UMCSC closes 2019 with 90 percent in apportionments
By Jessica Brodie
For the fifth year in a row, South Carolina United Methodists have paid more than 90 percent in apportionments.
The South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church closed 2019 with 90.02 percent in apportionment giving of the church’s $17.8 million total budget for the year. That percentage translates to nearly $16 million for church ministries, missions, programming and more across the conference’s 12 districts in South Carolina.
While the amount collected was less than the 2018 percentage (90.9 percent) and the last several years, and the conference did not reach its 91 percent goal for the year, financial leaders said they are still very pleased with the results.
“I am extremely proud of the commitment shown by our churches,” said Beth Westbury, conference treasurer and director of administrative services.
South Carolina UMCs gave 92.3 percent in 2017, 92.0 percent in 2016 and 91.1 percent in 2015.
Westbury lifted up churches like St. Matthew UMC, Greenville, which had paid its final apportionment payment late for 2018, so the conference applied that payment to 2019. But when St. Matthew hit 100 percent for 2019, they kept sending checks.
“When we tried to explain that they were all paid up, they stated they wanted to overpay their 2019 apportionments in order to make up for not getting it all in 2018,” Westbury said. “That kind of commitment is extraordinary.
Westbury noted that while the conference had slightly fewer churches paying 100 percent of their apportionments in 2019 than in 2018 (770 in 2019 versus 778 in 2018 of the 971 total churches), a big positive is there were fewer churches paying 0 percent (20 in 2019 versus 27 in 2018).
“We look forward to a day when every church participates in the apportionments to support the mission and ministry that goes beyond the local church,” Westbury said. “I hope that each church will look at 2020 as a new opportunity to transform the world through the apportionments.”
She said total apportionments for 2020 are less than the total for 2019, which she hopes will make it easier for churches to participate at a higher level in 2020.
Walterboro is top district
Walterboro continues to be the top district, paying the highest percentage of apportionments at a collection percentage of 98.31. Rock Hill came in second with 97.93 percent, and Columbia comes in third with 94.14 percent.
Westbury said districts with the most improvement measured in dollars included Greenville with $83,899, Florence with $83,255 and Walterboro with $52,511. Districts with the most improvement measured in percentage points gained were Florence at 5.76 percent, Rock Hill at 4.03 percent and Greenville at 1.71 percent.
Collection has already begun for 2020 apportionments.
For more on conference financials, visit www.umcsc.org/home/administrative-services.
Apportionment Giving Through the Years
Courtesy of the South Carolina Conference Treasurer’s Office
- 2019 90.0%
- 2018 90.9%
- 2017 92.3%
- 2016 92.0%
- 2015 91.1%
- 2014 89.5%
- 2013 89.7%
- 2012 87.0%
- 2011 84.2%
- 2010 83.2%
- 2009 84.0%
- 2008 86.1%
- 2007 86.8%
- 2006 86.0%
- 2005 78.7%
- 2004 78.9%
- 2003 87.8%
- 2002 90.9%
2019 Apportionment Payments by District
Courtesy of the South Carolina Conference Treasurer’s Office
- Walterboro 98.31%
- Rock Hill 97.73%
- Columbia 94.14%
- Orangeburg 93.83%
- Florence 92.96%
- Spartanburg 91.44%
- Charleston 90.16%
- Greenville 89.74%
- Anderson 87.55%
- Greenwood 87.35%
- Hartsville 81.87%
- Marion 77.54%