The ministries of the United Methodist Church are supported financially through apportioned funds, a method of giving that proportionally allocates the church-wide budget to conferences and local churches. The Dakotas Conference paid the total bill or 100% of General Church apportioned funds in 2015 and is on pace to do so in 2016.

Members and churches of the Dakotas Conference have given over a million dollars to Special Sundays, UMCOR, Dakotas Conference Missions, Miracle Offerings and the Thanksgiving Offering. Dakotas Conference churches gave generously to the denomination in 2015, and those gifts enabled life-changing mission and ministry around the world.

The cutoff date for 2016 apportionments, direct bills and other offerings is Thursday, January 12, 2017. Any dollars for 2016 received after this date will show up on the 2017 statements as “prior year apportionments or direct bills.”

Dakotas Conference apportionment dollars go to:

• 20% to ministry for young people—Camping is the biggest part but we also support Dakota Wesleyan, campus ministry, and youth ministry.
• 22% to district superintendents— Funds that supports the ministry of the four district superintendents as well as moving pastors for appointment changes.
• 18% to new church starts and revitalization– Funds to help start new churches and revitalization processes such as Missional Church Consultation Initative (MCCI) and Journey Renewal.
• 15% to DAKOTAS MISSIONS – Combined with gifts from individuals/churches for the missionary work at Tree of Life, Bakken Oil Rush Outreach, Haiti Solar Oven Partners, Spirit Lake, and more.
• 35% to STAFFING, PROPERTIES, MISC – Supports staff that runs the above programs or provides administrative support, caring for our various properties, and also a mixed bag of programs such as Archives & History, the Video Conference System, and training for Lay and Clergy leaders.

Global apportionment dollars fund:

• Bishops
• General agencies
• Ministerial education
• Denomination-wide efforts like the Black College Fund and Africa University in Zimbabwe
• Global ecumenical efforts

In 2015, 95.4% of the Dakotas Conference churches gave towards the 16% apportionment requested. This represents an increase from 2014, when 95.1% of the churches contributed apportioned funds. In total, $3,840,085 was given as of January 31, 2015. The figure is a $3,023 increase from 2014.

What will the 2016 totals look like? Jeff Pospisil, Dakotas Conference executive director of finance and administration, projects that total giving will increase for 2016. 

“Apportionments are an act of faith that the Lord is working in and through the Conference. It is an act of faith the Lord will provide for the work of the church when we give so much away,’’ said Pospisil. “The giving across the Dakotas Conference is slightly ahead of last year.“