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Apportionments Ministerial Education Fund

The health of any local church is determined in large measure by the quality of pastoral leadership. Education for ministry is a vital element in the effectiveness of the pastor. This apportionment, with the amount deter­mined by the General Conference, provides funds at both the general church and annual conference levels. Twenty-five percent of the funds received from local churches stays in the annual conference to assist with the cost of educating ministers.

The process of preparation for ministry has several steps between recom­mendation of the local church charge conference and ordination. Before a person can be appointed as pastor of a local church, she/he must success­fully complete the Local Pastor's Licensing School. This basic course is offered each summer and lasts for two weeks. Funds retained by the annual conference pay the major costs of this school.

Another phase of education for pastoral ministry occurs in one of our United Methodist-approved seminaries. A ministerial student may attend on a full-time basis over a period of years-usually four. Local pastors may enroll in course-of-study schools, which means doing some independent study and attending classes, usually for a month each summer for five years. The annual conference funds provide scholarship assistance to students in both situations.

Seventy-five percent of funds received from local churches is admin­istered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Most of it is used to help support our 13 United Methodist seminaries, with a re­quirement that it must be used for programs and services, thereby helping to moderate the cost of tuition. It cannot be used for physical expansion or improvements. A portion of the funds is used for ministerial enlistment and development.

The Ministerial Education Fund is critical to the development of deacons and elders who will provide leadership for our local churches, districts, the annual conference and the worldwide church.