FAQs
Why do United Methodist Churches pay apportionments?
Each year, Saint John's and all UMC churches pay apportionments to the UMC. These apportionments support administration of our broader church, but also pay for mission and service at local, national and international levels, and ultimately help connect Saint John’s to the broader mission and ministry of the UMC.
Why is Saint John’s reducing its apportionments?
Saint John’s is guided by our core principles, including inclusion, openness and justice. Unfortunately, our LGBTQIA+ members still do not have full rights within the United Methodist Church. In fact, specific language in our book of discipline still prohibits full inclusion. Because of this, for the past few years, our Saint John’s Church Council has intentionally reduced our apportionment funds and redirected those withheld funds to organizations supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
What is the intended message of reducing our apportionments?
We want to serve as a witness for LGBTQIA+ United Methodists in our church and our community. Our intent is not to punish the United Methodist Church. We are committed to the success of the UMC and do not take the decision to withhold apportionments lightly. Our strong belief is that full inclusion of our LGBTQIA+ members better serves not only that community, but also strengthens the Church and better represents the unconditional love of Jesus’ witness. We want to communicate this message not only to church leadership, but also to our LGBTQIA+ community.
What does “holding with hope” mean?
In 2023, our Church Council voted to update our approach from withholding our apportionments to “holding with hope.” We will continue to withhold and direct half of those funds to LGBTQIA+ charities and causes. And with great hope, we are holding the other half - and will pay it to the UMC if all discriminatory language is removed from our Book of Discipline after General Conference in May 2024.
Why is this an important issue to the Saint John’s congregation?
We are disheartened that many of our LGBTQIA+ friends do not feel that the grace of God is open to them. We continue to feel both hope for an inclusive future and concern for the present, where our LGBTQIA+ beloveds still do not have the same rights within the United Methodist Church.
How much of our apportionments are being withheld?
We are taking 10% of our apportionment funds and donating them to three organizations that support the LGBTQIA+ community. In years past, this has included OutYouth, the Transgender Education Network of Texas, and the Austin LGBT Coalition on Aging. Our Research Team will decide recipients this year.
We are holding another 10% of our apportionment funds until after the UMC General Conference meets in May 2024. If at that time the anti-LGBT language and policies have been removed from the Book of Discipline, we will give these funds as apportionments to the UMC. If the anti-LGBT language and policies remain, these funds will be directed to organizations supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
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