Almost 90%—again

Final apportionment numbers come in nearly same as last year

By Jessica Brodie

Final numbers are in, and S.C. United Methodist churches paid 89.45 percent of their apportionments for 2014—almost a mirror of what they paid last year, 89.72 percent.

And while the numbers don’t meet or exceed the goal set by conference financial leaders, they are still far better than years past and the second-highest amount paid since 2002.

“The goal was 90 percent, and I really thought we’d get to 92 easily, so it’s a little disappointing, but we also need to keep it in perspective: we’re still doing really well,” said Conference Treasurer Tony Prestipino. “The colleges and the homes still get a good amount, the General Church still gets a good amount, we have a lot of resources to run the conference, so in a lot of ways, we’re blessed.”

That 89.45 percent translates to about $15.5 million of the $17.33 million conference budget for 2014, which is used to support the conference’s programs and agencies, such as campus ministries, Salkehatchie Summer Service and more.

Prestipino said he’s calling the financial performance “pretty much a flat year” compared to last year. He noted many success stories, such as First UMC, Isle of Palms, which had a huge increase and got to 100 percent this year; Trinity UMC, Sumter, which saw a $40,000 increase; and Woodland UMC, Rock Hill, which jumped from 25 to 50 percent. Giving to Africa University achieved 100 percent again, he said, primarily because of the golf tournament fundraiser held in the fall.

“There are a lot of good stories in there, but we also saw a lot of really large churches drop, like one church, which went from 66 percent to 4 percent, and that can really drive your numbers down,” Prestipino said. “We had three to four churches decrease in excess of $30,000, and that’s what hurts year over year, and the story for each of the declines is different. Some will bounce back next year, but some are a little more long-term.”

The Rev. David C. Surrett, president of the S.C. Conference Council on Finance &

Administration, said he feels confident churches offered to the very best of their abilities and resources for the extended ministry of South Carolina United Methodism. He said overall receipts continue to grow, and churches gave at a very high level from recent years.

“We are an extremely diverse state and conference with pockets of affluence and poverty. Congregations are experiencing a ‘graying’ of their membership due to increasing ages,” Surrett said. ”However, on behalf of the Council on Finance & Administration, we are grateful for the most faithful generosity of our membership. We are making headway and will continue to encourage even more sacrificial and strong stewardship.”

The Advocate’s April edition will include a full listing of what each S.C. UMC paid to the conference.

For more detailed information on conference finances and administrative services, visit www.umcsc.org/home/administrative-services.



Apportionment Giving Through the Years

2014 89.45%

2013 89.72%

2012 87%

2011 84.2%

2010 83.2%

2009 84%

2008 86.1%

2007 86.8%

2006 86%

2005 78.7%

2004 78.9%

2003 87.8%

2002 90.90%

– S.C. Conference Treasurer’s Office



2014 Apportionment Payments by District

Columbia 98.3%

Walterboro 93.5%

Orangeburg 91.9%

Marion 91%

Charleston 90.4%

Spartanburg 89%

Rock Hill 88.5%

Anderson 88.1%

Greenwood 85.3%

Hartsville 85.3%

Greenville 84.1%

Florence 80.7%

– S.C. Conference Treasurer’s Office