No. It wasn’t the fact that worldwide gross tithe for 2008 (total tithe collected in local churches and online) increased by nearly 9 percent, to $1,934,565,008, over the previous year, or that headquarters expenses were $5.7 million under the operating expense cap.
Lemon announced that for the first time in the 146-year history of the Adventist Church, gross tithe from the denomination’s 12 international divisions exceeded the gross tithe from North America. In 2008 international tithe totaled $1,040,330,853 as compared to $894,234,155 for North America, a difference of nearly $150 million. These numbers represent a quantum shift in church funding that has principally come from North America.
Lemon explained that one major reason for the shift was the falling value of the U.S. dollar, which accounted for 43 percent of the increase in international tithe. Still more than 50 percent of the increase was due to giving by church members.
While church leaders welcome the growth in international tithe, Lemon did express caution because a rising U.S. dollar could reduce the value of overseas tithe this year. Also, more international funds generally increase the vulnerability of the church’s world budget to fluctuating exchange rates.
I’m moved by the good news because membership has doubled in the past 15 years, from 7.5 million in 1992 to 15 million in 2007. Some leaders have voiced concern as to whether the long-term finances would be available to support a growing church. But this milestone is more proof that God will provide.
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