The Conference Decided

Minimum Salaries

The delegates recommended minimum base salaries for clergy and full-time Christian Educators to the Conference churches. Note that these are minimums, not a recommended goal for each church in every situation.

For clergy, the delegates voted a minimum of $27,000 plus parsonage or housing allowance (housing allowance is frequently calculated as 30% of base salary) plus other benefits (annuity, insurance, etc.). The discussion considered the situation of small churches, who frequently are unable to provide even this minimum for their full-time clergy.

For Christian Educators, the delegates voted a minimum of $31,000 plus benefits (assuity, insurance, etc.; benefits for educators do not include housing). The reason for the disparity is the inclusion of a housing allowance or parsonage in the minimum figure for clergy.

Because of the structure of the United Church of Christ, these are recommendations to the churches. The Connecticut Conference has no means for enforcing these guidelines.

Justice and Peace

A Board of Directors Task Force has been examining the Conference's commitment to ministries of peace and justice, with an initial focus on the question of declaring the Connecticut Conference a "Just Peace" Church (raised by resolution voted by the 1997 Annual Meeting). The Task Force recommended instead that the Conference reaffirm a 1984 resolution entitled "The Ministry of Peace and Justice" and develop action plans to implement the reaffirmed resolution. The Board concurred, and sent those suggested actions to the delegates.

The discussion emphasized the equal importance of both justice and peace, responding to the perception that justice is often considered secondary.

The delegates voted to re-affirm their commitment to the 1984 resolution overwhelmingly. In a second vote, they recommended "that the Board of Directors develop a plan for implementing the following goal: To incorporate the Conference's commitment to the ministry of justice and peace strategically, intentionally, and consistently into every phase of our life as a Conference, through educating, organizing and witnessing."

[Full Text of the Resolution]

Mission Dollars

The delegates received a lot of information on which to base their decisions about finances. One entire volume of the Annual Report was dedicated to the financial statements and auditor's assessment, prepared by Conference Treasurer Bob Giles and Associate Conference Minister for Administration Ken Ulmer.

The Conference's financial condition is healthy, and the auditor's report, for the first time, reported that the books are kept according to standard accounting practices. The addition of depreciation to the books in 1999 was the last correction to be made in a series of changes begun several years ago.

The delegates also heard about the destination of their mission dollars, focusing, of course, on Connecticut. It all began with a song, "The OCWM Song," written by Budget Committee member the Rev. E. Evelyn Eddy and sung by her with two friends known as "Boys in Hats." The assembly joined merrily in the chorus:

How do we know how our monies are spent?
Our mission dollars have got up and went.
That's the way it should be, we're passing them on,
Doing God's work here at home and beyond!

One delegate said, "I actually look forward to budget presentations these days. That was fun!"

Additional presentations by Bob Giles, Ken Ulmer, and Associate Conference Minister for Mission Interpretation and Media Relations Hal Chorpenning provided the details about proposed spending for 2000.

Our Church's Wider Mission Goal for 2000

Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support is the name for the money contributed by UCC local churches to the Conference and National settings of the church. Under UCC polity, this money is given directly to the Conference, which then allocates it to its own ministries and to the National church. Each year the Conference Annual Meeting sets a goal for the contributions from local churches, in the hope and confidence that this goal will be met.

For 2000, the delegates voted an Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support Goal of $2,700,000.

Distribution of Monies

The delegates voted three actions:

Basic Mission Support monies to be divided on the basis of 37% for the Conference and 63% to the United Church of Christ nationally for distribution among the ministries according to the payment schedule adopted by the General Synod of the United Church of Christ;
Investment income to be used entirely for Conference work unless otherwise stipulated by the donor; and
Special support, capital and emergency appeal monies to be designated entirelyto the purposes for which they were authorized.

Per Capita Contributions

The delegates voted to continue the per capita contributions for 2000 at $2.00 per member to be used entirely for Conference work. These contributions are gathered by the churches based on their current membership.

Budgets

The Conference voted two budgets: one for the Missionary Society of Connecticut, which funds the regular work of the Conference, and one for the Trustees of the Fund for Ministers, which carries on emergency aid and post-retirement supplementation to clergy.

For the Missionary Society, the delegates voted a 2000 budget of $4,822,758, and granted to the Society (whose Directors are the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Conference) the privilege of revising the budget during the year as funds are available and needs arise. [MSC Budget]

For the Trustees, the delegates voted a 2000 budget of $684,800, and granted to the Trustees (who are the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Conference) the privilege of revising the budget during the year as funds are available and needs arise. [TFM Budget]

Elections

From day to day, the Conference relies on its staff to perform the mission it has set for itself. From month to month, the Board of Directors and elected officers provide the guidance of policy. These Directors and officers were elected by the delegates: