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2009 Annual Conference business briefs
Written: 6/29/2009 Marketing and Communications Council Churches in the Kansas West Conference recognized as Certified Welcoming Congregations were Goodland, Hutchinson Trinity, Mankato Harmony, McPherson First, Mentor, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Salina First, Salina Trinity, Wichita Mt. Vernon and Winfield First UMCs. A motion to designate September as “Open House Month” was approved. The council report was approved. Board of Ordained Ministry Candidates in the process of certification for specialized ministries are Vickie Donaldson, Matt Johnson, Stacy Jo Pullins, Lori Richey and Eric Strader. Kimbra Burnett is newly certified in Christian education. Jane Cooper was elected to the Committee on Investigation for Diaconal Ministries. Other positions on the committee are vacant. Course of Study graduates Kathy Aeillo, David Giesler, Michael Roberts and Jim Rice were recognized. The probationary deacons are Kelley Menke and Margaret “Peggy” Triplett. The probationary elders are Rick Branson, Charles Danforth, Christopher Eshleman, Justin Lefto, James Taylor, and Adam Thompson. Mark Chambers’ orders from another denomination were recognized. Being received as full-member elders are Nicole Conard, Marvin “Billy” Ewertt, Daniel Kim, Sandra Moore and Stephen Spencer. Brenda Fluellen, whose orders were previously recognized, is received as a full-member elder. The report was approved. Nominating Committee Brewster called attention to an addendum that corrected errors in the report and was distributed to conference members. The nominating report was approved with the understanding that additional changes were still being made to the report. Revs. Jerre Nolte, Nathan Stanton, Dianne Tombaugh and Phil Morris were elected to the nominating committee. Immigration resolution The resolution proposed that the Kansas West Conference:
The complete resolution is on pages 98-100 in the pre-conference workbook, which is available at www.kswestumc.org/page.asp?PKValue=968. The resolution was approved. Board of Laity Moving Committee Board of Pensions and Health Benefits
The 2010 Kansas West Conference average compensation is $54,362, a 3.1 percent increase. The CRSP defined benefit rate will be 10.65 percent of plan compensation and the CRSP defined contribution rate shall be 3 percent of plan compensation. The Pre-82 pension rate for 2010 is set at $648 per year of service or 1.19 percent of the 2010 conference average compensation. Death benefits for 2010 are $50,000 for active participants, $18,102 for retired participants, $12,068 for participants’ spouses and $9,051 for surviving spouses. 2008 was the first year the Kansas West Conference participated in the HealthFlex health insurance plan. The loss ratio was 118 percent, primarily because of 11 large claims totaling more than $819,000. The board is considering a number of options to help contain costs. The board agreed to make a one-time grant to the 2010 budget in the amount of the actual expenses for pension and health insurance for clergy and lay employees on the conference payroll, not to exceed $469,044. The board also increased their funding of the benefits office to $128,486 to adjust for inflation. The “Resolution Relating to Rental/ Housing Allowances for Retired or Disabled Clergypersons of the Kansas West Annual Conference,” listed on pages 59-60 of the Annual Conference workbook, and the board’s report were approved. Rural Life Sunday The resolution was approved. Asbury Park and Wesley Towers Recognition Day Kansas Health Foundation resolution Jones presented a resolution to change the Kansas Health Foundation bylaws, which stated that at least 51 percent of the foundation’s directors be members of the Kansas West or Kansas East conferences of which one member must be a district superintendent in the Kansas West Conference or any successor conference. The resolution proposed changing that stipulation to state that the district-superintendent member may be from either the Kansas West or Kansas East conference. The resolution was approved. Council on Finance and Administration Hathaway presented changes to the report. The Kansas West Conference will apportion churches the total amounts budgeted in three funds: 1) Conference Ministries, 2) General Church Apportionment and 3) Jurisdictional Apportionment. For 2010, the Mission and Ministry Fund rate will be 11.85 percent, apportioned according to the same formula as previously. The amount of local churches’ apportionment for 2010 will be reduced by 10 percent. The district superintendent salary determination will change from the Council on Finance and Administration to the Personnel Committee. A motion to amend the report was made by Wichita East District Superintendent Rev. Cheryl Jefferson Bell to add Vida en Cristo at Brookside UMC in Wichita, to the list of ethnic congregations. The motion to amend passed. Retirement Home Recognition Day will be added to the list of conference Special Sundays as an editorial change. The CFA narrative report was approved as amended. Nord presented the budget report. He was assisted by assisted by Revs. Don Hasty and Geniese Stanford, members of the council’s executive committee. The 2010 proposed amount apportioned to local churches is $5,132,463. The conference Board Pensions and Health Benefits is contributing $128,486 for benefits administration and making a one-time grant of $469,044. $51,532 will be transferred from reserves, making the total budget $5,781,525. The proposed expense plan was $4,146,556 for Conference Ministries, $1,576,945 for General Church Apportionments and $58,024 for Jurisdictional Apportionments. The motion to adopt the budget passed. Structure Committee Board of Equitable Compensation Board of Trustees Personnel Committee The Personnel Committee adopted the following policy statement on housing allowances for conference staff: “Conference staff who are clergy may request that the Personnel Committee designate part of their salary as a housing allowance.” A motion to amend the report was made by Rev. Pat Ault-Duell to add that salaries for district superintendents shall be presented to the Annual Conference each year for approval. The district superintendent salary for 2010 shall be $68,851. The amendment passed. Dodge City District Superintendent Rev. Kendal Utt moved to add the dean of the cabinet to the Personnel Committee. The amendment was approved. An additional motion by Rev. Tom Schneider was made to amend the report by changing the word “salary” for conference staff who are clergy to “remuneration.” The motion to amend passed. The Personnel Committee report passed as amended. Awards Kim Moore was the emcee for the Awards Luncheon May 22 and presented the following awards and recognitions:
Four Kansas West churches closed Offerings The Opening Worship offering of $4,013.18 will benefit United Methodist Open Door, Western Kansas Mexican American Ministries and GraceMed Health Clinic. The Seminary Scholarship Endowment offering at Ordination and Commissioning was $2,196.25. These funds will be added to the endowment for conference scholarships for seminary students. An offering of $1,837.42 was collected for the Youth Service Fund. A portion of the offering will stay in the Kansas West Conference for ministries with youth. A special offering was taken by vote of the Annual Conference for Connie Senseman, a lay member from Hugoton who was killed on her way to the annual session. The $716.55 collected will be given in her honor to Hugoton United Methodist Church.
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