Minnesota Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church ...

400. LOCAL CHURCH OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES continued . . .
12) When a clergy couple serves two or more separate congregations and there are two or more
parsonages and they only need one to live in, conversations with the District Superintendent,
the Staff/Parish Relations Committee(s), and the clergy couple will determine housing
arrangements and which parsonage will be used. The church(es) owning the parsonage(s) that
is/are not used will not be required to provide a housing allowance. The churches involved in
this arrangement are responsible to negotiate reasonable sharing of expenses of housing such
as utilities and home maintenance expenses for the clergy couple’s residence in the other
church’s parsonage.
13) Recognizing that Paragraph 331.14b (2008 Book of Discipline) does not list housing as part of
the compensation package of a deacon, it is strongly recommended that the Staff/Parish
Relations Committee and the District Superintendent consider costs relating to housing for
deacons, whose primary appointment is the local church, appointed to local churches as the
compensation package is developed and set.
14) Parsonage
The Pastor-Parish Relations Committee in cooperation with the trustees shall provide and
properly maintain an adequate and comfortable residence for the pastor (and family). This
committee shall use these minimum standards as the standards for parsonages in the
Minnesota Conference. The District Board of Church Location and Building is required to
approve plans for all major changes in the housing situation. Each committee, at the
convenience of the parsonage family, should inspect its parsonage, using the annual
parsonage evaluation form as a guide. If anything fails to meet minimum standards, necessary
steps should be taken to accomplish the work required. With the concurrence of the parsonage
family and with the advice of appropriate district board, when necessary, the committee shall
establish a mutually agreeable order of priority and schedule for the completion of the work.
Each committee should study the present parsonage with the thought of providing a
comfortable and adequate home as well as a sound investment. If the parsonage is not
structurally sound, or if too much expense is required to bring it up to minimum standards,
steps should be taken to provide another home as the parsonage. All hazards to personal
safety shall be immediately corrected. The annual parsonage evaluation shall be included in
the annual charge conference reports and a copy provided for the district superintendent's file.
Reference: 2008 Book of Discipline, 2543.3.b.1a, b, c, 2, 4.d.1, 2, 3 as follows:
3. b) After approving a purchase proposal, the charge conference shall be deemed to
have authorized and directed the board of trustees to proceed with the purchase. In
the case of the purchase of a parsonage, the board of trustees shall either:
(1) purchase a parsonage that has on the ground-floor level
(a) one room that can be used as a bedroom by a person with a disability;
(b) one fully accessible bathroom; and
(c) fully accessible laundry facilities; or
(2) purchase a parsonage without the accessible features for persons with
disabilities specified above and remodel it within one year’s time so that it does
have those features
15) Parsonage Minimum Requirements
a) A safe and dependable hot and cold water system throughout the house including water
softening equipment where needed. All of the plumbing shall meet state and local codes.
b) A central automatic heating system. The heating system shall have sufficient capacity to
bring the entire habitable part of the house to a comfortable temperature and meet state
and local codes.
Minnesota Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church 30
Policy and Procedure Manual — June 2012