But a church in Central Florida Presbytery pays far less. In fact, in Central Florida per capita for all three levels of governance is supported by less than $15 per member.

In a joint meeting, the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) and General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) Executive Committee approved recommendations on per-capita budgets for action by the 220th General Assembly.

The 2012 budget was adjusted up to $13,644, 934; the 2013 proposed expenditure budget is $13,848,133 and the 2014 proposal is $14,175,084. It is proposed that those expenditure budgets be paid for by increasing per capita apportionment each year: $.17 in 2013 and an additional $.18 in 2014.

Putting those increases into context, the GA per capita is on a continual rise.

· 2010 $6.15/member of the PCUSA
· 2011 $6.50
· 2012 $6.63
· 2013 $6.80
· 2014 $6.98

The decision to continue the upward trend of the GA per-capita budget in an environment where the denomination is projected to continue a generation long downward membership trend (estimated at 50,000 per members lost per year) was made in the wake of the worst year ever in terms of uncollected per-capita payments.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) wrote off $1,056,415 in uncollected per capita for the year 2010. The budgeted expectation was $600,000 resulting in a variance of $456,415 or 76 percent higher than expected.

It was acknowledged by the Stewardship Committee of the GAMC that the proposed 2013 and 2014 per-capita budgets approved by the joint meeting of the COGA and GAMC Executive Committee are only the starting point. Any actions taken by the GA at its July 2012 meeting in Pittsburgh related to Presbyterian participation in ecumenical efforts, special committees or task forces will lead to even higher per-capita costs.

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