The Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief allocated more than $4 million in grants during 1996, according to the annual report of the fund released recently.

The total of nearly $4.4 million included about $2.4 million in general grants, which are made in response to requests by organizations and churches, mostly for rehabilitation and development projects. Distributions also included $714,000 in emergency grants, made in response to emergency situations as identified by the Anglican/Episcopal bishop from an affected area.

The Rt. Rev. Charlie McNutt, executive director of the fund, said, "myriad seeds of hope were planted last year around the world," by the fund.

The largest of the general grants was $648,000, including $28,000 from emergency relief grants, which went to burned churches in the United States, which appeared to be the result of racially motivated arson fires.

Other significant general grants included $62,000 to the Diocese of Jerusalem for continuing diocesan ministry of relief and rehabilitation, $50,000 to the Province of Rwanda for bedding for elderly people following the country's civil war, $40,000 to the Diocese of Kagera, Tanzania, for the Anglican community of Rwanda in exile, $40,000 to the Diocese of Liberia for food for evacuees, $40,000 to the Csulika Foundation in Hungary for hospitals for children and homes for the aged, and more than $33,000 to the Diocese of Oklahoma for victim relief following the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City.

There were 42 emergency grants during 1996, ranging from $2,000 to $25,000. Most of those grants were for victims of hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters.