Council proposes $9.69 million budget for 2009

Southwest Texas Conference leaders are to consider a $9.69 million budget in June for mission and ministry during 2009.
The Council on Finance and Administration voted March 28 to send the proposed spending plan—and the apportionments to fund it—to the June 4-7 annual conference session for consideration.
The 2009 total represents a 2.86-percent increase from the 2008 budget amount.
Budget details are to be spelled out in a pre-conference report mailed later this month to clergy and laity representatives of the region’s 344 United Methodist congregations.
The Rev. David Seilheimer, treasurer of the conference, said the Council on Finance and Administration is pleased that the 2009 apportionments represent only a 2.86-percent increase from 2008 and that they “represent more than a 1-percent decrease in spending relative to the operational spending of local churches.
The 2008 apportionments were increased on the floor of the annual conference in 2007 by $150,000, making their total increase larger than that experienced by the local churches, he added. The purpose of that increase was to fund advertising efforts in the Southwest Texas region.
None of the proposed apportionments are down from 2008.
The budget still could likely change after General Conference April 23-May 2, Seilheimer said. The denominationwide apportionments will be set by action of the General Conference before the annual conference session.
“The apportionments presented in this report are preliminary only,” he said. “Most General Conferences have changed the amounts of the general church apportionments when they meet.”
A 1-percent change in the general church apportionments would change the conference apportionments by $25,111.
Seilheimer said the actual amounts of general funds would be posted as soon as they were available.