1.3 Lay Equalization Change

1.3 Proposal for Lay Equalization Change Title: Lay Equalization

Submitted by: Jeff Lathrop

Action: Change the lay equalization formula. See, in Rules and Polices section 6.11—Lay Members of Annual Conference and Lay Equalization, Part B. Language changes are related to the closing paragraph Part B, on pages 183-184, of the 2021 Conference Journal. The changes include language related to apportioned giving. Relationship to imperatives: This legislation ensures that all churches within the Dakotas Conference are able to more fully participate and engage within the connection. Full participation and engagement within the Dakotas Conference would enable us to better live into more of our gospel imperatives. Implementation: According to the policy as stated in the Conference Journal, those already tasked with these duties are the Conference Secretary and the Executive Director of Finance and Administration. The Conference Secretary and Executive Director of Finance and Administration would be responsible for implementing the changes.

Outcome: The hope is two-fold: 1) This legislation would increase church participation and support for the Annual Conference because of a conference rapport and plan; and 2) This legislation would increase revenue and provide greater stability. Resources: This is spelled out in the resolution. The apportioned budget should not be impacted as the resolution would authorize the Transitional Reserve Fund to cover overages that may result.

PROPOSED CHANGE

Change the lay equalization formula so that the last paragraph of p. 183 of the 2021 Conference Journal would read: “The maximum projected number of additional lay members needed for equalization shall be determined annually by the Conference Secretary, based on the clergy members and the pastoral charges listed in the Business of the Annual Conference reported in the most recent Journal. The members needed for equalization shall then be allocated to those pastoral charges. Under this formula certain pastoral charges that have contributed at least 50% of their expected apportionments for the previous fiscal year or 50% of the five-year average of yearly apportionments owed, whichever is less beginning with the pastoral charge with the largest reported membership and proceeding in descending order of membership, shall be entitled to elect additional lay members in keeping with this formula until equalization is reached (those lay persons attend Annual Conference at pastoral-charge expense). The formula is as follows: The total number of lay members needed for equalization divided by the number in the conference, as reported in the statistics of the latest journal, divided by the total number of charges in the conference as reported in the ministry appointments of the latest journal to get the average members per charge. That average is then divided into the membership of each charge. The total membership of each eligible charge is then divided by that average. The resulting quotient, rounded to the nearest whole number, is the maximum number of lay equalization members a charge is eligible to elect. The number of lay equalization members a charge does elect is limited by the total number of lay members yet needed for equalization. Lay members elected in this section are in addition to the members elected under the provisions of 6.11.a and b. (by virtue of office). For purposes of this section, “expected apportionments” are defined as the Conference-determined percentage of each church’s income received for the support of the operating budget. For purposes of this section, payments of “expected apportionments” shall not apply to mission congregations as defined by ¶259 of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2016 edition. The enforcement of the rule shall also not apply to those churches who, in the determination of the Executive Director of Finance and Administration, are making satisfactory progress in a plan established according to the policy concerning our apportionment method “Regarding Churches paying less than 100% of Apportionments,” as published on p. 188 of the 2021 Dakotas Conference Journal. Respectfully submitted by: Jeff Lathrop, elder in provisional connection, Grand Forks Wesley UMC