PPRC Training

2007

Welcome !

Ephesians 4:15-16 (NRSV)

• But speaking the truth in love,• we must grow up in every way into him who is

the head, into Christ• from whom the whole body,• joined and knit together by every ligament with

which it is equipped,• as each part is working properly• promotes the body’s growth in building itself

up in love.

The Local Church

Ephesians 4:15-16 (The Message)

“ God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love..”

The Local Church2004 Book of Discipline, Paragraph 201

A local church is a community of true believers under the Lordship of Christ.

It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by persons divinely called, and the Sacraments are duly administered according to Christ’s own appointment.

Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the redemption of the world.

TheCommittee

onPastor Parish Relations

• Minimum of 5 elected members, Maximum of 9

• Must be member or associate member of congregation.

• Members elected for 3 year term with 1/3 being elected annually.

• No staff or immediate family of staff may serve.

• Lay Member of A.C. (Delegate) is voting member.

• Lay Leader of church is also voting member.

• Chair is nominated by Committee on Lay Leadership (Nominating Committee) from one of the three-year classes.

• All members elected at Charge Conference

• Members on PPRC may not succeed themselves.

• A young adult shall be included on PPRC.

• A youth may be included on PPRC.

Paragraph 259.2 says the PPRC…• …is required to meet at least quarterly.• …meeting may be called by the bishop, DS, pastor, any

professional staff member, or the PPRC chair• …cannot meet without the knowledge of the pastor and/or DS• …may meet without the pastor or staff member present, but

they must be brought into consultation immediately after the meeting.

• …may meet in “closed session” upon recommendation of pastor, PPRC chair, DS or any other person accountable to the committee.

In multiple staff churches…

…the Pastor Parish Relations Committee

is called the Staff Parish Relations Committee.

• Multiple Church Charges

• There is ONE Charge-wide Pastor Parish Relations Committee with all churches represented in the elected membership of the committee.

• When one church has concerns, the members of the PPRC from that church can meet separately with knowledge of the Pastor and/or DS

Duties of the PPRC• To encourage, strengthen, nurture, support, and respect

the pastor(s) and staff and their families• To promote unity in the church(es)• To confer with and counsel the pastor(s) and staff on the

matters of effectiveness and relationship with the congregation

• To confer with and counsel the pastor(s) and staff pertaining to priorities in the use of his or her gifts, skill, and time

Duties, cont…

• To provide annual evaluation of pastor and staff and continuing education needs

• To communicate and interpret to the congregation the nature and function of ministry regarding open itinerancy

• To develop and approved written job descriptions and titles for associate pastors and staff members

• To consult with the pastor and staff concerning continuing education and spiritual renewal

Duties, cont…

• To enlist, interview, evaluate, review, and recommend annually to the charge conference lay preachers and candidates for ordained ministry

• To interpret preparation for ordained ministry• To promote the Ministerial Education Fund• To confer with the pastor and /or other appointed

members of the staff when a change is in the best interest of all

Duties, cont…

• To recommend to the church, after consultation with the pastor, the need for additional staff

• To recommend to the charge conference, when the size of the staff makes it desirable to have a personnel committee

• To educate the church on the value of diversity of selection of clergy/staff

Duties, cont…

• Members of the PPRC shall keep informed of personnel matters in relationship to Church policy, professional standards, liability issues, and civil law.

• To consult on matters pertaining to pulpit supply, proposals for compensation , travel expense, vacation, health and life insurance, pension, housing (annual review)

Recruitment

“Within The United Methodist Church, there are those called to servant leadership, lay and ordained. Such callings are evidenced by specific gifts, evidence of God’s grace, and promise of usefulness.” The Book of Discipline, Paragraph 136

The Pastor Parish Relations Committee is responsible for identifying and recruiting persons who are receiving God’s call to ministry as a vocation.

How are you fulfilling this important responsibility?

Helping Persons RespondThe Call to Pastoral Ministry

• All pastors come from membership in local churches.• All are interviewed by the PPRC before being

recommended.• Each must receive at least a 2/3 positive vote by secret

ballot of the Charge Conference.• Are you affirming those who may be called?• Are you encouraging them?• Would you welcome the candidate as your pastor?

The CandidateBefore a person is presented to the Charge

Conference for vote of recommendation, he or she must be an official “Exploring Candidate”

for ministry who…• …has met with the District Superintendent,• …been assigned to a Candidacy Mentor, an elder or

deacon specially trained to encourage and assist,• …is officially enrolled with the Division on Higher

Education and Ministry,• …and is meeting with the mentor assigned to further

explore God’s call and United Methodist ministry.

“Full Time”

To be considered full time, a pastor must work a minimum of forty (40) hours on his/her charge and cannot work more than fifteen (15) hours per week outside the parish ministry.

Full Time Pastor Benefitsfrom Your Apportionments

• $ 7,032 in Medical Insurance Premiums• $ 9,274 in Pension Payments• $ 16,306 Total• 79% of our churches have Apportionments

LESS than this amount.• Charges in this group who have full time

pastors are on the receiving end of the United Methodist Connection.

Minimum Salaries 2007The minimum full time salary for pastors is based on a

percentage of the Conference Average Compensation from prior year.

• Full Connection $27,204• Probationary $26,723

(education requirements for elder completed)

• Probationary $24,585 (education requirements for elder not completed)

• Associate $24,585• Full Time Local Pastor $22,618• F-T Student Local Pastor $20,808

Paying Pastors• Rule: It is our policy to pay only at the end of the pay

period…don’t pay in advance.

• Pay the cost of guest preachers when your pastor is away for vacation and for continuing education. Church should budget enough to cover this (not the pastor).

• Pastors should receive a minimum of two weeks paid vacation annually (2 days off each week).

• Remember: Reimbursements after receipts are presented is the only way your pastor can avoid income tax on professional expenses.

Criteria for Effective Ministry

• Good Relational Skills…observed and reported by the PPRC

• Able to articulate the Gospel clearly backed up Christian lifestyle

• Positive Growing Relationships in the congregation• The church reflects good pastoral leadership by showing

signs of growth and improvement, spiritually and physically

• Challenges and Affirms the congregation toward growth and mission

Effective Ministry continued…

• Evidence of adequate time spent in the parish…hours in office, availability to parishioners, visitation and outreach, training and teaching laity.

• Supportive of Connectional Ministry…willing to itinerate, encourages and supports apportionments, meets regularly with other pastors for support, attends meetings of the district, etc.

• Caring for Self…spiritually, physically, emotionally

Giving Feedback

• What are you doing to hear your pastor’s concerns and identify your pastor’s needs?

• How are you creating the trust relationship that allows you to give feedback to your pastor(s)?

• How do you convey the concerns of members to your pastor(s)?

• What ways have you found helpful in promoting healthy relationships between pastor and congregation?

• What are you doing to encourage and protect the confidentiality of what is shared in your Committee?

• What are you doing to support and encourage your pastor?

Your Role inYour Pastor’s Education

• Local Pastors must participate regularly and faithfully in the official Course of Study

• Pastors who have completed the basic education must participate each year in Continuing Education

• You are responsible for $upporting them in this.• You are responsible for helping them remain faithful to

education.• Growing pastors are important to growing churches.• Education time is not vacation time.• You can guide the continuing education of your pastor into areas

where growth and improvement are needed.

How We Deploy Pastors

Itinerancy• One of the most characteristic features of the United

Methodist Church.• Pastors are appointed to serve from year to year where

they are needed by the bishop.• At least annually, each pastor and pastoral charge is

evaluated and reviewed.• Itinerancy was instituted by John Wesley in 1746 when he

appointed lay preachers whom he called “helpers” to definitive circuits.

• Wesley died believing in itinerancy as “The Apostolic Plan of Evangelization.”

The Appointment ProcessPeople

• Bishop– Responsible for Appointing Clergy

• District Superintendent– Represents the Bishop in a region

• Cabinet– Bishop and District Superintendents working together

– Together…prayerfully, honestly…works out the Appointments

The Appointment ProcessTerminology

• Appointment– Assignment of a pastor to her/his specific work

• Consultation– Relational process whereby gifts/needs/situation of pastor

and congregations becomes known– Conversations leading to and interpreting the

Appointment

• Advisory Response– The combined wisdom of the pastor and the Pastor Parish

Relations Committee in anticipation of their Appointment

The Appointment ProcessPrinciples

• Pastors are appointed to the total community, not just the local congregation, with the goal of leading the congregation in mission and ministry in the total community.

• Pastors exist to help shape congregations in accordance with the lordship of Jesus Christ. Congregations exist to make, nurture and deploy disciples of Jesus Christ. That is the main thing; rather than the upward mobility of pastors.

• Mission and morale of congregations have priority over morale and personal professional goals of pastors.

• The Cabinet functions in the appointment process for the benefit of the whole Conference with superintendents sharing openly, candidly, and confidentially.

• All relevant information regarding pastors and congregations is to be shared with the Cabinet

• All conversations within the appointment process are confidential and are not to be shared outside the Cabinet.

• Differences and disagreements are to be expressed openly in the Cabinet sessions, and when decisions are made, the decisions become “Cabinet decisions.”

• Every appointment has ambiguity, and there are no “perfect” churches or pastors.

• Families of clergy are an important factor in the appointment considerations, and every effort will be made to provide context for ministry which enables the clergy family to meet basic educational and other needs.

• Consensus will be sought on each appointment, and when such consensus is not achieved, the bishop will make the decision.

• We will trust God to bring positive results from even our imperfect decisions when we do our work prayerfully and with a genuine commitment to the Church’s mission.

The Appointment ProcessAdvisory Response Forms (Note: only one form will be returned for both the pastor and the S/PPRC)

• Two options for pastors and the Pastor Parish Relations Committee:

CONTINUE in present appointment

CHANGE pastoral appointment

Forms must be returned no later than March 1.

• Pastor and PPRC receives / returns the one Advisory Response Form

Advisory Response FormsDo’s and Don’ts

• Don’t “poll” the congregation• Do announce that the process of evaluation has

begun and invite input to the PPRC.• Do try to reach agreement (consensus) in the

PPRC…this is better than voting.• Do explain your decision in the space provided.• Do talk with the pastor (not just about)• All members of the Committee and pastor signs

the form before it is returned.

Advisory Response FormsAdvisory Only !

• This is just what it says: ADVISORY.

• The decision is made by the bishop and cabinet with the best interests of all concerned in mind.

• Most of the time the advice is followed.

• Sometimes a different course is chosen in view of the total picture.

The Appointment ProcessHow It Works

• The DS consults with pastors and PPRCs where a move is anticipated.

• This meeting may be initiated by the pastor or PPRC where a change is requested after completing the Advisory Response.

• The Cabinet meets in mid-March to prayerfully discuss every pastoral appointment.

• From this discussion a clearer picture emerges of needed changes.

• In April the Cabinet spends a week together prayerfully and honestly working on the actual appointments.

• The projected appointment changes are reported to the pastors and to the Pastor Parish Relations Committee chairpersons before they are released to the congregations.

• A PPRC Covenant Meeting is held for each projected appointment.

Emphasis on Local Church

• The “A2” assessment process should help the PPRC understand the issues and opportunities in the church(es).

• This congregational self understanding is key to identifying the gifts and skills needed in the pastor.

• Be as clear as possible in stating these needs in the Advisory process.

End of Presentation

Start of an Improved PPRC!

On Moving PreachersJohn Wesley said:

“…I should myself preach even my congregation ‘asleep’ were I to stay in one place an entire year.”

“No one whom I ever yet knew has all the talents which are needful for beginning, continuing, and perfecting the work of grace in a whole congregation.”

How Congregations Can Sustain Pastoral Excellence

Duane Kelderman, Duke SPE Project

• Be body-focused, not pastor-focused

• Be full of grace and truth with your pastor

• Cultivate healthy congregational attitudes toward change

• Accept differences as normal in a healthy congregation

Chargeable OffensesParagraph 2702, 2004 Book of Discipline

• Immorality• Practices incompatible with Christian teachings• Crime• Failure to perform the work of ministry• Disobedience to the Order & Discipline of the United

Methodist Church• Dissemination of doctrines contrary to the United Methodist

Church• Undermining the ministry of another United Methodist pastor• Racial harassment• Sexual abuse, misconduct or harassment