Left: On April 17 dozens of conference-wide trainers be taught to provide welcoming training on a local church level.
By Gwen Watson, North District
Two North District churches struggled financially, in dissimilar environments, but drew upon the same strength to fulfill their commitment to apportionments. Community UMC of Blythe, California and Heritage UMC of Las Vegas, Nevada were not able to pay all of their 2008 assessed apportionments. However, 2009 proved to be a faith journey for both churches, and because of their commitment to support the Desert Southwest Conference of The United Methodist Church Outreach Ministry, they were able to fulfill their apportionment obligation that year.
Like most churches the economic down turn had affected the resources of Community UMC. According to their pastor, Gary Hayes, the church served a small town of approximately 12,000 people, and the town had been committed to protecting its local small businesses, by not allowing large retail companies to establish there. In his opinion, under normal circumstances, this decision would have provided fertile soil for small local business growth. But during an anemic economy, it proved to be devastating for the community which now lacked large companies to support the economic health of the town.
While struggling to pay the church’s monthly bills, Pastor Hayes surveyed how to meet those monthly expenses and the church's apportionments. "Every day I prayed for guidance to help me to come up with a solution," said Hayes. Finally, when 2009 began to close, he asked Community UMC Covenant Council to make the last apportionment payment to complete the church's commitment to the conference and to withdraw money from the church’s endowment fund to help handle monthly bills when needed. The council said yes. "I am in no way arrogant enough to believe that it was my convincing ways and incredible personality that made it happen, said Hayes. "I believe that prayer works, and I must tell you that I believe it worked in this case," he continued.
Unlike Community UMC, Heritage UMC of Las Vegas, Nevada sits in a metropolis supported economically by the hotel and casino industry that thrives on tourist discretionary income. Since the slump of the U.S. economy, tourism declined dramatically resulting in 13.1 percent unemployment in Las Vegas as of July 2009, according to the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. Heritage also experienced a financial shortfall in 2009. "Our giving, facility rental and equitable compensation income in total were not enough to meet all expenses including apportionments for 2009," said Rev. Camille Pentsil, pastor of Heritage UMC. Rev. Pentsil began to pray and investigate the options available to formulate a plan.
As a part of the church’s history, Heritage UMC’s origin began as a by-product of the merger of Sunrise UMC and First UMC after the sale of First UMC. The proceeds from the sale were designated for a new dwelling for the merged churches. But from Pentsil’s investigation, the interest could be used at the church’s discretion. “This was a spiritual hot button in the church, a major point of dissension, explained Pentsil. “Many ‘First Churchers felt it was ‘their money.’”
She began to preach and teach on topics, from personal and corporate stewardship, to the apportionment responsibility of each individual as well as the congregation as a whole. “The individual giving toward apportionments increased immediately around October, but not in enough time, said Pentsil. She then requested the finance members of the church to attend the finance meeting with Bishop Minerva Carcaño on apportionments. Eventually, the church voted on the issue of using the interest toward apportionments and it passed.
As it happened, Heritage overpaid its apportionment by $1679.47 and when given the choice to apply the overage to their 2010 commitment, they decided not to. “God made it real. I presented the overpayment to the congregation as a love gift to our sister churches who could not meet
their apportionment. The following week Heritage received notification from Green Valley UMC (of Henderson, Nevada) that we were given $4,000.00 for our food closet account at ‘Three Square’ as a love offering from their holiday (Christmas) drive,” said Pentsil.
Christ indeed made his teaching real. Both Community UMC and Heritage UMC struggled with the little they had and stepped out in faith and allowed God to multiply their resources.