Information about the Conferences outside the United States of America, called "Central Conferences."
August 5, 2019
by Dr. David W. Scott, Director of Mission Theology at the General Board of Global Ministries
Having laid forth in my last post some (possibly) better estimates by region of the level of internal giving and the amount of US support allows for some more specific comparison of funding received by central conferences from the US vs. funding central conferences are able to generate on their own.
This comparison then gives a sense of the magnitude of possible decreases in funding that central conferences could face and the scale of the decisions that they would have to make in the face of funding cuts from the US. I will here examine two scenarios: What would happen if all US subsidies were to stop through complete separation from the current denominational system, and what would happen if US subsidies were to decline by a third within the present system? [Read the whole analysis.]
,,,The decisions that US United Methodists, from traditionalist to centrist to progressive, will make about the funding arrangements they establish with the central conferences in whatever the next iteration of Methodism is will thus have real consequences, and dramatic cuts will cost lives among the poorest and most marginalized globally....
Here is a collection of links to Central Conference resolutions, meetings, discussions about the state of the UMC after the 2019 General Conference.
African Bishops Release Statement On Future: No Dissolution, no schism, no homosexuality, but affirm self-determination, "restraint," and "respectful and humane" debate.
Philippines Bishops Outline Their Preferred Outcome: Contextuality, Connectionality, restructuring into a Global church with regional conferences with power to determine their own "witness, mission and ministry."
Read more: Central Conference Discussions on the Current State of UMC
Friday, August 2, 2019
by Dr. David W. Scott, Director of Mission Theology at the General Board of Global Ministries.
Over the past several weeks, I have published a series of posts about finances in the global United Methodist Church, including central conference church giving, US support for central conference ministries, central conference bishops’ salaries, and African clergy salaries. Having worked through that variety of material, I’ve gained new insight relative to some of the earlier posts in the series. This post will contain some additional reflections on how much money the central conferences collect and how that compares to the amount of US financial support for central conference ministry. A subsequent update post will re-examine what would likely be cut if US support declined or ended. [More...]
Monday, July 29, 2019
by Dr. David W. Scott, Director of Mission Theology at the General Board of Global Ministries.
While my last post looked at the salaries of African United Methodist bishops, this post will look at the salaries of African United Methodist clergy. Whereas bishops in Africa are paid quite well relative to average income in the country, clergy in Africa struggle in many places.
Exact figures for pastoral salaries in the central conferences is difficult to find online. Anecdotal stories about the financial struggles of clergy in African central conferences abound. As explored in a previous post, total giving in central conferences is limited, a result of the weak economies of many countries in the central conferences. The money available for pastoral salaries may be even more limited than suggested by those figures.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Dr. David W. Scott, Director of Mission Theology at the General Board of Global Ministries.
As indicated in a previous post, one way in which United Methodists in the United States subsidize the ministry of United Methodists in the central conferences is through the Episcopal Fund, one of the seven general church apportionment funds.
Episcopal areas in the central conferences do contribute to the Episcopal Fund (central conference apportionments make up 2.81% of the Episcopal Fund), but the amount they receive from that fund exceeds what they put in, thus generating a subsidy. ...