Each member of the local church is called on to pay money set aside for our support of the
CONNECTION.
- Class or Quarterly Dues - paid to your Class Leader for the Quarterly Conference. This
money helps pay the Presiding Elder's salary.
- General Claims - paid to your Class Leader (or the Conference Budget Chairperson). Each
dollar is broken down in this manner: 44 cents to educational institutions; 15 cents to operate
departments of the Connection; 13 cents for the Pension Fund and death benefits; 4 cents for
widows and rural ministers; 4 cents pays our General Officers and operates their offices; 4 cents
pays for our Bishops and their office needs; 3 cents operates our Publishing House; 2 cents for
Harriet Tubman House and camps, and 1 cent reserve. These figures are not exact, but are very
close.
The Methodist tradition requires that the local church (the roots), support the CONNECTION.
The Connection, at the General Conference, determines what amount each conference must pay and,
in turn, the conference determines what each local church must pay. These amounts are
determined by the number of persons on the rolls of each church.
If each member does not carry his or her own weight, other members are burdened with a
heavier load. This is why it is so very important that every member of the local church help
by carrying his/her own share of the responsibility to support the local church and, in turn,
support the worldwide CONNECTION of ZION.
