 General
Conference 2004 has recently adjourned. Most of the headlines were about
the debate and discussion regarding the UMC’s stand on Homosexuality.
However, another difficult subject for the delegates to consider was
the financial problems of United Methodist churches. When local churches
fail to pay apportionments, the district, conference and global ministries
of the UMC are crippled.
In a few weeks the Annual Conference session of the Kansas East Conference will meet. Two of the issues that will receive the most attention are Pastor’s Health Insurance costs and Local Church Property Insurance costs. These have increased so dramatically that the Conference is considering docking the pay of all pastors in an effort to hold down the increases in local church premiums.
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I am reminded of the remarks that one of the bishops addressed to the General Conference and to all United Methodists. Bishop Fannin of Alabama said, “. . . our primary task is the presentation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior . . .”Yet we constantly have to focus on paying the insurance premiums, the electric bills and the salaries of our pastors and other staff. In fact, because we are always struggling with finances, we often do not accomplish our primary task! We keep the lights on and the pastor gets paid, but too much time and energy are devoted to survival and to meeting the needs of those already members of the church. Bishop Fannin put forward an answer when he said, “Most of the questions, concerns, and opportunities facing the church are spiritual matters.” If Lowman UMC and the United Methodist Church as a whole are struggling in financial and in other ways, we must have a spiritual problem! I invite you all to pray about this in the days ahead. Only prayer, self-surrender, and self-sacrifice will open us up to God so that God can lead us out of our spiritual problems. Grace and Peace, |