Annual Conference Considers $9.56 Million Budget
The Conference Council on Finance & Administration has proposed a $9.56 million Mission Share budget to fund ministry in Western PA for 2011. In response to church concerns about rising costs, it’s about $387,000 less than the 2010 plan.
Mission share funds come from local churches to the Conference to support ministry in Western PA. A portion, in turn, is passed through to support the General Church ministries around the globe. The spending plan includes full funding of General Church apportionments at nearly $2.6 million.
“We intend to be faithful to The United Methodist Church and pay our apportioned funds at 100 percent in 2011. That’s something that we continue to ask our local churches to do, but something as an annual conference we have not always done well,” said Conference Treasurer Pat Morris.
Each church’s Mission Share is determined by a formula approved by the 2000 Annual Conference and based in part on the local church’s operating costs. Additional legislation before the annual conference addresses how money is to be disbursed if churches pay less than 100 percent of their Mission Share.
In the 2011 Mission Share Budget, most ministry areas show some decrease in budgeted funds from Mission Share. Some receive income from other sources, such as fees and endowments. The total Conference budget, including other income, is $27.4 million.
The 2011 budget also shifts some administrative costs into ministry areas to provide a more realistic picture of costs, Morris said.
To help members understand how their Mission Share dollars will be spent, Morris prepared a Narrative Budget, which is printed on page 423 of the Pre-Conference Journal.
The complete budget, along with each church’s expected Mission Share, and other finance related legislation is also available in the pre-conference booklet. Print copies were mailed to the approximately 1,800 voting members. All material are also online at www.wpaumc.org/AC2010.
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