By Jim Brown and Jody Brown
October 3, 2002

(AgapePress) - A respected and well-known United Methodist minister in Mississippi says he will no longer be giving undesignated funds to his denomination. He says his action was triggered by a UMC bishop who recently announced that he rejects the basic tenets of the Christian faith.

The Book of Discipline sets forth the laws, plan, organization, and process by which the United Methodist Church governs itself. Among other things, it describes the theological grounding of the UMC, clarifies the denomination's mission around the world, and asserts that all who are baptized and confirmed are ministers of Jesus Christ. It also discusses "apportionments" -- a system of collecting funds at the local-church level for the missions and ministries of the denomination.

According to the denomination's official website, apportionments make it possible for individual church members and local United Methodist churches to do ministry in settings where they cannot be present physically. Those monies -- which exceeded $112 million in 2000, according to United Methodist News Service -- are used to fund such things as colleges, church-wide outreach programs, issue advocacy, building of new churches, advertising and promotional programs -- and the salaries for Methodist bishops.

That latter category has caused one conservative Methodist leader to take action with his wallet. Dr. Don Wildmon, an ordained Methodist minister and chairman of the American Family Association, says while he will continue supporting his local church financially, his giving will be to designated causes only -- thereby eliminating the possibility that any of his tithes and offerings will go to pay bishops' salaries. Wildmon's decision follows a controversial speech by Methodist Bishop Joseph Sprague of Chicago, who rejects the biblical teaching that salvation can be found in Christ alone.

Wildmon says in light of the fact that Methodist bishops are elected for life and supported by local churches, he will only designate his funds to causes that are in harmony with the scriptures.

"When a bishop in the United Methodist Church, or any church, denies the basic tenets of Christianity -- virgin birth, death, burial, resurrection [of Jesus Christ], the atonement -- and continues in that capacity, then it's time to take some action," he says. "Obviously no charges have been filed by any of the other bishops. I don't want my money being used to pay this man's salary."

According to Wildmon, his denomination holds apportionment giving in high esteem. "Giving to the denomination, called apportionments, is the 'sacred cow' in the United Methodist Church," he says. "The leadership does not look kindly when the sacred cow is touched." He indicates that his actions could lead to some type of punitive action by his superiors, although he doubts that will happen.

He says one ploy being used by the denomination is to suggest that anyone who expresses concern about apportionments is "suffering from depression." But Wildmon says Sprague's speech was the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back."

Wildmon has written to 50 active UMC bishops, asking them why he should pay Sprague's salary. He says although 44 of the bishops did not even bother to respond, Bishop Sprague has been challenged.

"One good thing has come out of this," he says. "Bishop Timothy Whitaker from Florida has responded to Bishop Sprague's presentation [and] denial [of basic Christian tenets] -- and to my knowledge, this is the first time ... that one Methodist bishop has challenged another Methodist bishop in public."

Wildmon also has notified 15,000 local United Methodist churches of his decision, and put supporting material on the website TheMethodistChurch.com. He adds that he has heard from other individuals and local churches that they plan to begin designating their giving as well.

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