Where Does our Money Go?

Every local United Methodist Church has a finance committee that recommends the budget for local mission projects, operating expenses and salaries. That budget is approved annually by the congregation's Church Council.

Delegates from every church in your region establish the budget for your Annual Conference. United Methodism's top law-making body—General Conference—sets a churchwide budget and a formula for apportioning fair-share amounts to be raised by each annual conference. Each annual conference combines that fair-share goal with their conference and jurisdictional financial needs. The annual conference establishes a formula by which the total apportionment is divided among districts and parishes in each region.

On an average, of each dollar placed in an offering plate in a United Methodist Church ...

• 83.2 cents stays in your local church for ministries and expenses
• 12.8 cents goes for regional ministries in your annual conference and jurisdiction
• Less than 4 cents goes to United Methodist churchwide missions, salaries and administrative cost

Apportioned Funds enable United Methodists to do together what no church, district or annual conference could do alone.

John Wesley and his followers saw our work in the simplest terms. To paraphrase his inspiring words:
      "Do all the good you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can."

We United Methodists follow in Wesley's footsteps, supporting one another and helping God's children whenever and wherever we can.

One way we accomplish this task is through our apportioned funds, a method of giving that proportionally allocates the general church budget to conferences (which subsequently apportion to local churches). This method of giving has become a strong, generous tradition and a personal, lifelong commitment.

Together, through our connected congregations, we United Methodists accomplish what no single church, district or annual conference ever could hope to do. In this way, each individual, each family, each congregation gives a fair share for the church's work. We combine our prayers, presence, gifts and service to make a significant difference in the lives of God's people…in every place we can…as often as we can.