Site
Contents
 |
General Information about the Area Office
North Indiana Conference Office
South Indiana Conference Office
Prayer Guides
(Courtesy of the NIC Prayer Team)
Area United Methodist
Foundation
For resources to assist your congregation in welcoming guests,
click here
Seashore District Volunteer Center VIM project -- Completed
Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodists together |
March 2004 |
Increased costs lead to increased budget proposal
PITTSBURGH (U.M. Newscope) -- The General Council on Finance and Administration is proposing a $586 million budget for all apportioned general funds in the 2005-08 quadrennium, a 7.3 percent increase over the current quadrennium. This amount is subject to change, as there are a number of proposals coming before the 2004 General Conference that contain financial implications and are not included in this budget.
|
The primary source of agency financial resources is from the apportioned World Service Fund, for which GCFA is recommending a 6.5 percent increase. |
According to GCFA, agency budgets in the present quadrennium were based on drawing from reserves and the Benefit Trust Fund, and less support is expected from these funds in the years ahead. The primary source of agency financial resources is from the apportioned World Service Fund, for which GCFA is recommending a 6.5 percent increase. This will enable most agencies to receive an increase in funding, even after accounting for the reserve and Benefit Trust Fund monies from 2001 to 2004.
The adjusted increase for ten agencies and their related programs will average 1.6 percent. The U.M. Youth Organization, with one of the smallest funding amounts for a church-wide body, will receive the largest percentage increase, 14.9 percent, to receive $900,000. The General Board of Global Ministries spent the most of any agency from reserves and the Benefit Trust Fund. After accounting for replacement of those monies, GBGM will receive practically no change in the amount of income through the World Service Fund.
Meanwhile, should the budget proposal be approved, the General Board of Discipleship will receive a 3.6 percent decrease in World Service funding, as compared with the current quadrennium's apportionment and Benefit Trust receipts. During the budget negotiations between the program agencies and GCFA, the eight program agencies were asked to reduce their initial requests. This proposal from GCFA represents a 16 percent decrease from the $265 million originally requested by the program agencies (Newscope, 9/19/2003).
The largest percentage increases of all the apportioned funds are in the Episcopal Fund, 27.5 percent, and the General Administration Fund, 14.7 percent. GCFA attributes the Episcopal Fund needs to the increasing number of active and retired bishops. The council is proposing a reduction in the number of active bishops in order to reduce these costs (Newscope, 9/19/2003). The General Administration Fund increases are attributed to increased costs of holding General Conference.
Last updated on 04/19/2004