Getting there: financial leaders hope to see 91% in apportionments…

By Jessica Brodie

As year-end giving season enters its final phase, conference financial leaders remain hopeful that churches will continue their strong showing and achieve 91 percent for the second year running.

As of Nov. 10, South Carolina United Methodist churches had paid $11.86 million (67.6 percent) of apportionment funds—$111,264 more than the $11.75 million (67.4 percent) they had paid as of this date last year.

Last year’s 91.1 percent apportionments giving was the conference’s best financial year in more than a decade, and financial leaders believe the conference has the ability to do it again and perhaps even better.

“We are hopeful that as we enter the giving season, churches will continue to share their gifts through our state’s annual conference and the greater denomination just as they do in their communities,” said Conference Treasurer Beth Westbury.

This year’s budget is $17.52 million. Dollars support various items the conference has committed to fund, such as missions, campus ministries, administration and more.

The Rev. Mitch Houston, chair of the Conference Council on Finance and Administration, also noted that through October, South Carolina United Methodists have given more than $1.3 million in special giving to needs and causes through the Annual Conference, not including what they do locally that the conference doesn’t know about.

“I just continue to be amazed and blessed by the giving of the people of South Carolina Methodism,” Houston said.

2016 apportionments are due to the treasurer’s office no later than 4 p.m. Jan. 10, 2017, to be credited toward 2016. For those churches making payment electronically through VANCO, the payment must be initiated one day earlier: by 4 p.m. Jan. 9, 2017. It is important to indicate which year’s apportionment you are paying, Westbury said, as the conference gets a large volume of payments in early January, and some may be for 2016 and some may be for 2017.

For apportionments performance by your district, visit www.umcsc.org/home/administrative-services or call 803-786-9486.

Apportionment Giving Through the Years

2016 TBD
2015 91.1%
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%