and a methodist.
and i like annual conference.
if you don't know what it is... well. its a conference. and its lots of preachers. and delegates. and you hear speakers. and well this AC we have adam hamilton. and he is a great speaker. and we are at lake junaluska so its beautiful. and you see lots of people.
but i digress....
today. i went to a "finance and budget discussion".... two of my least favorite things. but i did it as a favor to a friend. and to write a post for the UMC website. (yea. nerd.)
anyway... to all of you guys who are so interested in this i decided to post here. enjoy.
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Holy budgeting.
While others of you were gathering
under the beautiful trees sharing stories, or nestled in a rocking chair
reading one of Adam Hamilton’s best sellers, I was able to take part in the
finance and budget discussion here in the auditorium. To say I know anything
about finance would be an overstatement. I am clueless- but luckily I came away
with a few key items that I think would be helpful for all of us to know.
First on everyone’s mind may be how
the decrease in districts will affect the budget. Overtime the budget will
decrease because of it, but in this first year there are just too many
uncertainties to see a big change. There is an allotted contingency fund that
is higher than years past, to be used as we figure out this transition. One
other increase that can be seen in is the information technology line. As our
district superintendents transition to a more “mobile” position, hopefully being
on the road 4 days a week, having up-to-date technology will be vital for
success. This will also allow for the conference to transition to a new more
modern website that allows more continuity throughout each district.
One line item that intrigued me was
the “Leadership Development” line that nearly doubled for this next year. It
seemed a bit vague, but the conference will be using this funding to send
clergy and laity to different educational opportunities throughout the year.
Conferences, workshops, and continuing education have a high priority in our
conference, which I believe is vital for our future.
There were two other major concerns
discussed in our dialogue. First was the cost of health benefits. The only
change here was of course the continued rise. Many people are worried about
this, but our conference is doing everything they can to keep costs low but
still provide high quality care. Every three years the benefits are re-examined
and all major and minor carriers are considered. The overall health of the
denomination is what is worrisome and what causes the price to be so high.
Finally, there is a lot of concern
in regards to the decrease in giving to our health and human services
outreaches. There is a large decrease in that giving, but it comes down to two
main things. The first thing discussed was that our conference is doing new things.
We are moving in new directions. If we keep giving the same thing, to the same
people, there cannot be growth or change. Secondly, we have to pay the fixed
costs first (salary, pensions, health benefits etc.). Often times we are unable
to pay the additional funds so these are the places that are cut. In our
discussion a pastor challenged us to bring these discussions up in our local
churches. This will be an excellent way for the churches that are able to step
up and care for the local ministries of our church. This is an excellent
challenge and it will be interesting to see churches rise up and give.
There was a lot that was discussed
in our ninety-minute time slot- some of which was completely over my head. The
biggest take-away I had from this discussion was that there are many people in
our conference who have spent hours upon hours praying over and juggling with
this budget. People are passionate about this (shocking- I know!) and truly
don’t get enough credit for the hard work they put into creating this
masterpiece flow sheet. After listening to them discuss the issues and concerns
it is evident that our trust should be in them because they are listening to
the Lord and feel His guidance for the upcoming year.
