United Methodist pastors can get themselves in hot water faster over the apportionment issue than over outright rebellion to church law. Our Book of Discipline expressly forbids UM clergy from participating in homosexual weddings. Bishop Melvin Talbert refused to take action against them and all charges were summarily dropped. Six conservative pastors then either encouraged or did not discourage their churches from withholding funds earmarked for apportionments and Bishop Talbert himself filed charges against them. Bishop Talbert's action speaks volumes about what is important to some church leaders.
Apportionments are serious business.
I did not have to look either long or hard to find that the National Council of Churches is clearly not in step with the vast majority of Bible believing United Methodists. Here are just a few things I found. The NCC has been and continues to be ideologically and politically left and liberal in theology. There is more. But the most troublesome aspect of the NCC with regard to my church officer's call is the organization's financial instability and lack of fiscal accountability.