Per Member Asking (PMA) and Percentage of Income (POI) contributions received by the Office of the General Assembly in the first month of the EPC’s fiscal year 2023 (FY23) total $229,646. The amount is $32,229 (16.3 percent) above the $197,347 budgeted projection to support the EPC’s overall mission and vision. July contributions also total $35,369 (18.2 percent) more than the $194,277 received in the first month of the previous fiscal year. The EPC’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

The 12-month rolling average for monthly contributions is $193,864—approximately 1.5 percent higher than the rolling average as of July 31, 2021.

In addition to strong funding support, operating expenses at the Office of the General Assembly in July were $24,968 (8.8 percent) less than the budgeted projection of $280,652.

“I am very grateful to our Lord that our churches have given us a strong start to our fiscal year,” said Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk. “I know the past few months have been challenging, so this was a special blessing. This is also the first time in six months that our 12-month rolling average has increased, and I pray that our churches are experiencing the same upswing. I also need to thank our staff at the Office of the General Assembly for continuing their good stewardship of the gifts they are entrusted with.”

Of the $229,646 received, $45,929 (20 percent) was contributed to EPC World Outreach.

In addition to PMA contributions, $520,490 in designated gifts were received through July 31. This total was $66,416 (14.6 percent) higher than the $454,075 in designated gifts received in the same period in FY22. Designated gifts include support for World Outreach global workers and projects, and contributions to EPC Special Projects such as Emergency Relief, church planting and revitalization initiatives, and the EPC’s holiday offerings.

Of the total, $474,728 was designated for World Outreach workers and projects, and $28,022 was designated for EPC projects. These amounts only reflect gifts received and distributed by the Office of the General Assembly, and do not reflect donations given directly to WO global workers or other projects.

Commissioners to the denomination’s 42nd General Assembly in June 2022 approved a transition from the Per Member Asking (PMA) funding formula to a Percentage of Income (POI) model. Under PMA, churches were asked to contribute $23 per member to the Office of the General Assembly. The POI model is a request for churches to support the national level of the EPC with 1 percent of undesignated receipts. The shift will phase in over the next three years, with full POI implementation expected at the start of FY26 in July 2025.