New church development plan adopted

Measure includes capital fund
campaign for starting churches

After two hours of preaching and praying June 9, Southwest Texas leaders adopted the Bishop’s Initiative on New Church Development.
That was one of more than 20 legislative actions taken during the June 7-10 Southwest Texas Annual Conference session in Corpus Christi.
The 1,354 voting members of the conference session—half clergy, half laity— also approved:
> A funding formula for the new clergy pension
program going into effect Jan. 1.
> A task force on clergy effectiveness.
> A voluntary clergy wellness program.
> A $8.92 million budget for 2007.
> Accountable reimbursement guidelines for pastors’ business expenses.
The new church initiative included authorization for a capital fund-raising campaign. The money would be designated for starting new congregations and ministries.
“We must resource this effort if we feel it is important to God’s claim upon us,” the Rev. J. Michael Lowry of San Antonio told church leaders before the vote.
Lowry, new executive director for new church development and transformation, said adopting the initiative and fund-raising effort would be “significant and important for advancing the kingdom of God.”
“This (vote) is a commitment on your part as members of the conference to be engaged in a capital campaign together,” Lowry said.
The New Church Development Commission would use funds from a continuing $400,000-per-year apportionment for revitalizing existing congregations, said the Rev. Bill Henderson, senior pastor of Northwest Hills UMC, Austin. He chairs the new church agency.
The initiative includes a strategic plan. Goals are:
> To have all congregations involved in partnerships to start new congregations. Those involvements could include prayer support, financial backing and direct aid with volunteers and services.
> To have all seven districts in partnerships to start new congregations.
“These goals are based on partnerships rather than numbers of new congregations or members,” the plan says. “The harvest is God’s and not ours, and as we are faithful with every partnership, so we will be blessed with the ability to have more partnerships and experience an increase in the Lord’s harvest.”
Henderson noted that many new church starts already involved partnerships. To illustrate, he asked leaders from several groups to stand:
> Alamo Heights UMC, San Antonio. It is supporting the new Riverside congregation in Bulverde.
> Canyon Lake UMC. It has started a second congregation on the north side of Canyon Lake.
> First UMC, New Braunfels. It is preparing to launch a second worshiping community in Comal County.
> Buda UMC; Manchaca UMC; Kyle UMC; First UMC, San Marcos; and Jackson Chapel UMC, San Marcos. The five congregations are supporting the new CrossRoads UMC between Kyle and Buda.
> First UMC, San Benito. It is playing host to an expanded ministry in the community.
> Bethany UMC, Austin. It supported The Rock UMC, Cedar Park.
> Memorial UMC, Austin. It is playing host to a second Spanish-language congregation.
> Laurel Heights UMC, San Antonio. It is supporting various new neighborhood ministries.
> The Austin District. It is supporting Bee Creek UMC.
> The McAllen District. It has launched a districtwide church revitalization effort.
“This conference is already engaged in the partnership of starting new churches,” Henderson said. “Next year I hope we can see everybody standing.”
For clergy pensions, conference leaders adopted a proposed funding formula June 9 without comment or questions. The Clergy Retirement Security Plan, approved by the 2004 General Conference, had been discussed since March on a webcast and at district meetings.
“I think the reason there are no questions is that we were informed ahead of time, and they trust you and the board’s leadership,” Bishop Joel N. Martinez told Stan Ledbetter of Seguin after the vote. Ledbetter chairs the Board of Pensions and Health Benefits, which proposed the formula.
The formula calls for the conference to bill each congregation $2,000 for each full-time clergy member appointed to serve it plus 12 percent of each pastor’s compensation (salary and housing).
If a pastor is appointed part time, the $2,000 is multiplied by 0.25, 0.50 or 0.75—depending on the work schedule. In addition, the local church pays 9 percent of a part-time pastor’s total compensation. The Comprehensive Protection Plan doesn’t cover pastors working less than full time. The new billing formula goes into effect Jan. 1.
Conference members authorized the Board of Ordained Ministry June 8 to establish a clergy effectiveness task force. That panel is to be drawn from the boards of Ordained Ministry and Laity and approved by Martinez.
The task force is to develop proposals for implementing clergy effectiveness goals and report to the 2007 annual conference session.
A “Covenant Between Clergy Regarding Effectiveness,” adopted June 7 during the clergy session, would guide the task force’s work, said the Rev. Larry Howard, McAllen District superintendent. He chaired the Board of Ordained Ministry subcommittee on clergy effectiveness.
The conference approved a two-year pilot wellness program for clergy members. The voluntary program, which begins Sept. 1, is to address physical, mental, spiritual and relational wellness.
A $156,000 grant from Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas is paying for the wellness effort during 2006 and 2007.
The conference approved an accountable reimbursement plan for clergy expenses June 8. The plan, proposed by the Commission on Equitable Compensation and Moving Expenses, urges every Southwest Texas congregation to allocate at least 13 percent of a pastor’s compensation for expense reimbursement. This money is to cover reasonable and necessary expenses related to pastoral duties.
Pastors are to provide receipts to the church treasurer or pastor-parish relations committee chair within 60 days of incurring a reimbursable expense. Pastors must return any amount in excess of substantiated expenses.
The policy, which went into effect June 10, applies only to conference clergy members. The commission advised congregations to consider similar arrangements for laity employees.