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The Rev. Ann Laprade, chair of the Conference Council on Finance and Administration, presented the budget, noting that the increase for 2015 was held to 3.1 percent.

“In order to build bridges and be love, it takes funding,” she said.

The 2015 budget contains two significant areas of focus, Laprade said: new church starts and grants for new ministry.

“We’re planning on working with 12 new church starts in 2015,” she said, with funding increasing by $240,000. Grants for new ministries will increase by $113,000, or 27 percent over 2014 funding.

The 2015 budget, Laprade said, assumes a growth in the apportionment base for the first time in three years. At $86.8 million, the apportionment base will grow 0.8 percent. This is the dollar amount reported by local churches upon which the apportionments are figured.

The 2015 budget sets the collection rate at 92 percent, with the Benevolence Factor remaining steady at 17.75 percent. The Benevolence Factor is a percentage used by the conference to calculate apportionments for local churches, based on local church spending.

The result for 2015, Laprade said, is that churches are expected to contribute 10.8 percent of projected operating income in 2015 to apportionments. “We’re approaching our goal of 10 percent,” said Laprade, “and this is something to celebrate.”

Churches throughout the BWC contributed $13.9 million in apportionment askings in 2013, a collection rate of 89.8 percent. She noted that December 2013 was noticeably lean, with contributions down $300,000 from previous years.

Total income from all sources in 2013 was just over $17 million, down $1.1 million from 2012. However, expenses were lower by $500,000 in 2013, and were on budget, Laprade said.

“CFA is aware of one-time activities that negatively impacted the 2013 budget,” she said, adding that the Council is working with those churches that experienced these one-time events.

The good news, though, Laprade said, is that the number of churches giving 100 percent remains strong. “Ninety percent of our local churches have given 100 percent in at least one of the past two years,” she said.

In approving the budget, conference members granted a 2 percent raise for conference staff; increased missions funding by 3 percent; approved the addition of a Global Partnership Coordinator; allowed the campus ministry at the University of Maryland to move to a full-time position; increased the clergy moving line item by $65,000; and increased legal expenses by $23,000.

Laprade also reported that the bishop and the Cabinet are taking steps to work with congregations who are behind in the payments of pension and health benefits. “Our focus is on growing stewardship capacity with detailed plans and expectations for each congregation,” she said.

In a separate vote, BWC members also approved an increase in the minimum salary for full-time clergy, setting this at $40,760, and raised the housing allowance by 1.7 percent, or $332, to $19,866.

“CFA has passion and they are an inspiration,” Laprade said in thanking members of the Council.

Conference members took time to celebrate paying 100 percent of General Church apportionments and 100 percent payment of Africa University askings. In so doing, BWC is one of 27 conferences in the church to pay 100 percent. 

Charlie Moore, a member of Community UMC in Crofton, was honored by Dr. James Salley of Africa University with the giving of the Kariba pin for his service on the endowment campaign for the school. The only way to receive such a pin is to contribute to Africa University and to be recognized by their board of trustees. A fellow recipient of the pin must “pin” the person receiving the pin for the first time.

The complete 2015 budget is online at http://www.bwcumc.org/sites/default/files/BudgetPublication.pdf.