wfn.org | UMNS# 05119-Twelve annual conferences give 100 percent;

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Twelve annual conferences give 100 percent; New York gives more

Feb. 25, 2005	 News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*
Nashville {05119}

NOTE: This report is a sidebar to UMNS story #118, available at
http://umns.umc.org.

A UMNS Report
By Joretta Purdue*

Last year, 12 annual (regional) conferences of the United Methodist
Church gave 100 percent of their apportionments, the amount asked of all
conferences to support churchwide ministry and administration.

That figure represents one conference more than for 2003, according to
the denomination's General Council of Finance and Administration, with
offices in Evanston, Ill. In addition, the Iglesia Metodista de Puerto
Rico, which is autonomous from the United Methodist Church, sent 100
percent of its voluntary financial contributions for all seven
apportioned funds.

Four conferences each were in the North Central and Northeastern
jurisdictions. In North Central, the conferences were Wisconsin (16
consecutive years), Detroit (four years), Illinois Great Rivers (two
years) and Northern Illinois. In the Northeastern Jurisdiction, those
paying 100 percent were Peninsula-Delaware (19 years), Central
Pennsylvania (10 years), Baltimore-Washington (eight years) and New
York.

The other four conferences that provided this level of support in 2004
were Red Bird Missionary (20-plus years), Oklahoma Indian Missionary
(seven years), Desert Southwest (six years) and Central Texas.

"The faithfulness of our connection in the face of multiple economic
challenges these past four years, which several of your conferences
experienced firsthand, was evident in their giving," Sandra Lackore,
treasurer and GCFA executive, told church officials in announcing the
figures.

New York Annual Conference holds the distinction of giving 103.86
percent of its 2004 apportionment. This achievement is all the more
notable because its giving ranged from 72.26 percent to 81.81 percent
during the previous four years. Peninsula-Delaware gave 100.2 percent in
2004.

Seven additional conferences gave 100 percent of their World Service
apportionment: Minnesota, New England, Rio Grande, Texas, Troy, West
Michigan and Wyoming (which is in New York and Pennsylvania).

Some of these were among the six conferences that sent in more than 95
percent of their 2004 apportionments for all seven funds. They were
Louisiana, Minnesota, New England, North Carolina, Southwest Texas and
Texas.
# # #
*Purdue is a freelance writer residing in Colorado Springs, Colo.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org