“10 Days of Connectional Giving”
As 10 Days of Connectional Giving – our focus on apportionments ahead of today’s deadline – comes to a close, we are reminded that, as Christians, we are expected to give a portion of what we have back to God and God’s church.
Not forced. Not coerced. No one is kicked out for holding back.
As Paul wrote in his second letter to the church in Corinth:
“The point is this: The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
Winthrop Wesley
Even “cheerful givers” can wonder, though, where does the money we offer go?
Many are surprised to learn that the vast majority – some 84 percent – of what we give stays in the local church, largely to pay such expenses as buildings, administration, salaries and other costs. The remainder helps fund ministries such as community outreach programs, education, worship and other things associated with making disciples for Christ.
What’s left of our giving – roughly 16 percent – goes to what have come to be called apportionments. This money serves as our financial connection with other United Methodists.
Westbury
“Connectional giving through apportionments is supporting mission beyond the local church and its surrounding community,” said Beth Westbury, treasurer of the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. “It touches individuals that may never set foot in your church, but your giving says. ‘I am United Methodist, and we care.’ ”
Together, we reach out to our communities and the entire world in sharing God’s love. Regardless of the size of our church, United Methodists can do more for Christ through apportionments than any one person or any one church can do alone.
Most of our apportionment giving – about 12 percent of total giving – stays on the state and regional levels, while the rest – around 3-4 percent – supports the work of our global United Methodist boards and agencies that reach out across the country and around the world.
Asbury Hills
Our apportionment giving supports missionaries around the world, provides resources for existing churches and pays to start new churches here in South Carolina. This giving provides for retired clergy and supplements pastors’ salaries in transitional church settings.
Apportionment giving also helps personify our connection through people like our district superintendents and congregational specialists, who help equip local churches for disciple-making ministries. It provides for our bishops, who shepherd and lead us in ministries around the globe.
Some of our money goes to scholarships for United Methodist students at Wofford College, Columbia College, Claflin University and Spartanburg Methodist College. Our money also helps provide for ministries on other college campuses across the state. We support the 11 traditionally black United Methodist colleges and universities, including Claflin, and through our apportionments we help build and maintain Africa University, the only United Methodist university in Africa.
Methodist Manor
A portion of our giving helps seniors afford to live in one of three United Methodist-related retirement homes in South Carolina.
It supports Asbury Hills, a camp and retreat center available for Methodists of all ages, and ensures our continued fellowship with Christians of other denominations.
Apportionment giving allows us to do more together than we could ever do individually.
As John Wesley said, “Earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.”
Together we do our best for Christ.
Over “10 Days of Connectional Giving” leading up to the Jan. 10 deadline for churches to pay their 2016 apportionments to the conference treasurer, we have shared short stories to remind you what your church’s annual contributions mean to your fellow United Methodists and to those whose lives are touched by their efforts.
Here are links to those stories, if you missed them:
Bishop Holston on apportionments
The power of connectional giving
https://youtu.be/xGsZ65WrFVg
We hope this has encouraged your congregation’s leaders to make sure they have submitted your church’s 2016 apportionments so the good work of all of the conference’s ministries can continue.
And to those churches that already have given 100 percent of their apportionments:
