Mission Congregation Support Policy

Death/Disability Insurance: Death/Disability Insurance is billed to the Conference monthly by GBOP. The billing is a specific amount for each pastor and is based on the pastor’s compensation. This amount will be billed by the Conference to each charge according to the pastor(s) appointed. Mission congregations, as defined in The Book of Discipline ¶259.1.a, will not participate in apportionments or be direct billed for any pension, health insurance, and death/disability insurance. Mission congregations will be reviewed annually by the cabinet to determine if they still meet the definition of a mission congregation. In the event that the congregation is determined to not be a mission congregation, they will begin participating in apportionments following the same schedule as new churches. This also includes satellite congregations. Churches chartered after 12/31/13 will use the following schedule: First Partial Year – Begin paying direct bill for pension, health insurance, and death/disability insurance First Full Year – Direct bill + 20% full apportionment Second Full Year – Direct bill + 40% full apportionment Third Full Year – Direct bill + 60% full apportionment Fourth Full Year – Direct bill + 80% full apportionment Fifth Full Year – Direct bill + full apportionment

Regarding Churches paying less than 100% of Apportionments.

In recognition of the fact that not all churches within the Dakotas Conference are participating fully (100%) in the apportionment system of financing conference ministries, Executive Director of Finance and Administrative Services will contact each of those churches regularly, to help them develop a plan that will make it possible for them to assume their share of apportionments. The goal will be to have each church fully participating within three years of the initial contact. It is further expected that if pastoral leadership is the problem, and if progress is not made yearly and the goal is not reached at the end of the third year, the bishop and cabinet will seriously consider making a change in pastoral leadership for that church.

Mission Congregation Support Policy

Adopted June 2014 The declaration of the “mission congregation” status according to ¶259.1 of The Discipline rests with the office of the bishop, as is the case with any established congregations. The bishop and Cabinet shall carefully review proposed mission congregation opportunities to ensure that they fit both The Discipline definition and the Conference missional strategy. It is expected that very few congregations would receive such a declaration.

When a congregation is either organized or reorganized as a mission congregation in accordance with Discipline and Conference guidelines, the Cabinet shall develop and recommend to the Annual Conference a covenant of understanding, support, and accountability between the congregation and the Conference. Responsibility for consideration of the financial support for a mission congregation shall rest with the Conference Council on Finance and Administration. Any support for the physical property shall remain under the purview of the Conference Trustees. The four areas outlined below shall be considered areas of financial support, pending CCFA’s approval: 1. Consistent and ongoing financial resources for each mission congregation. A mission congregation may receive budget support from the Conference, which will allow it to better pursue its missional/strategic goals, and provide for pastoral leadership support. Instead of looking at membership growth, attendance or income, the benchmarks for continued funding shall be based on the ministry of the mission congregation to the parish/ministry field with which they are identified. Effectiveness shall be determined by the outcome of the ministries offered, and not solely on “numbers.” 2. Health and pension costs for a pastor appointed to a mission congregation. The Annual Conference, upon CCFA recommendation, shall assume the health and pension costs for the appointed pastor, in the same way as superintendents or directors have their health and pension costs assumed under conference budgets. 3. Exemption from apportionment formulas. With Conference approval, Mission congregations shall be exempted from the conference apportionment formulas. Instead, on a yearly basis, they shall approve goals and raise funds for missional giving beyond their own needs in accordance with The United Methodist Church. 4. Property support. The Conference Board of Trustees shall have responsibility to consider repair, renovation, upkeep and new builds for the “home” and parsonage of each mission congregation, as feasible within the conference budget. 5. Oversight and evaluation. The bishop and Cabinet shall review the status of “mission congregation” at least every 4 years, recommend to CCFA and the Conference continued financial support. A change of status may occur due to changing demographics, emerging ability of the congregation to assume more of its own financial support, or evaluation of the effectiveness of the congregation to meet its missional goals or purpose.