Transcript Committee on Pastor Parish Relations 2004

PPRC Training
2007
Welcome !
The Local Church
Ephesians 4:15-16 (NRSV)
• But speaking the truth in love,
• we must grow up in every way into him who is
the head, into Christ
• from whom the whole body,
• joined and knit together by every ligament with
which it is equipped,
• as each part is working properly
• promotes the body’s growth in building itself
up in love.
Ephesians 4:15-16 (The Message)
“ God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth
and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We
take our lead from Christ, who is the source of
everything we do. He keeps us in step with each
other. His very breath and blood flow through us,
nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in
God, robust in love..”
The Local Church
2004 Book of Discipline, Paragraph 201
A local church is a community of true believers
under the Lordship of Christ.
It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word
of God is preached by persons divinely called,
and the Sacraments are duly administered
according to Christ’s own appointment.
Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the church
exists for the maintenance of worship, the
edification of believers, and the redemption of
the world.
The
Committee
on
Pastor Parish Relations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Minimum of 5 elected members, Maximum of 9
Must be member or associate member of congregation.
Members elected for 3 year term with 1/3 being elected annually.
No staff or immediate family of staff may serve.
Lay Member of A.C. (Delegate) is voting member.
Lay Leader of church is also voting member.
Chair is nominated by Committee on Lay Leadership (Nominating
Committee) from one of the three-year classes.
All members elected at Charge Conference
Members on PPRC may not succeed themselves.
A young adult shall be included on PPRC.
A youth may be included on PPRC.
Paragraph 259.2 says the PPRC…
• …is required to meet at least quarterly.
• …meeting may be called by the bishop, DS, pastor, any
professional staff member, or the PPRC chair
• …cannot meet without the knowledge of the pastor
and/or DS
• …may meet without the pastor or staff member present,
but they must be brought into consultation immediately
after the meeting.
• …may meet in “closed session” upon recommendation
of pastor, PPRC chair, DS or any other person
accountable to the committee.
In multiple staff churches…
…the Pastor Parish Relations Committee
is called the Staff Parish Relations Committee.
• Multiple Church Charges
• There is ONE Charge-wide Pastor Parish
Relations Committee with all churches represented
in the elected membership of the committee.
• When one church has concerns, the members of
the PPRC from that church can meet separately
with knowledge of the Pastor and/or DS
Duties of the PPRC
• To encourage, strengthen, nurture, support, and respect
the pastor(s) and staff and their families
• To promote unity in the church(es)
• To confer with and counsel the pastor(s) and staff on the
matters of effectiveness and relationship with the
congregation
• To confer with and counsel the pastor(s) and staff
pertaining to priorities in the use of his or her gifts, skill,
and time
Duties, cont…
• To provide annual evaluation of pastor and staff
and continuing education needs
• To communicate and interpret to the
congregation the nature and function of ministry
regarding open itinerancy
• To develop and approved written job
descriptions and titles for associate pastors and
staff members
• To consult with the pastor and staff concerning
continuing education and spiritual renewal
Duties, cont…
• To enlist, interview, evaluate, review, and recommend
annually to the charge conference lay preachers and
candidates for ordained ministry
• To interpret preparation for ordained ministry
• To promote the Ministerial Education Fund
• To confer with the pastor and /or other appointed
members of the staff when a change is in the best
interest of all
Duties, cont…
• To recommend to the church, after consultation with
the pastor, the need for additional staff
• To recommend to the charge conference, when the
size of the staff makes it desirable to have a personnel
committee
• To educate the church on the value of diversity of
selection of clergy/staff
Duties, cont…
• Members of the PPRC shall keep informed of personnel
matters in relationship to Church policy, professional
standards, liability issues, and civil law.
• To consult on matters pertaining to pulpit supply,
proposals for compensation , travel expense, vacation,
health and life insurance, pension, housing (annual
review)
Recruitment
“Within The United Methodist Church, there are those called
to servant leadership, lay and ordained. Such callings are
evidenced by specific gifts, evidence of God’s grace, and
promise of usefulness.”
The Book of Discipline, Paragraph 136
The Pastor Parish Relations Committee is responsible for
identifying and recruiting persons who are receiving God’s
call to ministry as a vocation.
How are you fulfilling this important responsibility?
Helping Persons Respond
The Call to Pastoral Ministry
• All pastors come from membership in local churches.
• All are interviewed by the PPRC before being
recommended.
• Each must receive at least a 2/3 positive vote by secret
ballot of the Charge Conference.
• Are you affirming those who may be called?
• Are you encouraging them?
• Would you welcome the candidate as your pastor?
The Candidate
Before a person is presented to the Charge
Conference for vote of recommendation, he or
she must be an official “Exploring Candidate”
for ministry who…
• …has met with the District Superintendent,
• …been assigned to a Candidacy Mentor, an elder or
deacon specially trained to encourage and assist,
• …is officially enrolled with the Division on Higher
Education and Ministry,
• …and is meeting with the mentor assigned to further
explore God’s call and United Methodist ministry.
“Full Time”
To be considered full time, a pastor must
work a minimum of forty (40) hours on
his/her charge and cannot work more than
fifteen (15) hours per week outside the
parish ministry.
Full Time Pastor Benefits
from Your Apportionments
•
•
•
•
$ 7,032 in Medical Insurance Premiums
$ 9,274 in Pension Payments
$ 16,306 Total
79% of our churches have Apportionments
LESS than this amount.
• Charges in this group who have full time
pastors are on the receiving end of the
United Methodist Connection.
Minimum Salaries 2007
The minimum full time salary for pastors is based on a
percentage of the Conference Average Compensation from
prior year.
• Full Connection
• Probationary
$27,204
$26,723
(education requirements for elder completed)
• Probationary
$24,585
(education requirements for elder not completed)
• Associate
• Full Time Local Pastor
• F-T Student Local Pastor
$24,585
$22,618
$20,808
Paying Pastors
• Rule: It is our policy to pay only at the end of the pay
period…don’t pay in advance.
• Pay the cost of guest preachers when your pastor is
away for vacation and for continuing education. Church
should budget enough to cover this (not the pastor).
• Pastors should receive a minimum of two weeks paid
vacation annually (2 days off each week).
• Remember: Reimbursements after receipts are
presented is the only way your pastor can avoid income
tax on professional expenses.
Criteria for Effective Ministry
• Good Relational Skills…observed and reported by the
PPRC
• Able to articulate the Gospel clearly backed up Christian
lifestyle
• Positive Growing Relationships in the congregation
• The church reflects good pastoral leadership by showing
signs of growth and improvement, spiritually and
physically
• Challenges and Affirms the congregation toward growth
and mission
Effective Ministry continued…
• Evidence of adequate time spent in the parish…hours in
office, availability to parishioners, visitation and
outreach, training and teaching laity.
• Supportive of Connectional Ministry…willing to
itinerate, encourages and supports apportionments,
meets regularly with other pastors for support, attends
meetings of the district, etc.
• Caring for Self…spiritually, physically, emotionally
Giving Feedback
• What are you doing to hear your pastor’s concerns and
identify your pastor’s needs?
• How are you creating the trust relationship that allows you
to give feedback to your pastor(s)?
• How do you convey the concerns of members to your
pastor(s)?
• What ways have you found helpful in promoting healthy
relationships between pastor and congregation?
• What are you doing to encourage and protect the
confidentiality of what is shared in your Committee?
• What are you doing to support and encourage your pastor?
Your Role in
Your Pastor’s Education
• Local Pastors must participate regularly and faithfully in
the official Course of Study
• Pastors who have completed the basic education must
participate each year in Continuing Education
• You are responsible for $upporting them in this.
• You are responsible for helping them remain faithful to
education.
• Growing pastors are important to growing churches.
• Education time is not vacation time.
• You can guide the continuing education of your pastor
into areas where growth and improvement are needed.
How We Deploy Pastors
Itinerancy
• One of the most characteristic features of the United
Methodist Church.
• Pastors are appointed to serve from year to year where
they are needed by the bishop.
• At least annually, each pastor and pastoral charge is
evaluated and reviewed.
• Itinerancy was instituted by John Wesley in 1746
when he appointed lay preachers whom he called
“helpers” to definitive circuits.
• Wesley died believing in itinerancy as “The Apostolic
Plan of Evangelization.”
The Appointment Process
People
• Bishop
– Responsible for Appointing Clergy
• District Superintendent
– Represents the Bishop in a region
• Cabinet
– Bishop and District Superintendents working together
– Together…prayerfully, honestly…works out the
Appointments
The Appointment Process
Terminology
• Appointment
– Assignment of a pastor to her/his specific work
• Consultation
– Relational process whereby gifts/needs/situation of
pastor and congregations becomes known
– Conversations leading to and interpreting the
Appointment
• Advisory Response
– The combined wisdom of the pastor and the Pastor
Parish Relations Committee in anticipation of their
Appointment
The Appointment Process
Principles
• Pastors are appointed to the total community, not
just the local congregation, with the goal of
leading the congregation in mission and ministry
in the total community.
• Pastors exist to help shape congregations in
accordance with the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Congregations exist to make, nurture and deploy
disciples of Jesus Christ. That is the main thing;
rather than the upward mobility of pastors.
• Mission and morale of congregations have
priority over morale and personal professional
goals of pastors.
• The Cabinet functions in the appointment
process for the benefit of the whole Conference
with superintendents sharing openly, candidly,
and confidentially.
• All relevant information regarding pastors and
congregations is to be shared with the Cabinet
• All conversations within the appointment process are
confidential and are not to be shared outside the
Cabinet.
• Differences and disagreements are to be expressed
openly in the Cabinet sessions, and when decisions are
made, the decisions become “Cabinet decisions.”
• Every appointment has ambiguity, and there are no
“perfect” churches or pastors.
• Families of clergy are an important factor in the
appointment considerations, and every effort will be
made to provide context for ministry which enables the
clergy family to meet basic educational and other needs.
• Consensus will be sought on each appointment, and
when such consensus is not achieved, the bishop will
make the decision.
• We will trust God to bring positive results
from even our imperfect decisions when we
do our work prayerfully and with a genuine
commitment to the Church’s mission.
The Appointment Process
Advisory Response Forms
(Note: only one
form will be returned for both the pastor and the S/PPRC)
• Two options for pastors and the Pastor Parish Relations
Committee:
CONTINUE in present appointment
CHANGE pastoral appointment
Forms must be returned no later than March 1.
• Pastor and PPRC receives / returns the one Advisory Response
Form
Advisory Response Forms
Do’s and Don’ts
• Don’t “poll” the congregation
• Do announce that the process of evaluation has
begun and invite input to the PPRC.
• Do try to reach agreement (consensus) in the
PPRC…this is better than voting.
• Do explain your decision in the space provided.
• Do talk with the pastor (not just about)
• All members of the Committee and pastor signs
the form before it is returned.
Advisory Response Forms
Advisory Only !
• This is just what it says: ADVISORY.
• The decision is made by the bishop and cabinet with the
best interests of all concerned in mind.
• Most of the time the advice is followed.
• Sometimes a different course is chosen in view of the
total picture.
The Appointment Process
How It Works
• The DS consults with pastors and PPRCs where a
move is anticipated.
• This meeting may be initiated by the pastor or
PPRC where a change is requested after
completing the Advisory Response.
• The Cabinet meets in mid-March to prayerfully
discuss every pastoral appointment.
• From this discussion a clearer picture emerges of
needed changes.
• In April the Cabinet spends a week together
prayerfully and honestly working on the actual
appointments.
• The projected appointment changes are reported to
the pastors and to the Pastor Parish Relations
Committee chairpersons before they are released to
the congregations.
• A PPRC Covenant Meeting is held for each
projected appointment.
Emphasis on Local Church
• The “A2” assessment process should help
the PPRC understand the issues and
opportunities in the church(es).
• This congregational self understanding is
key to identifying the gifts and skills needed
in the pastor.
• Be as clear as possible in stating these needs
in the Advisory process.
End of Presentation
Start of an Improved PPRC!
On Moving Preachers
John Wesley said:
“…I should myself preach even my
congregation ‘asleep’ were I to stay in one
place an entire year.”
“No one whom I ever yet knew has all the
talents which are needful for beginning,
continuing, and perfecting the work of grace
in a whole congregation.”
How Congregations Can
Sustain Pastoral Excellence
Duane Kelderman, Duke SPE Project
• Be body-focused, not pastor-focused
• Be full of grace and truth with your pastor
• Cultivate healthy congregational attitudes
toward change
• Accept differences as normal in a healthy
congregation
Chargeable Offenses
Paragraph 2702, 2004 Book of Discipline
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Immorality
Practices incompatible with Christian teachings
Crime
Failure to perform the work of ministry
Disobedience to the Order & Discipline of the United
Methodist Church
Dissemination of doctrines contrary to the United
Methodist Church
Undermining the ministry of another United Methodist
pastor
Racial harassment
Sexual abuse, misconduct or harassment