A look at elected delegates for the 2012 General Conference from the Detroit Conference

• By RJ Walters, Editor •

At the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference and West Michigan Annual Conference delegates were elected for the 2012 General Conference and 2012 Jurisdictional Conference.

The 2012 General Conference will take place in Tampa, Fl. from April 24 to May 4 and the North Central Jurisdictional Conference will run from July 17-21 in Akron, Ohio.

The conference will work to set policy and direction for the church, as well as handle other business of the global and national church. General Conference is the only entity that speaks for The United Methodist Church.

Detroit Conference General Conference clergy delegates
Rev. Melanie Carey
Age: 46 Church: Detroit Renaissance District Superintendent
# of times elected: General Conference - 1
The district superintendent for the newly formed Detroit Renaissance District is a major player in Hispanic/Latino Ministries at a national level and she believes strongly in the connectional heritage of the church and inclusion for all people. She said a restructuring of the denomination is inevitable but as changes are rolled out she hopes the UMC doesn’t “throw the baby out with the bathwater” and forget its roots completely. Carey said discussions at conference should focus on how local churches can utilize vibrant missions and ministry to get new people plugged into communities.

Rev. Joy Barrett
Age: 52 Church: Chelsea First United Methodist Church
# of times elected: General Conference – 6
Making her conference-record sixth trip to General Conference Barret continues to have a heart for all people and she desires for ministry to be a means toward helping people deepen their relationships with God. She said General Conference should help determine how transformation and abounding grace can be spread by the UMC without being institutionalized, falling prey to long-held structural conventions that no longer are plentiful. She also hopes to be part of discussions that center around strengthening the Midwest, as the North Central Jurisdictional Conference prepares to merge an Episcopal area and lose one bishop.

Rev. Ed Rowe
Age: Over 65 Church: Central United Methodist Church (Detroit)
# of times elected: Not available
Rowe is a tireless advocate for the poor, marginalized, the GLBT community and working class citizens. He has served on a plethora of boards and committees in the Detroit Conference and he has long focused on inclusiveness and bringing peace to socially volatile issues.

Rev. Charles Boyaue Jr.
Age: 40-55 Church: Second Grace United Methodist Church (Detroit)
# of times elected: Not available
The Liberian native has a unique global perspective of the church and is the founding scribe of the Detroit/Liberia Conference Partnership Agreements. He also helped build a health clinic in Detroit that serves more than 4,000 people annually. Boyaue is passionate about urban ministry and connecting with other local churches to increase the impact of ministries in the city.

Detroit Conference General Conference lay delegates

Jacqueline Euper
Age: 63 Church: Owosso First United Methodist Church
# of times elected: General Conference – 5; Jurisdictional Conference - 6
The former Project Director for the Flint District currently serves on the Michigan Area and North Central Jurisdictional Committees on Episcopacy. Euper believes the number one issue that will be tackled at the conference is church growth, “as the denomination figures out how to turn this ship around.” She said downsizing some boards and agencies at the global level may be necessary to operate more efficiently as the church attempts to follow through with its mission.

Ang Hart
Age: 26 Church: Scott Memorial United Methodist Church
# of times elected: General Conference – 2; Jurisdictional Conference - 3
The Detroit Conference Director of Youth and Young Adults said she feels she has a pulse on what is happening with the up-and-coming generation of churchgoers in the UMC and she hopes to bring to light their unique viewpoints and inspirations. She said she is less concerned with the specific petitions that will come before her at conference and more interested in the gathering brining people to a deeper understanding of their purpose in the church and their walk with Christ.

Paul Thomas
Age: 35 Church: Bay City First United Methodist Church
# of times elected: General Conference – 1; Jurisdictional Conference - 1
The Detroit Conference Director of Communications believes his shrewd knowledge of the Book of Discipline and organizational makeup of the general church will help him make an impact at conference. Thomas said the potential restructuring of the UMC in response to the Call to Action Report set forth in 2010 is the greatest issue to be dealt with in Tampa in his opinion.

Wayne Bank
Age: 66 Church: Lexington United Methodist Church
# of times elected: General Conference – 2; Jurisdictional Conference - 2
Bank’s wide-ranging experience includes serving in five different local churches in three districts and involvement with the General Board of Global Ministries and General Board of Church and Society. He said the recurring debates about crucial social issues and the structure of the global church need to be dealt with in a Christ-like manner that addresses all opinions and voices.




Also:
A glance at the West Michigan Conference delegates elected for the 2012 General Conference

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Church and Society encourages letter-writing campaign for education funding

• By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communication •

The Conference Board of Church and Society has authored a letter and is encouraging all United Methodists to write to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and other Michigan state legislators to ask them to restore the proposed cuts to funding education in the state's budget.

The letter was written as part of the board's March 26 meeting.

The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church states that as United Methodists, "we believe that every person has the right to education. We also believe that the responsibility for education of the young rests with family, faith communities, and the government." (paragraph 164.E, 2008 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church)

Local churches and their members are encouraged to read the letter the board has already sent to Gov. Snyder and the state legislators. According to the Rev. Steven E. McCoy, pastor at Marquette: First UMC and chairperson of the conference Board of Church and Society, churches and individuals may use some or all of the letter as a basis for their own communications. Personal stories, McCoy said, are also helpful and should be included when possible.

Click here to download and view the Board of Church and Society's letter.

To contact Governer Rick Snyder, please visit www.michigan.gov/snyder. 

To contact your state legislator, please visit www.senate.michigan.gov and www.house.michigan.gov.

To search for your state senator, visit www.senate.michigan.gov/fysenator/fysenator.htm. To search for your state representative, visitwww.house.michigan.gov/replist.asp. 

For further information on this issue, please contact McCoy at smccoy@fumcmarquette.org or 906-225-1344.

Resolution 18 Action

The board also finalized its responsibility for Resolution 18, which was referred to the board by the 2010 annual conference session. Resolution 18 concerns "Reconciling Congregations" and states:

"Be it resolved that the following action be taken by the Detroit Annual Conference with reference to churches that identify or label themselves as a Reconciling Congregation. Reconciling Congregations must remove their churches from the website of the Reconciling Ministries Network. They must not identify themselves as a Reconciling Congregation on their website. Individuals may not identify themselves as part of the Reconciling Movement. Churches that identify or label themselves as a Reconciling Congregation are in conflict with the Discipline of the United Methodist Church, Par. 306 and violate Judicial Council Decision 847, 871, 886, and 1044 (please review these decisions)."

During debate, a substitute motion was offered that stated:

"Be it resolved that the following action be taken by the Detroit Annual Conference with reference to churches that identify, label, or associate with the Reconciling , Transforming, or Confessing Movements specifically. All congregations that identify, label, or associate themselves with these groups must remove their churches from the corresponding websites."

Both the substitute motion and the original motion were referred by the conference to the Board of Church and Society for their consideration and recommendation.

After reviewing the motions and all referenced Discipline paragraphs and Judicial Council decisions, the board concluded the following:

• Paragraph 306 of the Discipline was not relevant to the subject at hand

• The Judicial Council decisions clearly state that general agencies, annual conferences, organizations and local churches may not identify with any unofficial organization, but there is no ruling for individuals.

• The Discipline does not grant the annual conference or the conference Board of Church and Society jurisdiction in the matter.

• Based on its findings, the board stated that "it is our belief that this is an administrative issue and not a program issue and should properly be handled by the Bishop as he sees appropriate."

Click here to read the board's response to the referral.

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Detroit Conference names Director of New Faith Communities and Congregational Development

• By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications •

The Rev. Dirk Elliott has been named the Director of New Faith Communities and Congregational Development for the Detroit Conference, it was announced today (Wed., March 23) by the Rev. Dr. Jerome (Jerry) DeVine, Director of Connectional Ministries, and the conference’s Personnel Committee. 

Elliott will officially begin his duties on July 1. 

The Director of New Faith Communities and Congregational Development is a new position and is part of the conference's focus on starting new churches and redeveloping existing congregations. 

The responsibilities of the position include creating partnerships within the conference and ethnic and multicultural communities in the area of new faith communities and the development of existing congregations, and partnering with the New Church Development Committee to train clergy and laity in starting new churches and developing existing ones. 

In addition, the position will be responsible for resourcing districts and existing local churches for forming new churches and congregational development. Funding for the position was included in the 2011 budget that was approved at the last annual conference session.

“It was extremely important to this work that we recruit someone that had significant experience with equipping a strong team for developing new faith communities and strengthening existing congregations,” DeVine said. “We are realigning our conference structure and resources to make this a priority, and are fortunate to have drawn in Dirk Elliott to lead this team. He has a decade of training, application and collaboration in this field, along with substantive pastoral experience. He is a key leader in the jurisdiction and national church developers’ network. We gain access to all of those innovative, entrepreneurial insights as Dirk joins our conference staff.”

Elliott joins the program staff of the Detroit Conference after serving as the Director of Congregational Development, Redevelopment and Evangelism for the East Ohio Conference since 2001. During those 10 years, he established the New Church Start Academy that trained pastors in church planting ministries. He also oversaw the starting of new churches in East Ohio and developed a process for identifying and recruiting church planters. Elliott also developed a coaching program, trainings and programs for the redevelopment of congregations, and coordinated the implementation of the conference's Healthy Church Initiative process of church redevelopment.

As part of his portfolio in East Ohio, Elliott also advised and assisted in developing a conference-wide Urban Plan and conference-wide Hispanic Plan. He also developed and implemented the Path 1-sponsored Lay Missionary Planning Network in the Cleveland, Ohio, area to plant new racial ethnic and multicultural faith communities.

Before his position on the East Ohio Conference staff, Elliott spent five years as the senior pastor at Bellpoint UMC in Delaware, Ohio. He also served appointments at North Lewisburg UMC in North Lewisburg, Ohio from 1991-97 and at Thurman and Vega UMCs in southwest Ohio from 1983-91. 

Elliott is a member of the General Board of Discipleship's Path 1 team, which is responsible for church planting throughout the denomination, and serves on the advisory board for the Bishop Rueben Job Center for Leadership Development. 

He is a Path 1 endorsed mentor coach, an associate certified coach with the International Coach Federation, and is a registered Natural Church Development coach. He also represented the West Ohio Conference as a delegate to the North Central Jurisdictional Conference in 2000 and 2004. 

Elliott is an ordained elder and member of the West Ohio Conference. He received his Masters of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1990 and earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) in 1986.

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Youth and young adult worker days planned across conference

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

An opportunity for those that minister to youth and young adults to gather will take place this spring as Youth and Young Adult Workers have been scheduled in all seven districts of the Detroit Conference.

Designed for clergy and laity that work with youth and young adults, as well as anyone who interested in ministering to youth and young adults, the days will give those in youth and young adult ministry the chance to connect with other youth and young adult workers and learn best practices.

Each day will run from approximately 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and will include a guest speaker, dialogue sessions, lunch, and a worship service. The Youth and Young Adult Worker Days will take place according to the following schedule:

Saturday, March 19 - Marlette: First UMC (Port Huron District) - The Rev. Maureen Baker, guest speaker
Saturday, March 26 - Flint: Lincoln Park UMC (Flint District) - Brian Kelley, guest speaker
Saturday, April 2 - Redford Aldersgate UMC (Detroit West District) - The Rev. Jeff Nelson, guest speaker
Saturday, April 30 - Warren: First UMC (Detroit East District) - The Rev. Dr. Jill Zundel, guest speaker
Saturday, May 7 - Dexter UMC (Ann Arbor District) - The Rev. Matt Hook, guest speaker
Saturday, May 14 - Gladstone: Memorial UMC (Marquette District) - The Rev. Ben Bohnsack, guest speaker
Saturday, June 4 - Midland: First UMC (Saginaw Bay District) - The Rev. Tom Anderson, guest speaker

The cost to attend is $10 per person, which includes lunch. Child care is provided at the rate of $5 per child.

Registration forms and an information brochure can be downloaded by visiting www.detroitconference.org/console/files/oForms_YJ7JB6/Y&YA_worker. Please register at least one week in advance of the event you plan on attending.

For more information on the Youth and Young Adult Worker Days, please contact Ang Hart, conference director of youth and young adult ministries, at ahart@detroitconference.org or 810-287-0045.

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Detroit Conference announces program staffing changes

Rev. Terry Gladstone

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The Rev. Dr. Jerome (Jerry) DeVine has announced several changes to the program staff of the Detroit Conference, effective immediately. All changes are within existing positions and budget.

The Rev. Dr. James Parkhurst, who has been on staff since April 1 as interim conference director of outdoor and retreat ministries, has been promoted to conference director of outdoor and retreat ministries, while the Rev. Terry Gladstone, conference director of discipleship, has accepted a position as the program development specialist for the Lake Louise Christian Community, Camp, and Retreat Center.

In addition, Ang Hart, conference director of youth and young adult ministries, and Paul Thomas, conference director of communications, will have their positions increased from 1/2-time to 3/4-time effective January 1, 2011.

“Aligning resources to fulfill the conference vision of creating and nurturing dynamic and fruitful congregations includes focusing the time and portfolios of those whom God has called and gifted for various strategic ministries,” said DeVine, who is in his second year as the conference’s director of connectional ministries. “These recent staff changes are focused heavily on equipping and connecting leadership for discipleship in a changing environment.”

Rev. James Parkhurst

Before moving to the Detroit Conference, Parkhurst spent the past 12 years as the Director of Discipleship Ministries in the Desert Southwest Conference. During those 12 years, Parkhurst oversaw the conference’s camping and retreat ministries that encompassed several sites and staff spread across two states. Parkhurst, with over 18 years of experience in outdoor and retreat ministries, is currently a member of the National Camp and Retreat Committee, an affiliated organization with the General Board of Discipleship.

An ordained deacon and member of the Desert Southwest Conference, Parkhurst earned a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Religion Studies from Morehead State University and received a Master’s degree in Christian Education from Scarritt College in Nashville, Tenn. Parkhurst also completed his diaconal studies at Claremont School of Theology and received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Wisdom University in Oakland, Calif.

“Jim brings a depth of faith and knowledge along with breadth of experience in spiritual formation through outdoor and retreat ministries,” DeVine said. “Originally from Kentucky, he has served as site director for several camp ministries, including one in the North Central Jurisdiction. He brings thoroughness, strategic planning skills, leadership development and organizational experience, and a keen understanding of networking communities to make disciples of Jesus Christ leading to the transformation of the world. We welcome him as part of our ministry.”

Gladstone, who has been on the staff of the Detroit Conference since 1994, will remain employed by the conference with a significantly reduced consultative staff role and a revised portfolio. Details of her new conference responsibilities are being worked out with the personnel committee, but her duties will focus particularly on aspects of effective leadership development, clergy and lay, for equipping and strengthening vital local congregations.

As the program development specialist for Lake Louise, Gladstone will be responsible for increasing ministry outreach and to help the community, camp and retreat center effectively utilize their facilities and natural environment to fulfill their purpose and mission. Her position will involve organizing and evaluating multiple educational functions and activities, focusing on continual improvement and growth.

She will also have responsibilities for recruiting and maintaining a resource pool of leaders, along with training and supervising of some staff.

“I have known Terry for over ten years,” commented DeVine. “While my own roles have changed over that time, she and I have been part of the Michigan Area Ministry Team during that decade. She has vast experience, and has already gifted this Detroit Conference with numerous ministries that now have their own strength and direction.

"Her decision to pursue a new ministry position with the Lake Louise Christian Community and Camp builds on her own family history and life-long love for that community. I am grateful that she will remain in a consultative staff role with us because of the extensive experience and skills that she offers. We will obviously be focusing her available time very intentionally, particularly around some new avenues for congregational health and vitality that we are developing.”

For a directory of Detroit Conference staff, please visit www.detroitconference.org/staff.

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Detroit Conference Finishes Second in Elite 8 HealthMiles Challenge

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The Detroit Conference has finished second in the Elite 8 Challenge, a Virgin HealthMiles challenge that pitted members of the Detroit Conference against seven other conferences from September 23-October 31. The Elite 8 Challenge was sponsored by the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits for all conferences that participate in the walking program but are not enrolled in HealthFlex, the health care plan of the GBOPHB.

The Illinois-Great Rivers Conference finished first in the challenge with an average of 302,704 steps per day, followed by Detroit with 293,503. The Arkansas Conference placed third with 289,811 steps, and was followed by East Ohio (280,033), Eastern Pennsylvania (279,508), Iowa (266,343) and Peninsula-Delaware (246,839). The California-Pacific Conference rounded out the field with 228,793 steps.

The Detroit Conference had the most participants of any conference, with 148 individuals enrolling in the challenge. Forty-eight percent of the active participants in the conference participated in the challenge, the second-highest among the conferences.

Over 900 people from all eight conferences participated in the challenge. Eight walkers tied for first place with a maximum possible step count of 870,000 during the challenge, including the Detroit Conference's Dennis Munger. Three other members of the conference finished in the top 25: Krystn Nyquist (11th place, 827,466 steps), the Rev. Thomas Tarpley (19th place, 729,165), and the Rev. Don Gotham (25th place, 693,021).

The Virgin HealthMiles walking program was introduced in the Detroit Conference in December 2009. Eligible participants to the conference-funded program include all participants, spouses, and dependents (ages 18-24) that are currently enrolled in the Detroit Conference Active Health Insurance Plan. These individuals can join the HealthMiles program free of charge by visiting the Virgin HealthMiles Web site. Retirees and spouses enrolled in the Conference Retiree Health Insurance Plan are also eligible to join the HealthMiles program free of charge, but must contact the Rev. Donald Emmert, Conference Benefits Office, for a retiree enrollment form.

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Re-districting Task Force begins work for Detroit Conference

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The Redistricting Task Force met recently, with the group choosing a working model to begin formulating a six-district plan for the Detroit Conference.

The conference is reducing a district to comply with action taken by the 2010 annual conference session, which instructed the resident bishop, Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton, to determine the boundaries of the new districts, and for the Conference Leadership Team to name them by no later than July 1, 2011.

Although not instructed to do so, Keaton named a task force to assist him in the reduction effort. After the task force was convened in late June, the task force's leadership presented two models for the group to spend the summer praying and discerning over. From those two models, a third emerged at the meeting and it was unanimously adopted by the group as a starting point to create the new districts.

"It was a movement of the Holy Spirit that brought us to the model that was adopted by the entire task force," said Paul Thomas, the task force's chairperson. "As we spent time discussing the two models that had been distributed, it became clear that there were two pressing issues that needed to be cared for in whatever model we chose. The first was dealing with the Metro Detroit area, and the second was addressing the geography of the northern part of the conference, including the U.P. In the end, the model the group chose to begin to work with addresses both issues. While the rationale for introducing the legislation at annual conference was to reduce districts in order to save money, the task force is seeing this reduction as an opportunity to create more dynamic and fruitful ministry."

Details of the working model were not made public. The model will be fully developed in advance of the task force's next meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 12. The task force expects to finalize the model at its next meeting, and make the model public after consulting with Bishop Keaton and the appointive cabinet.

The task force is set to complete its work and make its recommendations to Bishop Keaton and the appointive cabinet by January 2011.

The task force also underwent a few changes in membership over the summer to achieve a greater degree of diversity.

For a complete list of the 16 members providing input on the task force check out the Detroit Conference website at www.detroitconference.org.

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Detroit Conference health insurance rates to raise 10 percent in 2011

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The Detroit Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits has informed local churches that the conference's health insurance rates for 2011 have risen by 10 percent over the rates for 2010. The 10 percent increase is below an earlier projection by the CBOPHB that figured a 15 percent increase in the rates.

According to a letter sent to clergy in the active group health insurance plan, staff-parish relations committee chairpersons, and selected conference agencies, the Rev. Don Emmert, conference benefits officer, stated that the increase is due primarily to the high rate of medical claims experienced by the group health plan in 2010. 

"While no one is satisfied and everyone struggles with these high costs, our recent conference claims trend has slowed enough to reduce the 2011 increase by a third," Emmert said.

Emmert also stated in the letter that the conference plan has experienced a cumulative increase of 26 percent over the last four years. That is less than the national average, which is 35-38 percent.

In addition to the increase in health insurance rates for 2011, Emmert reported that 63 percent of the eligible participants enrolled in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Those who have who have reached level 3 in the program, and either participated in the ProCheck for Health Screening at annual conference or had a physical during the year will earn financial credit for their salary-paying unit in December. 

Emmert said that a mailing will be sent in November to each participant along with a confirmation form that must be completed and returned in order to receive the credit.

Please visit www.detroitconference.org/benefits to view the 2011 health insurance rates, as well as information on how to enroll in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Those with questions my contact Emmert by phone at 810-233-5500 or by e-mail at demmert@detroitconference.org.

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Detroit Conference members encouraged to join nationwide HealthMiles challenge

By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications

The registration deadline is quickly approaching for the Conference-to-Conference Challenge, a Virgin HealthMiles challenge sponsored by the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits. 

The deadline for eligible participants to register for the challenge is Tuesday, Sept. 21.

The GBOPHB is sponsoring a Conference-to-Conference Challenge for all conferences that have adopted the Virgin HealthMiles program, but are not enrolled in HeathFlex, the health care plan of the GBOPHB.

The conferences participating in the challenge will be:Arkansas, California-Pacific, Detroit, East Ohio
Eastern Pennsylvania, Illinois Great Rivers, Iowa, Peninsula-Delaware.

The purpose of the challenge (beyond conference bragging rights) is to increase enrollment and daily average steps of participants. The challenge will fun for four weeks from September 23 to October 21.

Participants in the challenge who average 7,000 steps per day (total of 203,000) during the challenge will receive 300 HealthMIles. Members that average 12,000 steps per day (total of 348,000) will receive 500 HealthMiles. All participants who enroll in the challenge and wear their pedometer everyday during the challenge can earn an additional 100 HealthMiles.

For conferences, the conference with the highest average steps per participant will receive a Traveling Award to proudly display in their conference office. This award will remain at that location until the start of the next Conference to Conference Challenge.

So far approximately 40 percent of eligible participants in the Detroit Conference have signed up for the challenge. Competition between conferences is expected to be fierce, and trash talk between benefits coordinators has already begun, with the East Ohio Conference stating it is already making plans to build a display case for the trophy.

The Rev. Don Emmert, conference benefits officer, would like to see as many people as possible from the Detroit Conference participate so that the trophy can find its way to the Conference Center in Flint.

This challenge is only open to those who are enrolled in the Detroit Conference Active Health Insurance Plan. The challenge does not include retirees or those who enrolled in Virgin HealthMiles as individuals through the UMC Friends and Family program.

All participants, spouses, and dependents (ages 18-24) that are currently enrolled in the Detroit Conference Active Health Insurance Plan may still enroll in the Virgin HealthMiles program. Please click here to visit the Virgin HealthMiles Web site. You must enroll by Monday, Sept. 13 to have time to receive your pedometer and engage in the challenge.

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Keep an eye on these votes: Resolutions to pay close attention to at the 2010 Annual Conference

For the legislative language of all 18 resolutions click here.

By RJ Walters, Editor

There are 18 resolutions on the table for May’s Detroit Conference Annual Conference, but three of them figure to consume a large portion of the limelight.

The overwhelming theme of the trio is implementing change that will better equip the entire conference for the future.

The one that is likely to generate the most discussion is the proposal that the Detroit Annual Conference be reduced from seven districts to six, with a whole new map of districts to be drawn.

The proposal, written by the Conference Council on Finance and Administration states the change would be effective no later than July 1, 2011 and Bishop Keaton would determine the boundaries of the new districts per the 2008 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church.

"Changing demographics and financial constraints have motivated the CFA to introduce legislation to move to six districts," said Conference Council on Finance and Administration chairperson Carol Johns, in December. "We feel that this will provide a significant cost savings. What we are not doing is proposing the elimination of any district. We are calling for the redistricting of the entire annual conference."

Conference Treasurer Anna Morford said the conference estimates a savings of nearly $210,000 with the reduction of one district superintendent and his/her entire office.

Salary freezes already saved nearly $811,000 in 2009 and the 2010 budget is one that shows significant reductions from the year before.

The total approved budget for 2010 is $9,736,500 and includes pensions, general church apportionments, and funding for all connectional ministry and administrative agencies and conference programs.

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