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence and most congregations’ members, which proved loyal to him.
International dioceses generally pledge nowhere near 19 percent: their percentage is listed as less than 2 percent in many cases, or “Will not pledge due to reduced grant” (Honduras). But Episcopalians in Haiti pledged $10,000, and the Diocese of Puerto Rico pledged 19 percent.
The Diocese of Dallas allows its parishes to decide whether they want to support General Convention’s budget, which leads to a listing of 0 percent. Parishes in Dallas have pledged $21,562 for 2014. A side note says Dallas plans to reach 10 percent by 2022.
Since the 67th General Convention in 1982 the Episcopal Church has affirmed tithing as “the minimum standard of individual giving for Episcopalians.”
As with most churches, fewer than 5 percent of Episcopalians typically meet that standard in a given year.
Here are the breakdowns of diocesan percentages by province:
Province 1
- Connecticut (17%)
- Haiti ($10,000; n/a)
- Maine (19.2%)
- Massachusetts (19%)
- New Hampshire (19%)
- Rhode Island (19%)
- Vermont (15%)
- Western Massachusetts (15%)
Province 2
- Albany (11.5%)
- Central New York (19%)
- Convocation in Europe (20%)
- Long Island (19%)
- New Jersey (10%)
- New York (16%)
- Newark (19%)
- Rochester (10%)
- Virgin Islands (19%)
- Western New York (11.7%)
Province 3
- Bethlehem (5.9%)
- Central Pennsylvania (21.4%)
- Delaware (18.3%)
- Easton (19%)
- Maryland (17.5%)
- Northwestern Pennsylvania (19%)
- Pennsylvania (4.8%)
- Pittsburgh (11.1%)
- Southern Virginia (9%)
- Southwestern Virginia (19%)
- Virginia (19.1%)
- Washington (12.7%)
Province 4
- Alabama (15.0%)
- Atlanta (19%)
- Central Florida (2.6%)
- Central Gulf Coast (9.9%)
- East Carolina (12.9%)
- East Tennessee (19.6%)
- Florida (11.4%)
- Georgia (13.6%)
- Kentucky (13%)
- Lexington (19%)
- Louisiana (16.5%)
- Mississippi (13.7%)
- North Carolina (19%)
- South Carolina (19%)
- Southeast Florida (12%)
- Southwest Florida (17.6%)
- Tennessee (8.1%)
- Upper South Carolina (19%)
- West Tennessee (13.5%)
- Western North Carolina (13%)
Province 5
- Chicago (16.6%)
- Eastern Michigan (17.7%)
- Eau Claire (14.9%)
- Fond du Lac (10.1%)
- Indianapolis (19%)
- Michigan (19%)
- Milwaukee (19.5%)
- Missouri (19%)
- Northern Indiana (10.3%)
- Northern Michigan (19%)
- Ohio (19%)
- Southern Ohio (19%)
- Springfield (1.9%)
- Western Michigan (19%)
Province 6
- Colorado (13.7%)
- Iowa (19%)
- Minnesota (19%)
- Montana (7.1%)
- Nebraska (19%)
- North Dakota (12.6%)
- South Dakota (14.8%)
- Wyoming (19.0%)
Province 7
- Arkansas (11.2%)
- Dallas (0%)
- Fort Worth (19%)
- Kansas (19%)
- Northwest Texas (10.1%)
- Oklahoma (19%)
- Rio Grande (4.6%)
- Texas (10.9%)
- West Missouri (19.4%)
- West Texas (3.5%)
- Western Kansas (34.6%)
- Western Louisiana (9.7%)
Province 8
- Alaska (23.3%)
- Arizona (11.9%)
- California (19%)
- Eastern Oregon (19.2%)
- El Camino Real (19%)
- Hawaii (19%)
- Idaho (14.3%)
- Los Angeles (15.2%)
- Nevada (18.8%)
- Navajoland (n/a)
- Northern California (19%)
- Olympia (19%)
- Oregon (19.5%)
- San Diego (12.8%)
- San Joaquin (3.9%)
- Spokane (19%)
- Taiwan (1.8%)
- Utah (19%)
Province 9
- Colombia (1.1%)
- Dominican Republic (1.6%)
- Ecuador Central (1.4%)
- Ecuador Litoral (5.4%)
- Honduras (no pledge because of a reduced grant)
- Puerto Rico (19%)
- Venezuela (n/a)
Image: Dollar, by PDF Photo • http://is.gd/EyPZqM
Diocesan Pledges 2013 and 2014
Douglas LeBlanc is the Associate Editor for Book Reviews and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. John’s Parish Church on Johns Island, South Carolina.
