Some United Methodist churches ‘flat-out refuse to give,’ conference treasurer says

The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church is navigating a difficult financial landscape, with leadership reporting that a significant number of congregations are withholding their required financial support.

A Growing Financial Gap

According to the Rev. Angie Long, treasurer for the Alabama-West Florida Conference, only 121 congregations met their full apportionment obligation in 2025. This figure represents a sharp decline from previous years, as many churches have chosen to stop forwarding payments entirely.

"We have some churches that flat-out refuse to give," Long stated. "That’s the cloud over where we are."

The Impact of Disaffiliation

The current instability follows a wave of departures, with at least 248 churches disaffiliating from the denomination over the last five years. The trend began in June 2022 with the exit of Frazer Memorial in Montgomery, which was previously the largest United Methodist Church in Alabama.

For perspective, 369 churches paid their full apportionments in 2021 before the mass departures began. That number fluctuated during the exit period, reaching 389 in 2022 and 363 in 2023, though those figures included payments from churches finalizing their separation. By 2024, the number of churches meeting full requirements dropped to 132.

Conference Restructuring

As financial pressures mount, the conference is undergoing significant administrative changes. The latest clergy appointments, finalized and announced Tuesday, show only about 217 churches remaining with assigned pastors, as detailed in the official 2026 appointment book. Additionally, the conference moved to close 21 churches this week.

To manage the tightening budget—which has fallen from $7.2 million in 2023 to approximately $3.6 million for 2027—the conference has:

• Reduced the number of district superintendents from 8 to 4.
• Maintained district superintendent salaries at $130,568 with no cost-of-living adjustments.
• Approved a 2.8 percent increase for full-time clergy minimum salaries, setting them at $45,793 for 2027.
• Launched the Manna Endowment in 2025 to help mitigate funding shortfalls.

Ongoing Legal Challenges

The financial climate is further complicated by ongoing litigation involving over 40 churches that were denied disaffiliation. These cases remain in various stages, including the high-profile ruling involving Harvest Church in Dothan. On March 25, Houston County Circuit Judge Christopher K. Richardson ruled that the United Methodist Church holds no legal claim to the property of the Dothan congregation.