Minnesota Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church ...

300. CONFERENCE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES / POLICIES continued . . .
5) As required by The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, all ministry units,
agencies, colleges, or hospitals requesting authorization for a conference-wide appeal for
funds from local churches must receive approval from the annual conference. These requests
are to be reviewed annually by the Council on Finance and Administration and submitted to
the annual conference.
6) Provisional Advance Special status (second mile giving approval) may be granted to new
ministries between annual conference sessions upon the recommendation of the Mission
Ministry Team and approval of the Common Table.
7) All reports to be published in the pre-conference publication and in the annual conference
Journal should be kept as short as is consistent with clarity to reduce publishing costs. It is
recommended that expressions of merit and words of appreciation be deleted from printed
reports.
e. Administrative Policies for Local Churches
1) The conference treasurer will publish a complete list of all apportionments in the conference
Journal. Each district superintendent ( 247.14) and the conference treasurer shall notify
each local church of its conference apportionment.
2) Apportionments are a primary responsibility of each local church and take precedence over
any special gifts or advance specials.
3) Local churches shall make monthly remittances to the conference treasurer.
4) All churches shall pay actual parsonage utilities for church-owned parsonages. (Utilities costs
are considered a part of the housing allowance provided when no church-owned parsonage
is provided.)
5) Churches shall pay automobile expenses of the pastor at least at the rate established by the
annual conference on the actual per mile basis for the church related travel.
6) The conference treasurer will close the conference financial books by January 10, and
churches should have final remittances to his/her office by that date.
7) No later than September 1 of each year, the Council on Finance and Administration shall
indicate to each church its apportionment for: Clergy Support Fund, 614.1 of The Book of
Discipline; Administration Fund, 614.2; and World Service and conference Benevolence
Fund, 614.3 and 812.
8) Should there be errors in factors used in calculating apportionments, a letter explaining this
should be sent to the district superintendent and the conference treasurer's office prior to
January 15 of the year being adjusted.
9) Release from unpaid apportionments: Unpaid apportionments remain a responsibility until
paid unless released. Beginning in the 2001 annual conference year, all churches who pay
their annual conference apportionments in full and have any unpaid prior years’
apportionments will receive a 25% release per year.
02. Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits
a. Administration
1) The Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits (CBOPHB) shall be governed by The
Book of Discipline 639 and 1506-1509.
2) It is recommended that there be eighteen members on the CBOPHB, one-third clergy (one of
whom shall also be a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry), one-third laywomen, and
one-third laymen, elected for terms of eight years.
3) The plan for pension program in the Minnesota Annual Conference shall be presented
annually by the CBOPHB for conference approval.
Minnesota Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church 14
Policy and Procedure Manual — June 2012