General Conference 2020 (2024) Updates
The UMC General Conference (postponed from 2020) came to order on the morning of April 23. Follow daily reports focusing on topics of interest to Northern Illinois Conference readers.
Posted: February 28 2024 at 07:48 AM
Author: Lisa Smith, NIC Communications Specialist
The Northern Illinois Conference is grateful for its many churches for their faithful apportionment giving and celebrates those who paid in full, despite these challenging times. In 2023, 197 churches paid 100 percent of their calculated apportionments to the conference. Ninety-six churches paid 100 percent of their apportionments to both the conference and the general church funds.
“We give thanks for the ways that our local churches are inviting people into and deepening own their relationships with God and the ways that those relationships turn into a response of God’s love through our connectional giving,” said Rev. Tammy Scott, chair of the NIC Council on Finance and Administration. “That helps to create loving, caring ministries locally and globally.”
Because of your apportionment giving in 2023, the conference will be able to help fund a budget for programs and ministries, both local and global. Apportionments denote an understanding that the purpose of the church is not just to care for its members, but also to reach beyond itself to engage with, minister to, and be in mission with the world. They are used to fund our church’s global mission and witness; help provide the necessary structure to respond in moments of crisis here and around the world; and to develop and nurture the leaders we need today and tomorrow.
“CCFA recognizes that many of our local churches continue to struggle financially as we rebound from COVID,” Scott said. “However, we also know that we are stronger together than we could ever be apart.”
Kingswood UMC, with campuses in both Buffalo Grove and Deerfield, has for many years supported its apportionments at 100 percent.
“Kingswood is committed to serving others in the name of Christ,” said Rev. James Preston, lead pastor and Buffalo Grove pastor. “Apportionments are an amazing way to impact lives and communities locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. We support missionaries, outreach efforts, Justice For Our Neighbors, United Methodist Committee on Relief, and more because indeed our gifts through connectional giving make a beautiful difference in so many lives.”
For more information on apportionments and to give, click here.