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UTO Giving Hits New High

Episcopal News Service. August 20, 1987 [87168]

NEW YORK (DPS, Aug. 20) -- Giving to the United Thank Offering reached a new high of $2,992,263.40 for the period of July 1986 through June 1987, with Province IX a leader in the increase.

Marie Rogers of Lexington, Ky., United Thank Offering chairman, expressed delight at the evidence of people "in every nook and cranny of the Episcopal Church putting coins in their blue box to express thanks to God." The total amount available was first made known at the annual granting session of the United Thank Offering Committee held in New York City the week of Aug. 16-23.

The Offering, which has grown steadily over the years, is used to make grants to extend mission in the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion.

Willeen Smith, UTO coordinator at the Episcopal Church Center, cited Province IX, the Latin American dioceses, as an example of how deep commitment to the UTO goes. "In spite of the severe circumstances in which our fellow Episcopalians live each day, their offering increased by 37 percent, and one diocese increased 13-fold over any of its offerings of the past four years." The dollar amounts of dioceses and provinces are not made public by the national office.

In the next triennium, 1989-91, the national United Thank Offering Committee will have two members from Province IX for the first time. Olga Shirley of Panama, presently the Province IX representative, will be a member-at-large, thus making way for the Province to elect a new representative.

The increased offering from Province IX and the increased participation on the Committee are a source of optimism for Fleur Fisher of Midland, Texas, vice chairman. She and the committee are working to raise people's awareness of the United Thank Offering as a network at the national, diocesan and parish levels that reflects the universality of the whole Church.

Although grant decisions are made during the week of Aug. 16-23, no announcement of any awards can be made until the full listing is printed and in the mail to every 1987 requester, diocesan bishop and UTO chairman and ECW president. That is planned for the week beginning Aug. 31.

Immediately following that announcement, applications for the 1988 grant cycle will be mailed to diocesan bishops and archbishops or heads of councils for overseas churches. The early mailing of applications heralds a new grant cycle, two months earlier than in previous years, because of the early General Convention in July 1988. In the year of General Convention, delegates to the Triennial Meeting of Women vote on grants based upon recommendations of the UTO Committee. The last possible submission date for 1988 requests is January 1988.