From the Pastor

STILL GOING FORWARD IN LOVE!

Stewardship Sharing:  Why pay our Conference Apportionments?  Are they too much?

             I feel so very good about the fact that as I finish 42 years in Ministry this June, the churches I have served have paid their Conference Apportionments in full, all but one year.  The best place to start in supplying a rationale for Conference Apportionments would be to look at our own United Methodist Heritage.

Our denomination has always had a strong belief in the values of the connectional system.  Simply stated, many Congregations working together can make a great impact in the world, through various ministries, than could one single congregation.

Of course, it must be said at this point that I am assuming that we want to claim our heritage.   I know, as pastor, that I do.  This heritage would include John Wesley’s strong feelings that “The world is our Parish.”  If we believe that it is, then we will support the connectional system, and thus our conference program to minister “together.”  Of course we all remember Jesus’ great commission to the church is to “go into all the world.”  The Connectional system makes that possible for us.

What a tremendous witness, to worldwide ministry, that this church, and all those I have served previously, has made over the years.  Especially meaningful to me was the fact that we did it in 2009, during a time of devastating downturn in our economy.  I know that God will greatly bless our faithfulness in tough times.

In  2010 our connectional askings to enable our world wide emphasis, including a great portion that comes back to us in local support, will total $28,572, which is down from the 2009 goal of $29,472.  The askings are broken down into five categories.

Circuit & Local Congregational Development $6,960

Local Congregational Direct Support $1,764

Clergy & Lay Leadership $5,136

Connectional Ministries $12,312

Conference Support Ministries $2,400

I wholeheartedly believe that Christ’s great commission to “go into all the world” is not optional.  It is a direct call to the Christian Church to make a huge difference for good in the lives of the world’s people.  I am so proud of the fact that we are so faithful to Christ’s calling.  It proves again that Christ’s call upon our lives is not all about us, but all about them-Christ’s world wide family.  We are all a part of that great family and we are always better persons for knowing it and then supporting it. 

My prayer and hope is that our church will continue to help lead the way in keeping up a healthy and vital state, national, and worldwide ministry through our Conference Connectional support.  I know that John Wesley, the founder of our Methodist Denomination, who saw “the world as our parish,” would be so happy with us!  More importantly, I know for sure that God would be happy with us!

To borrow an old expression that “united way” used to use, “it is because of people like you that it works—–the connectional system of Ministry together.”

Are our apportionments too much?  As we think of a worldwide need, and as we think about our heritage of “the world being our parish” we know they are just about right.  Perhaps taking it even further, in light of the ministry we have shared in and are sharing in across the state of Wisconsin, our nation, our world, perhaps a more appropriate question would be “Are they enough?”

Your Pastor in a supportive Connectional Ministry and Mission Endeavor,

Rev. Duane Andrus