UPCI Foreign Missions Division Interview - Page 4

rgcraig · #31 01-28-2009, 09:26 PM

There was another thread about this last year. I merged the threads.

Here's the link to the facts:

http://theapostolicreport.wordpress....ions-division/

MissBrattified · #32 01-28-2009, 09:35 PM

According to the article Renda linked....

The deducted amount is 14% for administrative costs, including "...the division's monthly operating expenses. ...such expenses as staff payroll, telephone expense, printing costs, OnSite, Insight, and Focal Points printing and mailing costs, General Conference display, and missionary orientation costs. ...also...promotion of fundraising for the missionary family.

The [10%] FMD deduction (included in the 14% figure) applies to all funds "with the exception of missionary love offerings, medical assistance, memorial funds, foreign travel for associated ministers, and offerings sent by a foreign donor, such as an overseas church."

The WEC deduction (the other 4%) applies to "Monthly PIM support and does not apply to funds sent for missionary love offerings, medical assistance, overseas buildings, literature, Bibles, evangelism, memorial funds, missionary equipment and other special projects. Also, the WEC 4% does not apply to AIM support."

Sounds reasonable to me....

Cindy · #33 01-28-2009, 09:50 PM

This part I found interesting also.

AR: Does FMD discourage donors from sending funds directly to an on-field missionaries, and if so, why?

FMD: What many people do not realize is, when donors elect to send funds directly to the field, the missionary receiving those funds may be subject to adverse tax consequences that were overlooked by the donor. Unless the missionary is able to provide required documentation to the contrary, funds sent direct are typically considered additional compensation for the missionary, subjecting these monies to taxes.

The missionary becomes personally liable for income and other taxes as assessed by the United States, Canada and/or the country of the missionary’s residence for the additional “income” received (vs. work funds disbursed by FMD). There is also the possibility that the sending church may not receive proper Foreign Missions offering credit.

Our missionaries have a line item on their monthly financial statement in which they include funds sent directly to them on the field to clarify any IRS issues with these funds and not have them considered to be personal income. This clarifies the church receiving proper credit, the division receiving proper administrative deductions and the missionary from tax liabilities.

Hoovie · #34 01-28-2009, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

According to the article Renda linked....

The deducted amount is 14% for administrative costs, including "...the division's monthly operating expenses. ...such expenses as staff payroll, telephone expense, printing costs, OnSite, Insight, and Focal Points printing and mailing costs, General Conference display, and missionary orientation costs. ...also...promotion of fundraising for the missionary family.

The [10%] FMD deduction (included in the 14% figure) applies to all funds "with the exception of missionary love offerings, medical assistance, memorial funds, foreign travel for associated ministers, and offerings sent by a foreign donor, such as an overseas church."

The WEC deduction (the other 4%) applies to "Monthly PIM support and does not apply to funds sent for missionary love offerings, medical assistance, overseas buildings, literature, Bibles, evangelism, memorial funds, missionary equipment and other special projects. Also, the WEC 4% does not apply to AIM support."

Sounds reasonable to me....

Indeed. I would venture to say that is more efficient than many non-for-profit groups.

UPCPastor · #35 01-28-2009, 11:45 PM

The whole deal about missionaries being asked to visit smaller churches for free must be hard on the missionaries. I happen to know that they're already doing this on a regular basis in regularly scheduled services that are being counted toward their service allotment and the church has no intention of giving them a PIM or offering because they cannot afford it due to the recession. Mission directors know this in advance but send them there anyway because they have to fill the slots. Missionaries tell me they're getting about five or six of these a month already and it's very tough to make ends meet as it is, next to impossible actually. How much will this cold front in the mid-west be an additional financial burden to missionaries traveling through there as their scheduled services are canceled. In addition this program was foisted on missionaries without any prior notice and there is no stated limit of how many they are being asked to do. We're asking some of our most cash strapped, hardest working people to give money and time they don't have, and if they don't then they stand the risk of appearing selfish. Let's not forget, these are missionaries called to foreign fields and many of them are away from their churches and ministries and we're asking them to minister to our people here. Sorry, that's our job, not theirs. We need to take care of our own and not ask missionaries to do the job our districts should be doing.

There's also a tactic that Bro. Abernathy didn't mention that is being used to get missionaries off the deputation trail. It's aimed at older, veteran missionaries. It was presented as a way to 'help' them shorten their deputional load, but in reality it his a lose-lose situation for even the best fund raisers adding additional stress to their already stressful lives. They have half the time needed to raise their full budget and must go on the field with whatever they have raised even if it's not their full budget. This gets the old guys off the trail and opens up more services for the younger, less proven guys. That sounds fair, and respectful.