Nashville, TN – The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) is pleased to announce that twenty-six jurisdictional annual conferences and eight central conference episcopal areas paid 100% of the general Church apportionment in 2018. GCFA also recognizes that giving to the Africa University Fund still remains a high priority for United Methodists with a 93% collection rate—the highest among the seven general Church apportioned funds. Thirty-five of the fifty-six jurisdictional annual conferences paid more in 2018 compared to 2017. While the overall giving percentage was down 1.8%, the overall dollar amount increased by $19,473 compared to 2017.
“It is not always easy for an annual conference to pay its general Church apportionment”, said Bishop Michael McKee, president of the Board of GCFA. “We appreciate the hard work of each annual conference and episcopal area that contributed to the Church reaching the 90% collection rate for all apportioned funds. God be praised in our ministry together.”
Moses Kumar, chief executive of GCFA, said, “The general Church apportionments are our message that the United Methodist connectional system is a viable way to be in ministry around the world. We praise God for the faithfulness of this commitment. For the past seven years – since 2012 – we’ve been at or over a 90% collection rate. I want to thank the people of the United Methodist connection who have faithfully and continually supported the global ministries of the denomination through generous giving.”
The eight central conference episcopal areas that paid 100% are: Central and Southern Europe, Davao, Eastern Angola, East Congo, Eurasia, Germany, Liberia, and Nordic-Baltic. The twenty-six jurisdictional annual conferences are: Alaska United Methodist Conference, Baltimore-Washington, California-Nevada, Desert Southwest, East Ohio, Greater New Jersey, Illinois Great Rivers, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, New England, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma Indian Missionary, Oregon-Idaho, Pacific Northwest, Peninsula-Delaware, Red Bird Missionary, Rocky Mountain, Susquehanna, Tennessee, Upper New York, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Yellowstone.
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The General Council on Finance and Administration coordinates and administers financial resources, safeguards the legal interests and rights of the Church, and provides administrative resources to enable the fulfillment of the mission of The United Methodist Church.