According to the UM news, the General Council for Financial Accounting reports that apportionments are down $10,000,000 year to date. The astonishing drop in giving to the denomination should be cause for concern and one would think that action would be taken to address the issue. So what is the response?
Nothing.
Rather, the GCFA announced the board voted to:
- Keep the same salary structure for agency employees in 2021;
- Maintain most of the same benefit plans for agency employees and retirees.
- Increase the number of paid holidays for agency employees from 11 to 12.
It is unimaginable that the denomination has taken no steps to reduce cost, has eliminated no programs, no salary cuts, and had done virtually nothing to reduce the bloated cost of the denomination.
If you are a local UMC church, can you guess what will be the action taken at the end of the year? That is right – increased apportionments.
So if you are asking if you should (a) wait until September 2021 and the General Conference who may, or may not, do something to allow local churches to leave, or (b) leave now before the financial collapse of the denomination occurs, and the Conference takes steps on its own to take your property, sell it and take your financial assets to fill its empty reserves – the answer is leave now.
Do not wait.
Do not appoint a committee.
Do not sit idly by.
Take steps now to preserve your property.
We can help. You can download our guide on how to prepare the local church to leave the denomination, or watch this video, to learn how we can walk with you through this process.
