Churches close year paying 90.24 percent of 2024 budget

By Jessica Brodie

In spite of a decreased number of churches and a fall marked both by natural disasters and a divisive election, South Carolina United Methodist churches exceeded 90 percent in their collection percentage on 2024 apportionments.

Churches paid $12.6 million, or 90.24 percent of the nearly $14 million budgeted for 2024. They exceeded the 2023 collection percentage, which was 88.82 percent.

Beth Westbury, treasurer and director of administrative sServices for the South Carolina Conference of the UMC, said the results are skewed by apportionment payments made by churches that separated in both 2023 and 2024.  She noted the combined apportionments paid by 2023 and 2024 separating churches represents 24 percent of the total amount collected, and the remaining churches paid 76 percent of the amount collected in 2024. 

If you remove the amounts paid by churches that separated in 2023, Westbury said, the collection percentage is 80.84 percent.

Still, she said, she continues to be hopeful as South Carolina’s new resident bishop, Leonard Fairley, leads the conference in a period of reflection and change.

“Bishop Fairley will position our conference for growth and success,” Westbury said.

The Columbia District led the districts in the highest collection percentage at 111 percent. Westbury said the percentage exceeds 100 percent because of the apportionments paid by district churches that separated in 2023 but paid toward 2024 apportionments. The Walterboro District came in second at 99.96 percent, followed by Marion at 94.91 percent. Next came Spartanburg at 92.71 percent, Orangeburg at 92.36 percent and Greenville at 92.18 percent.

The conference saw a decrease in the percentage of churches paying 100 percent, Westbury noted.

In 2023, 80 percent of the churches paid 100 percent, while 76 percent did so in 2024.

Still, church special giving remained strong, with an increase in contributions to the United Methodist Committee on Relief and South Carolina Disaster Response over the prior year. 

“This reflects how our congregations are deeply moved by those suffering from natural disasters,” Westbury added.

The 2025 conference budget is $11.7 million.