Nashville, Tennessee – On February 17, 2023, the winter meeting of GCFA’s Board of Directors was held virtually. GCFA’s General Secretary and Treasurer Rev. Moses Kumar announced seven jurisdictional annual conferences paid their apportionments in full: California-Nevada, Dakotas, New England, Oklahoma Indian Missionary, Central Appalachian Missionary (formerly Red Bird Missionary), New York, and Wisconsin. Also announced were nine episcopal areas in the Central Conferences who paid their apportionments in full, including Davao, East Congo, Liberia, Mozambique, Eastern Angola, Germany, Eurasia, Nordic-Baltic, and Central and Southern Europe. In addition, 32 annual conferences and nine Central Conference episcopal areas paid 75% or more of their apportionments.
Kumar praised their generosity, saying “We are so incredibly thankful to these conferences and Episcopal areas, and their members. Giving is one of the ways we are in ministry with one other, a true connection. United Methodism is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ and the commandment to help your neighbor – not just in your community but for the transformation of the world. These dollars give us the ability to fulfill that mission.”
Kumar also announced the release of GCFA’s 2022 Impact Report, which is the agency’s annual year in review announcement. That report includes the stabilization of giving rates throughout the Connection, including a .7% increase in World Service giving compared to 2021, bringing funding levels to 73.2%. The Episcopal Fund was down less than one percent, with a 92.9 % giving rate. The General Administration fund showed the least change at a 0.2% increase from 2021, for a total of a 75.7% giving rate.
GCFA tracks giving rates along with fulfilling its other duties as mandated by The Book of Discipline, which are paid for with apportionment dollars. GCFA also announced that it offset expenses by more than 30% with revenue derived from both its successful ministry partner program and its ministry services brand, UMC Support. UMC Support offers quality administrative services to individual United Methodist ministries, often at a lower cost than secular vendors. The agency reported a surplus to end the year, according to unaudited preliminary figures.