Leadership in the United Methodist Church are calling upon the denomination to adopt $12 million in cuts for the upcoming budget planned for the next four years.
The UMC General Secretaries Table met Monday in Nashville and announced Tuesday that they supported a reduction in the proposed budget from $611 million to $599 million.
According to the statement released by the general secretaries, if adopted the $599 million quadrennial budget would be the lowest in 16 years.
"The formula would roll back the general church apportionments to the lowest percentage since the current apportionment formula was introduced in 2001 and represents a $4.1 million cut from the budget General Conference adopted for the current quadrennium," added the leadership.
Representing various general boards and general commissions, the secretaries at the Monday meeting acknowledged in their announcement that the "reduction to $599 million will impose hardships and require reworking ministry plans."
"But with appreciation for the creative strategies undertaken by annual conferences and congregations, and in accord with churchwide efforts to reach and serve more people in more places, they agreed that reducing the base rate percentage used to determine annual conference apportionments is timely and appropriate," continued the statement by the leadership.
Moses Kumar, general secretary and treasurer for the UMC General Council on Finance and Administration, told The Christian Post that proposal was unaimously endorsed by those at the meeting.
"The General Council on Finance and Administration and Connectional Table will meet in the near future to determine whether to adopt the recommendation of the General Secretaries and make it their own proposal to the General Conference," said Kumar.
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