Literally hours before the January 18 deadline for churches to submit their conference apportionments for the 2011 year, FUMC’s Finance Committee conferred via telephone to approve a ‘last minute’ payment to fulfill 100% of First United’s conference apportionment for the prior year.
The action by the committee was not unanimous and is not without adverse consequences for the coming year. Those favoring full payment viewed the apportionments as an obligation of the church as well as a long held tradition in paying the annual amount in full. Those opposing this action, for the most part, held the same view toward apportionments but saw the action taken as only delaying a budget impasse until later this year.
Apportionments are the assessments by the conference to each Methodist church. The funds generated in this matter provide the framework for our connectional ministry and mission beyond the local level, our reach as Methodists across this nation and internationally. A majority of churches pay 100% of their annual apportionment. However, in the last four years an increasing number of churches have experienced difficulty in meeting these obligations and some even in our own conference pay none of this obligation. The General Conference has responded by reducing staff positions and programs over 6% for the next four year budgeting cycle of 2013-16 and our South Carolina Conference has likewise experienced shortfalls with only 84% of all apportionments paid. The Columbia District led with churches paying 98.8 percent of apportionments. The Orangeburg District was next at 89.8 percent, followed by the Marion District at 86 percent. The Florence District had the lowest payment of 61.6 percent and in our own Hartsville District 82% of the total apportionments for all churches was received by the conference. Apportionments support conference and district administration and efforts of the General Church, as well as ministries such as United Methodist colleges and retirement homes, camps and retreats, advance special ministries like Rural Mission or the Bethlehem Center, and new or struggling churches who need support.