United Methodist Connectional Giving PowerPoint Presentation
This presentation was created by the Connectional Giving Team (CGT), United Methodist
Communications.
We hope it will help you and your congregation to learn more about the mission and
ministries of The United Methodist Church funded by your congregation’s remittance of
conference and general church apportionments and your designated giving to the
churchwide special Sundays with offerings, The Advance for Christ and His Church, and
other opportunities.
Permission is granted to duplicate or edit this presentation for use in United Methodist
churches.
To edit this presentation, save to your computer’s hard drive, then adapt as appropriate
for your setting.
To view the notes that accompany these slides, go to View and click on Notes Page.
For more information about connectional giving, go to www.umcgiving.org or contact
InfoServ by email: infoserv@umcom.org
To contact the Connectional Giving Team, go to www.umcgiving.org and click Contact
Us.
To order additional copies of this CD, call 1 (888) 346-3862 and request item # 100430.
Produced by United Methodist Communications
Serving God Through Our United Methodist
Connectional Giving
ARE GIVING CHURCHES
Practice Full
Connectional Giving
Serving God Through Our United Methodist
Connectional Giving
PURPOSES OF PRESENTATION
• Celebrate Impact of United Methodism’s
Connection in Action
• Explore the Connection and Its Opportunities for
Connectional Giving
• Consider Strategies for Leading Congregations
Into Full Support of the Connection
• Look at Resources Available to Support This
Process
Think about an
exciting or important
ministry about which
you are most
passionate right now!
How Do
You
View Giving Beyond
?
the Local Church
Giving Realities
Some local churches face tremendous financial
pressures because expenses have increased faster
than giving.
Although expenses have increased, giving has not
increased proportionately.
Lack of funds can dampen the will of
congregations, stifle local ministries and diminish
the ability to participate fully in wider ministries.
Connectional Giving Realities
Congregations are concerned about funding of
apportionments; however, the real issue is dealing
with systemic problems related to giving and not just
“pushing” apportionments.
Congregations are unlikely to increase significantly
remittance of apportioned funds without
improvement in the funds that support their local
churches.
Some United Methodists Describe…
• Apportionments as:
– taxation without representation
– “franchise fee” for local use of United Methodist name
on signage
– “We need the money locally”
– “I don’t believe in what “THEY’ do with my money”
– “Where does the money go? For all I know, it goes for
church bureaucrats’ salaries and fringe benefits!”
Some Key Realities About
United Methodist
Connectional Giving
• Payment resulting from denominational loyalty is
declining.
• Clergy are the “gatekeepers” of connectional
support.
• Give UM people a reason to give, and they will give.
• Give UM people an opportunity to give, and they will
give.
Apportionments Are...
• an extension of each local church’s
mission and ministry beyond its
community.
• the opportunity to support together with
36,000 other UM churches what no local
church could do alone.
• remittance of the local church’s “fair
share” of the annual conference’s
apportionments for UM ministries in your
Conference and the global community.
Remember!
Our mission is
to make
disciples of
Jesus Christ.
The Impact of
United Methodist
Connectional Giving
SHARING GOD’S GIFTS
We United Methodists believe that each of
us is called to participate in the ministry of
Jesus Christ.
We do this in connection globally with
• more than 42,000 local churches
• comprised of 9.75 million members
• and 2 million preparatory members
We Share A Ministry
Today, through the United Methodist
connection, we share a ministry
• In 165 countries
• 1,812 supported mission personnel
• 80,000 Volunteer-in-Mission placements
• 102 UM-related community centers
• More than 2,000 approved Advance
projects.
WE SHARE A MINISTRY
Within the Jurisdictional Conferences (U.S.A)
through
• 225 retirement homes and long-term care
facilities
• 70 hospitals and health-care facilities
• 50 child-care facilities
• 30 ministries for differently abled persons
• 114 colleges, universities and seminaries
• Day-to-day witness and outreach through
26,000 pastoral charges
What We Can See Each Week
•
•
•
•
Persons at worship in mission congregations
Babies baptized; youth and adults confirmed
People of all ages receiving medical care
Hurting persons helped at drug-abuse
centers
• Children nurtured in after-school programs
• People fed, clothes distributed
• Community centers in urban and rural areas
t
ric
st
Di
Local Church
• Worship & Nurture
• Education
• Outreach
• Administration
Categories
OF
Ministry
Nurture
Disciple
Spiritual Formation
Education
UMYF
Bible Study
Outreach Ministries
•Assembling UMCOR flood buckets
•Feeding the hungry
•Distributing clothing
•Building Habitat houses
•Tutoring children
•And so much more
Sustaining Ministries
• Salaries and Benefits
• Debt Service
• Utilities
• Office Expense
• Building Maintenance
What is the heritage of
our United Methodist
Connectional Giving?
OUR BIBLICAL TRADTION
• Offers many examples of giving as grateful
response to God
• Contains teachings about responsibility to
share with others
• Includes warnings against selfishness and
misuse of economic resources
• Extends concern for others into the whole
world
Luke 3:10-11, NRSV
OUR WESLEYAN TRADITION
• Wesley urged those in connection with him to
“Earn all you can and save all you can, so
that you can give all you can.”
• Wesley modeled modest living and sacrificial
giving.
• Class offerings in Wesley’s day were taken
for outreach.
• This practice was repeated in the United
States
The Book of Discipline
Speaks…
“Each and every year, United
Methodists... in every local
U.M. church shall remit all
apportionments in full….”
(As spoken by God to John Wesley
and recorded in the Book of
Discipline, 1784, and interpreted
afresh to each new generation by
your bishop, your D.S., your
conference treasurer and the
pastor.)
“Show Me
the
Money!”
Apportionments are one
“outward and visible sign” of
the connection in United
Methodism.
84.3 cents: Local church
12.4 cents:
Annual
Conference, district,
episcopal area and
jurisdiction
Where the average local
church expense dollar
goes!
3.3
cents: General
Church, including United
Methodist Women
Discover the exciting
ministries made possible
through our United
Methodist connectional
giving!
Sharing God’s Gifts
Complete information is available at www.umcgiving.org
Conference Benevolences
Apportioned Funds
World Service, General Administration, Episcopal,
Africa University, Black College, Ministerial
Education and Interdenominational Cooperation
Churchwide Special Sundays with Offerings
Human Relations Day, One Great Hour of Sharing,
Native American Ministries Sunday , Peace with
Justice Sunday, World Communion Sunday, United
Methodist Student Day
Designated Giving Opportunities
The Advance for Christ and His Church
World Service Special Gifts
Serving Christ Through Our United Methodist Connectional Giving
World Service Fund Apportionment
Through the World Service Fund, we:
•Undergird our network of missionaries serving around the world
•Strengthen evangelism efforts, stimulate church growth, expand
Bible studies and nurture spiritual development
•Enrich our congregational life with worship, retreat and camping
resources, leadership development and stewardship training
•Provide leadership and coordination for denominational youth
ministry
•Continue nearly 200 years of commitment to higher education
•Equip and nurture our lay leaders through education and
professional support
•Support a program of chaplain certification
•Certify UM professional Christian educators, communicators and
musicians
•Assure United Methodists advocate and help build a just world.
For more information, go to
www.umcgiving.org
•Fund our denomination’s presence in the mass media
•Support ministries of peace and justice and efforts to build a truly
inclusive church and a society
Episcopal Fund
Apportionment
Through the Episcopal Fund, we:
•Pay the salaries of our bishops
•Pay episcopal office expenses
•Recompense 67 percent of the costs for episcopal
residences
•Provide pension and health-care benefit for bishops and
their families
•Cover costs of episcopal travel
•Defray moving expenses of bishops
•Provide pensions for retired bishops and surviving
spouses, and minor children of deceased bishops
General Administration Fund
Apportionment
Through the General
Administration Fund, we:
•Operate a system of administrative
oversight and fiscal accountability
•Underwrite the legislative work of
General Conference
•Fund the work of the Judicial Council
•Maintain United Methodism’s official
documents and historical artifacts
For more information, go to
www.umcgiving.org
•Designate historical shrines,
landmarks and sites
Africa University Fund
Apportionment
Through the Africa University Fund, we:
•Continue the development of the first private university for men and
women in sub-Saharan Africa
•Offer post-secondary education for students through schools of
agriculture and natural resources, management and administration,
education, humanities, social sciences and theology
•Provide a higher education of excellent quality to nurture students in
Christian values and to help the nations of Africa develop the leaders of
the future
Working at his desk in an office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe, Edwin
Ngonyamo looks like a typical manager. Get him talking poultry and it's a
different story altogether. He loves his work and credits Africa University
with making him good at it.
I'm working in Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola. … Everywhere I go, I call on classmates
and a growing network of Africa University alumni," he says.
Through the Black College Fund, we:
Black College Fund Apportionment
•Help these institutions maintain challenging
academic programs, strong faculties and wellequipped buildings
•Create vibrant spiritual environments
•Encourage pride and self-esteem
•Prepare and educate people for the new global
and technological world
•Strive for academic excellence based on the
Christian perspective of community service and
social responsibility.
Historically Black Colleges of The
United Methodist Church
Bennett College Greensboro, N.C. * Bethune-Cookman College Daytona Beach, FL.
Claflin University
Orangeburg, S.C. * Clark-Atlanta University
Atlanta, GA.
Dillard University
New Orleans, LA. * Huston-Tillotson College
Austin, TX.
Meharry Medical College
Nashville, TN. * Paine College
Augusta, GA.
Philander Smith College Little Rock, AR. * Rust College Holly Springs, MS.
Wiley College
Marshall, TX.
Ministerial Education Fund
Apportionment
The 13 U.M.
Seminaries
Thirteen U.M. Seminaries
Boston University School of Theology, Boston
Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta
Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA
Drew University, The Theological School, Madison, N. J.
Duke University, The Divinity School, Durham, N.C.
Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL
Illiff School of Theology, Denver
Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Delaware, OH
Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University,
Dallas
Through the MEF, we:
•Support a trained and educated clergy
•Equip annual conferences to meet the needs
of those in the ministry
Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, MO
United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH
Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C.
Interdenominational Cooperation Fund Apportionment
Through the Interdenominational Cooperation
Fund, we:
•Enable United Methodists to have an effective presence in
the following ecumenical organizations:
• Churches Uniting in Christ
"Ecumenical formation, the
need to develop future
generations of ecumenical
leadership, will continue to be
a top priority of our
commission," The Rev.
Larry Pickens, General
Secretary, Commission on
Christian Unity and
Interreligious Concerns
• World Methodist Council
• Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation
• World Council of Churches
• National Council of Churches
•Provide the U.M. share of budgets for those organizations
•Fund participation of UM representatives at meetings of
these organizations
With other Christians, we declare the essential oneness of the church of Jesus Christ and seek to
participate in the experiences and insights of sharing with other denominations and churches our
common faith in Jesus Christ.
For more information about the special Sundays with offerings, visit www.umcgiving.org.
The Advance for Christ and His Church
Unique Features:
100% of your giving to the Advance
goes to the ministry you designate.
•Advance administrative costs are funded from
World Service and other sources.
Today, through the Advance, United Methodists
are in mission in 100 countries around the world
and in the US.
•Advance giving is completely voluntary and is in
addition to apportioned funds support.
•Advance giving is called “second mile” giving
because the “first mile” is for local churches to
pay 100% of World Service and conference
benevolences.
Individuals, groups and congregations may choose
from among 2,000 ministries, each carefully
evaluated and approved.
How United
Methodist
Connectional Giving
Is Apportioned
General Conference determines a spending plan for 2005-08
General Conference apportions spending plan to annual
conferences based upon a formula approved by General
Conference.
Annual conferences apportions to local churches based upon a
formula approved by the annual conference.
Local churches receives tithes and offerings every week.
Local churches remits its conference and general church
apportionments to conference treasurer.
Conference treasurer sends general church apportionments
to the General Council on Finance and Administration
(GCFA).
GCFA credits the general boards and agencies for their
appropriate amount based on the spending plan.
For More Information about this process, go to www.gcfa.org
The Structure of
The United
Methodist Church
The Local
Church
Organized for ministry
at several levels that
maintain “connectional”
links to one another
Conferences
Bishops
General
Jurisdictional
Judicial
Council
Annual
Charge
General
Boards and
Agencies
The Organization of the
United Methodist Church
General Conference
Any Jurisdiction
Any Annual Conference
Eastern District
Western District
North Central District
North East District
North West District
South Central District
South East District
South West District
52
Local
Churches
44
Local
Churches
66
Local
Churches
54
Local
Churches
96
Local
Churches
63
Local
Churches
59
Local
Churches
78
Local
Churches
Increasing our giving by 1
percentage point per year
Demonstrating the Impact of
Increasing United Methodist
Household Giving By…
1% Point
A Membership Snapshot of
The United Methodist Church
Total Number of Churches
Total Membership
Total Attendance Per Sunday
Average Church Membership
Average Church Attendance
35,275
8,298,460
3,546,695
235
101
A Financial Stewardship Snapshot of
The United Methodist Church
Total Number of Churches
Grand Total Given
35,275
$5,043,693,838
Average Total Given Per Church
Average Giving Per Member
Source: 2002 General Minutes
$142,982
$607.79
Calculating United Methodist Giving Potential
Average UM Church Membership
Total Dollars Raised for All Causes
Average Per Member Giving
Number of Households (Average 2 Persons Per House)
U.S. Census Burea Statistic (Average 2.59 PPHH)
Average Giving Per Household (2 PPHH)
Average Giving Per Household (2.59 PPHH)
2
2.59
2
2.59
235
$142,982.00
$607.79
118
91
$1,216.87
$1,575.84
Average U.S. Household Income--Census Bureau, 2002
2002
$50,046.00
Giving as % of Household Income ($50,046.00)
2 Persons Per Household
2.59 Persons Per Household
2
2.59
2.43%
3.15%
If 50% of our average households tithed, church would receive
If 25% of our average households tithed, church would receive
If 10% of our average households tithed, church would receive
$298,534
$220,758
$174,092
The Impact of Raising UM Average Household Giving by 1%
2.59 Persons Per Household Now Give on Average:
Average U.S. Household Income:
3.15%
Increasing Average Household Giving by 1% of Average Income:
Yields additional giving to our 35,275 churches in the amount:
(8,298,460 UM members divided by 2.59 PPHH times 1% of
Average Household Income of $50,046)
Local Churches would retain 84.3%
Annual Conference would receive additional 12.4%
General Church Ministries would receive additional 3.3%
or
$1,575.84
$50,046
$500.46
$1,603,492,857
$1,351,744,479
$198,833,114
$52,915,264
Ways to Increase United Methodist Household Giving 1% Between 2005-08
Be faithful stewards of our personal wealth by increasing our own giving by at least 1% per year
for 2005-08.
Engage, inform and inspire our congregations about the ministries that are possible if we
increase our giving by 1%.
Challenge the administrative leadership of our congregations to remit 100% of conference and
general church apportionments if currently not doing so.
Challenge the administrative leadership of our congregations to remit 101% of conference and
general church apportionments if currently remitting 100%.
Challenge our congregations to observe the six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings by
giving $1.00 per member per Special Sunday which would mean approximately $50 million for
these ministries.
Challenge our congregations to support at least one Advance project per year.
Ask how we can help to tell the story of connectional giving in our congregations, districts and
conferences.
Suggest new, innovative ways that UMCom can engage, inform and inspire our congregations
about giving.
Pray that we and all the people of The United Methodist Church will open our hearts, minds,
doors, and wallets to the needs of God’s people everywhere.
United Methodists
Are Unequivocally Connected Together
In the Mission of Making Disciples
for Jesus Christ
Visit United Methodist Giving Website www.umcgiving.org
United Methodist Communications
Connectional Giving Team
P.O. Box 320
Nashville, TN 37202-0320
Barbara Dunlap-Berg
(615)742-5489
bdunlap-berg@umcom.org
Celinda Hughes
(615) 742-5109
chughes@umcom.org
Kent McNish
(615) 742-5142
kmcnish@umcom.org
Tracy Wood
(615) 742-5117
twood@umcom.org
Ordering Resources
To order resources about the connectional giving of The United
Methodist Church:
•Call Toll Free 1 (888) 346-3862 (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Central Time)
Monday-Friday.
•Fax orders anytime to: 1 (615) 742-5499
•Mail orders to:
United Methodist Communications
P.O. Box 320
Nashville, TN 37202-0320
•Order online: www.umcgiving.org
For more information about The United Methodist Church, call
InfoServ 1 (8000 251-8140 or email infoserv@umcom.org
Informative Websites Related to United Methodist Giving
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www.umc.org
www.umcgiving.org
www.gcfa.org
http://www.gbod.org/stewardship/
http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/
http://gbgm-umc.org/advance/
http://gbgm-umc.org
http://www.gbhem.org/bcf/
http://www.gbhem.org
http://www.africau.edu/
http://www.umcgiving.org/content/MEF/default.asp
http://www.gccuic.org/
•
http://www.umc-gbcs.org/
Serving God Through Our United Methodist
Connectional Giving