Quick Reference — All Legislative Items
| # | Title | Type | Vote? | Controversy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PET-01 | Conference Organization & Special Rules of Order | Petition | ✅ Yes | Low |
| PET-02 | Floor Nominations for GC Delegation | Petition | ✅ Yes | Low–Med |
| PET-03 | Updated Child Protection Policy | Petition | ✅ Yes | Low |
| PET-04 | Updated Finance Policy | Petition | ✅ Yes | Medium |
| PET-05 | 2026–27 Budget | Petition | ✅ Yes | Medium |
| PET-06 | Active Clergy Moving Policy | Petition | ✅ Yes | Low |
| REP-01 | Certified Lay Minister Program | Report | ℹ️ Receive | Low |
| REP-02 | Conference Superintendency | Report | ℹ️ Receive | Low |
| REP-03 | Finance & Administration | Report | ℹ️ Receive | Low |
| REP-04 | Board of Ministry | Report | ℹ️ Receive | Low |
| REP-05 | Strategy Team Highlights | Report | ℹ️ Receive | Low |
| REP-06 | Clergy Compensation Guidelines | Report | ℹ️ Receive | Low |
| RES-01 | Replace ¶302.3 — Abortion Statement | Resolution | ✅ Yes | High |
What it does
Updates the conference's governing document — primarily administrative housekeeping with two structural additions.
Key Changes
- Two new teams added: Missions Team and NextGen Team, each with a Lead seat on the Connectional Council
- Pre-ordination voting rights: Newly approved clergy gain voting status at the close of clergy session — before the ordination ceremony takes place
- Equalization priority: Lay members from charges awaiting clergy appointments are now the first group used to balance lay/clergy representation
- Minor terminology update (Great Lakes GMC → GLAC; date 2025 → 2026)
What it does
Restricts floor nominations for General Conference delegates, making pre-session nomination the primary pathway and floor nominations a last-resort mechanism.
Proposed Rule Change
| Current | Proposed |
|---|---|
| Self-nominations and floor nominations permitted openly | Floor nominations only allowed if nominee pool is fewer than delegates + alternates + reserves + 1 |
Arguments
- For: Honors those who completed formal vetting; prevents unvetted floor nominations from bypassing discernment process; "+1" ensures at least one contested choice
- Against: Some may see open floor nominations as important democratic participation
What it does
Modernizes the existing child protection policy with digital-age provisions. Three new rules added:
- Adults working with youth should avoid one-on-one digital/text/phone communication with minors
- Recording devices prohibited in private spaces (restrooms, changing rooms)
- Congregations should establish cell phone and social media rules at youth events; adult volunteers should not be overly absorbed in their phones
Also adds two new form templates: Volunteer Application and Employee Application. Governance reference updated (Leadership Council → Conference Connectional Council).
Change 1 — Conflict-of-Interest Expansion
Expands family-member restrictions from clergy relatives to any conference employee's relatives. Spouses, parents, siblings, children, in-laws, grandparents, and grandchildren of a conference employee would be prohibited from F&A Committee, Connectional Council, or any paid/unpaid financial oversight role.
Change 2 — Automated Connectional Funding Rate (Apportionments)
Replaces the flat 3% rate with a tiered automatic formula tied to a 3-year average of conference reserves:
| Conference Reserves Average | Connectional Funding Rate |
|---|---|
| Below 20% of budget | 3.5% |
| 20–34% | 3.25% |
| 35–49% | 3.0% |
| 50–74% | 2.75% |
| 75% or above | 2.5% |
Timeline: Rate stays at 3% through 2026 → drops to 2.5% Jan 1, 2027 → full formula effective Jan 1, 2028 (Treasurer calculates annually; no further conference vote needed once adopted).
Bottom Line
Proposed total budget: $1,926,831 — a 10.4% increase over last year's $1,745,000. The budget is balanced by drawing on conference reserves for the first time.
| Revenue Source | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connectional Funding (apportionments) | $1,425,000 | $1,400,000 | ▼ $25K |
| Reserves Drawdown | $0 | $246,731 | ⚠️ New |
| Annual Conference Income | $140,000 | $125,000 | ▼ $15K |
| Missional Partnerships | $130,400 | $128,000 | ▼ $2.4K |
| Other Income | $49,600 | $27,100 | ▼ $22.5K |
Notable Spending Changes
- Hourly wages: +$85K (largest single increase)
- Missions Team: $2,000 → $53,000
- Church Planting: $55,000 → $80,000
- Training: $25,000 → $45,000
- GMC General Conference Delegation Fund: $15,000 → $30,000
- F&A Committee: $1,000 → $18,000 | Connectional Council: $1,000 → $15,000
- New: Clergy Moving Fund — $20,000 (see PET-06)
- Board of Ministry: $88,000 → $55,000 (decrease)
- Emerging Ministry Fund: $50,000 → $25,000 (decrease)
- Employee insurance: down ~$36K
What it does
Establishes the conference's first formal clergy moving expense policy — replacing ad hoc negotiations with a structured cost-sharing framework (the "sandwich model").
| Layer | Who Pays | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Receiving Church | First $5,000 |
| 2 | Incoming Pastor | Up to $2,000 ($5,001–$7,000) |
| 3 | Conference Discretionary Fund | Up to $3,000 ($7,001–$10,000) |
| 4 | Case-by-case | Over $10,000 |
Other Key Provisions
- Written MOU required before the move; Presiding Elder facilitates negotiation
- Hardship exception: Presiding Elder can request full conference coverage (45-day lead time required)
- Two moving quotes required if conference funds are used
- Tax treatment specified: church reimbursements = W-2; conference reimbursements = 1099
- Churches encouraged to establish dedicated moving funds for future transitions
Informational update on the GLAC School of Lay Ministry. Notable updates: curriculum expanded to 7 modules (6 Foundation + 1 Specialty); two new specialty tracks added (Scouting Ministries; Christian Education); recertification clarified (12-hour course every 3 years + renewed background check). Transfer policy for former UMC credentials is provisional pending GC 2026. Working toward formal accreditation by the General Commission on Higher Education and Ministry.
Annual report from the Superintendency Committee. Key items: 360-degree evaluation of conference superintendents facilitated by Bishop Mark Webb; committee recommended a 5% total salary increase (2.8% COLA + 2.2% merit) for presiding elders to the Leadership Council; practical leadership training recommended for PEs; committee expanded to 9 members.
Comprehensive financial state of the conference. Key highlights:
- ~$841K in undesignated operating reserves (as of March 2026)
- $600K moved to Methodist Foundation of Mississippi short-term fund (5.35%); $200K to Gerber Taylor long-term (7–11% historical)
- $849,900 total in Lilly Endowment grants received; $400K in matching funds
- Banking moved from Bank of America to Chase; Financial Procedures Manual adopted
- Web-based reimbursement system implemented; credit cards replaced debit cards
- First external audit planned for fall 2026 ($15K budget line)
- Two endowments being established: Ministerial Scholarship Fund and Equipping Fund
- Clergy liability insurance secured at ~$700/person (down from initial $4,500 quote)
This report is the companion to PET-04 and PET-05 — the financial data here supports and contextualizes those votes.
Qualitative/procedural report. Board has ~55 members. Focus this year: standardizing the candidacy process ahead of anticipated BDD updates (effective January 1, 2027). Three-tier mentorship model being developed (pastor + process mentor + post-ordination mentor). Rev. Frederick anticipates introducing a new BOM Chairman at next year's conference. In memoriam: Rev. Dr. Judy Janelle Debres, BOM Vice-Chair (Michiana Region).
Year One implementation of the GLAC strategic plan across five formation areas (Cultural, Discipleship, Leadership, Local Church, Missional).
- Champions Summit (Oct 2025, Merrillville, IN) — Dr. J.R. Briggs engaged as strategic coach
- NYC learning trip (March 2026) — visits with Tod Bolsinger, Hope Church, Journey Church, New Life Fellowship, Church of the City; confirmed formation-centered direction
- $49,900 Lilly Endowment Stage 1 grant funded Year One work
- $800,000 Lilly Endowment Stage 2 grant awarded — leadership development, technology, ministerial scholarships, church planting equipping
- 11 priority goals with Goal Champions deployed for each
- Key NYC themes: leader health first; culture must be taught; prayer as embedded practice; celebrate what you want to replicate
Full Time Minimum (FTM) for 2027: $46,700 (reflecting ~11.3% cumulative COLA from $42,000 base set in 2024 at 2.8%/year). All other appointments expressed as % of FTM:
| Appointment Type | Range (% FTM) | Dollar Range |
|---|---|---|
| Full Time Pastor | 100–150% | $46,700–$70,050 |
| Senior Pastor | 125–200% | $58,375–$93,400 |
| Large Church / Multi-Site | 150–250% | $70,050–$116,750 |
| 3/4 Time Pastor | 75–115% | $35,025–$53,705 |
| 1/2 Time Pastor | 50–80% | $23,350–$37,360 |
| 1/4 Time Pastor | 25–45% | $11,675–$21,015 |
Standard vacation: 4 weeks (including 4 Sundays). Sabbatical: 4 additional weeks within any 6-year period. ARP minimum recommended: $1,000/year. Housing required for full-time appointments and above.
What it does
Proposes to amend the GMC's Book of Doctrines and Discipline ¶302.3 by replacing the current abortion statement with stricter, absolutist language removing all exceptions.
Current Language (to be struck)
Proposed Replacement
What Changes
- Removes all exceptions — including cases where the mother's life or well-being is at stake (ectopic pregnancy, severe fetal abnormality, direct threat to mother's life, rape, incest)
- Strengthens language from "resist the practice" to "always an immoral act we oppose in all situations"
- Removes specific prohibitions on birth control/gender selection (made redundant by absolute opposition)
- Adds a call for post-abortion pastoral care and support resources
- Adds Luke 1:39-44 to the scriptural basis
The Arguments
| The Case For | The Case Against |
|---|---|
| Any exception clause can be exploited to justify most abortions; only absolute language is consistent | Removes pastoral accommodation for genuine medical crises — no exception for ectopic pregnancy, life-threatening conditions, rape |
| Aligns with 2020 Wesleyan Covenant Association draft language the GMC originally declined to adopt | Current language already represents a strong pro-life position; the exception clause reflects Wesleyan recognition of genuine moral tragedy |
| Frames GMC's identity as resistant to cultural accommodation (cites Thomas Oden) | Could create significant pastoral difficulty for clergy counseling women in genuine medical crises |
| New post-abortion support call adds constructive pastoral dimension | Procedural question: can an Annual Conference unilaterally amend the BDD, or is this a memorial to General Conference? |
Summary — Key Watch Items by Category
💰 Financially Significant
- PET-05 Budget: first-ever ~$247K reserves drawdown to balance the books — sustainability question
- PET-04 Finance Policy: automating apportionment rates removes annual conference discretion
🏛️ Structurally Significant
- PET-01 Adds Missions + NextGen teams and two new Connectional Council seats
- PET-06 First formal clergy moving cost-sharing policy — long overdue
✝️ Theologically Significant
- RES-01 Abortion statement — absolute vs. exception-clause language; the defining debate of this session
📈 Good News Headlines
- REP-03 $849,900 in Lilly Endowment grants — major external investment in the conference
- REP-03 $841K in undesignated reserves — conference is financially healthy
- REP-05 $800K Stage 2 Lilly grant awarded; clear strategic momentum