Year-end apportionment payments continue as 2024 edges to close

By Jessica Brodie

Apportionment payments continue to roll in as South Carolina approaches the close of another conference budget year.

As of Nov. 20, the total apportionment percentage collected is 75.64 percent of the total, or nearly $10.6 million of the 2024 budgeted goal of $14 million. However, Beth Westbury, treasurer and director of administrative services for the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, said this amount includes apportionments paid by churches that separated in 2023 but were required to pay six months of apportionments into 2024. 

If the amount paid by 2023 separating churches is removed, the percent collected as of Nov. 20 is 66.18 percent, or nearly $9.3 million. 

“I am optimistic that we will have a good December,” Westbury said. 

“We typically collect 20 percent of our total payments in December and early January.”

As of Nov. 20, 42 percent of churches have already paid 100 percent of their apportionments, slightly fewer than the 44 percent that paid 100 percent last year at this time. 

The Columbia District is leading the conference’s districts in total percentage collected as of Nov. 20 with 94.5 percent. The Walterboro District is in second place, with 85.3 percent, and the Marion District is in third with 84.7 percent.

Westbury said she believes the message of hope and healing that South Carolina Resident Bishop Leonard Fairley brings is comforting, and she hopes churches will continue to step up and pay their apportionments, hopefully bringing the percentage as close to the budgeted goal as possible. 

“I am heartened that some of the churches that expressed interest in separation in 2025 are continuing to contribute to apportionments even though the separation process is cancelled,” Westbury said.

Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, is the last day to pay 2024 apportionments. Payments must be in the treasurer’s office by 4 p.m. that day. The postmark is not the deciding factor, and the treasurer’s office is not responsible for delivery delays regardless of which carrier is used.  The treasurer’s office can accept wires if necessary, but wires can be expensive to send and receive. If paying by Vanco, the payment must be initiated by 3 p.m. Jan. 14.

Learn how to pay by Vanco at https://www.umcsc.org/apportionments.