Worldwide church? Putting money where our mouth runneth over

[_Maxrep]

BYU Brazil? COB in Africa? With worldwide membership outpacing LDS presence in the U.S., what indicators show that the church has any intentions of putting matching funds in the development of the church in the countries that actually can grow in membership?

[_EmilyAnn]

I don't think it's a matter of membership numbers, which (from what I've been able to discern), are mostly for p.r. purposes/bragging rights so far as their utility to ChurchCorp goes.

From a financial standpoint, and averaged out, it would take many "African" members (presumably: black for the most part, and presumably from the lesser-developed socio-economic groups) to equal the tithing, etc. income of one [averaged out], middle-class, North American family. Meanwhile, the cost-per-"African"-member would be much higher to ChurchCorp than would be true in North America or similar areas.

"Growing in membership" raw numbers have to be offset by actual financial net profits from that membership, and these profits will be increasingly harder to produce in most areas of the globe.

[_mackay11]

They recently shut down the LDS funded schools in Mexico, chances are they're not going to a BYU in Brazil.

The church on education support:

1 Creates a Perpetual Education Fund where the poor in developing countries borrow money from the church but then have to pay it back.
2 Subsidises (out of tithing funds) the college fees of affluent, well educated, middle-class, white Americans in BYU (70:30 ratio of fees at BYU paid by tithing according to some estimates). This costs $millions, straight out of tithing.
3 Encourages members everywhere else in the world to get the best possible education but in regional/stake meetings have been discouraging members from heading over to Utah (Pres. Uchtdorf's "lift where you stand" phrase is now used as a "don't emigrate" directive). Tithing funds provide no support for these people. Get educated, but do it on your own.

Seems if the church really wanted to lift people out of poverty they would do more than get them into debt and would divert some of the BYU funds to members whose children will struggle to even graduate from infant school with the ability to read and write.

[_Chap]

They recently shut down the LDS funded schools in Mexico, chances are they're not going to a BYU in Brazil.

The church on education support:

1 Creates a Perpetual Education Fund where the poor in developing countries borrow money from the church but then have to pay it back.

2 Subsidises (out of tithing funds) the college fees of affluent, well educated, middle-class, white Americans in BYU (70:30 ratio of fees at BYU paid by tithing according to some estimates). This costs $millions, straight out of tithing ...

That's a bit of a contrast, isn't it?

Rich white American Mormon? We'll make a free gift to you of part of your college costs.

Poor black African Mormon? Anything we lend you has to be paid back.

But that's the Jesus way. And the church does so much good.

[_cinepro]

As BYU continues to serve a smaller and smaller percentage of Church members, I wonder if we will ever see a "No Tithing Money To BYU" movement?

[_BartBurk]

As BYU continues to serve a smaller and smaller percentage of Church members, I wonder if we will ever see a "No Tithing Money To BYU" movement?

Where would that movement come from? I doubt it would come from the members.

[_Maxrep]

They recently shut down the LDS funded schools in Mexico, chances are they're not going to a BYU in Brazil.

The church on education support:

1 Creates a Perpetual Education Fund where the poor in developing countries borrow money from the church but then have to pay it back.
2 Subsidises (out of tithing funds) the college fees of affluent, well educated, middle-class, white Americans in BYU (70:30 ratio of fees at BYU paid by tithing according to some estimates). This costs $millions, straight out of tithing.
3 Encourages members everywhere else in the world to get the best possible education but in regional/stake meetings have been discouraging members from heading over to Utah (Pres. Uchtdorf's "lift where you stand" phrase is now used as a "don't emigrate" directive). Tithing funds provide no support for these people. Get educated, but do it on your own.

Seems if the church really wanted to lift people out of poverty they would do more than get them into debt and would divert some of the BYU funds to members whose children will struggle to even graduate from infant school with the ability to read and write.

Agreed. "Lift where you stand", I believe has its roots from the old testament - "Tugeth Thine Own Bootstrap" :)

[_Maxrep]

I have to believe that within the church leadership there may be a growing resentment towards these third world countries. Not only does the church export monies to these countries, they also export leadership in the form of senior missionaries regular elders and sisters and individuals from the U.S. that are called to leadership positions in these areas.

The complex template for church operations that we are familiar with here in the US, may be overwhelming for countries that have a different culture and do not have the luxury of all of their members being raised from birth inside the church community. The way that we played church here in the US takes every aspect of church participation to excess! We are like a professional religionists that somehow retain amateur status.

I also see church authorities wanting to control the number of foreign General Authorities. They can't have too many leaders from third world countries clamoring for more financial support or control of leadership direction for the church. As time passes I can see the general American church membership having feelings of resentment towards the global nature of our church as well.

[_harmony]

As time passes I can see the general American church membership having feelings of resentment towards the global nature of our church as well.

This will be slow in coming. With the number of foreign language missionaries returning, I don't see this gaining much ground.