The Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM) helps the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church live out its mission through the enlistment, recruitment, credentialing, training, and support of the clergy of the conference. The following are the highlights of our work for the past year.
Aligning the work of the BOM with the Bishop/Cabinet: The Board Executive Committee met with the Cabinet in the summer and outlined areas of opportunities in the ordination process from identification of candidates through the final approval. We also identified areas of opportunity to facilitate dual responsibilities related to clergy transitions, extension ministries and requests for leaves which resulted in development of online forms, updated information and how that information is disseminated.
Board Development: We further developed the revised ordination process for candidates applying for full membership. It was aligned to the Book of Discipline questions, and to the nine characteristics for ministry excellence: Personal Passionate Faith, Evangelistic Heart, Apostolic Leadership, Emotional and Social Intelligence, Wesleyan Way of Discipleship, Leading Adaptively, Holy, Healthy Habits, Life-Long Learner, Loves God’s World. It is now an online presentation format which allows expanded opportunities for candidates to share the fruits of their ministry which were previously not captured. Board members met in their fall retreat to review and prepare for the following interviews in February. Candidate Interviews were held at Normandale Hylands United Methodist Church with off-site housing, allowing adequate interview rooms in an accessible location with decreased costs.
Licensed Local Pastors: Because of the growing number of licensed local pastors, we continued to have a part-time conference staff person serve as our registrar. The ministry field we serve together is so enriched by the faithful leadership provided through so many Licensed Local Pastors.
Cultural Competency: The BOM challenged its members to reflect on personal bias with guided questions when meeting with candidates, before and after each interview. The BOM membership is always changing, and we are actively seeking diversity in our membership as we comply with the prescribed membership policies in the Book of Discipline. A racial audit of the board is in development for the upcoming year.
Clergy Support and Training: We previously streamlined the process for clergy seeking the MEF grants for student debt by combing grants when appropriate, including a single application for multiple requests. We supported the New Clergy Leadership Academy, Soul Leaders, Shmita training – an enhanced Boundaries training, and MEF funds – conference funds for continuing education. In addition, we held Mentoring training to expand support for Candidates in Ministry.
We are blessed to be supported in our tasks by Janet Beard as registrar, and Rev. Cullen Tanner and others for technical support. The terms of service for Board Members follow the quadrennium and we continue to be in one which continues through the again rescheduled General Conference. We are so thankful and filled with wonder at the blessings of time and talent God brings through the members of this Board of Ordained Ministry.
Rev. Terri Horn, Chair
The Board of Trustees is established by The Book of Discipline in each annual conference (Paragraph 2512). In Minnesota, the annual conference is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation; the members of the corporation are the same as the members of the Annual Conference. The Board of Trustees serves, for purposes under corporate actions under Minnesota law, as the board of directors of the corporation. The Book of Discipline entrusts the Board of Trustees with responsibility for receiving, collecting, and holding in trust all donations, bequests and gifts to the Annual Conference; administering such donations in accordance with the grantor and in the interest of the intended beneficiary of such gifts; receiving, holding in trust for and on behalf of the annual conference for use in ministries; investing, reinvesting, buying and selling all funds and property held in trust; and taking all necessary legal steps to safeguard and protect the interest and rights of the Annual Conference in any place and in any matter relating to property and rights to property owned by or on behalf of the Annual Conference.
In its legal capacity as the board of directors of the corporation, the trustees are responsible for authorizing official acts of the Minnesota Annual Conference when it acts as a corporation. Thus, the Board of Trustees acts as the legal representatives of the Annual Conference in its conduct of business buying and selling property, protecting the interests of the Annual Conference by procuring and maintaining insurance, participating in legal proceedings to protect the property rights of the annual conference, and authorizing instruments that bind the annual conference, such as deeds, mortgages, guarantees, and investments.
United Methodist polity includes a trust clause whereby all property is held in trust for the denomination. While each local church owns its building and property, the trust clause means that assets are held in trust for the future of United Methodism as part of the covenant relationship that every United Methodist has with one another. This ensures that church property is used and retained by the denomination for the common goal of inviting, forming, and sending Christians to do God’s work in the world. Discontinued church property comes to the annual conference through this trust clause. Legacy resources from discontinued church properties are re-invested for the work of congregational development. As part of our work, the Board of Trustees, along with Congregational Development, assist transitioning congregations at the beginning or end of their life cycle.
Among the actions undertaken by the Board of Trustees in 2023-2024 are the following:
I appreciate the opportunity to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees and thank all the members of the Board for their service this year.
Rev. Jeff Ozanne, Chair
We wrote and presented a resolution at 2023 Annual Conference titled Banning the sale, transfer and manufacture of assault style weapons, which was adopted.
We had a display at Annual Conference 2023.
We updated the Peace with Justice Grant materials: mnumc-reg.brtapp.com/PeaceJusticeGrants.
We awarded a Peace with Justice Grant to La Iglesia Piedra Viva to help fund its Kids Bilingual Summer Urban Camp.
We wrote articles about Peace with Justice Grants that were posted on the conference website.
We revised the Racial Justice Grant including a list of 7 new books and new guidelines. A total of 23 grants have been funded. All churches are eligible to receive the new grant, available on the Church and Society page of the Minnesota Conference website: www.minnesotaumc.org/newsdetail/mn-church-and-society-offers-racial-justice-grants-14356637.
We revised our mission statement.
We maintain a Facebook page www.facebook.com/churchandsocietymn where we have post book reviews, articles, and events about social justice issues.
We participated in events led by other teams. Following is a partial list.
Gail Chalbi, Chair
Rev. Dr. David Werner, Chair
For many years, decades even, COSROW has been a haven for both lay and clergy to find their feminist center and place for advocacy. The Commission, which is mandated by the Discipline, has been a beacon for topics such as domestic violence, expansive language, equitable treatment of women, clergy women’s advocacy, native American women, Muslim neighbors, human trafficking and political power of women.
COSROW MN continues to fund projects that advocate for all of these issues. In 2023 the Commission continued to uphold a long time project in collaboration with the Rev. Kay Hacklander. Rev. Hacklander continues to update her excellent and widely received musical Images of God. She has seen this resource used in many setting within and without Minnesota.
COSROW has for many years attended Annual Conference in the capacity of monitoring. Another task that is assigned to Commissions. It is the intent of this monitoring to lift up the ways language and representation is presented at the Annual Conference, not as a policing agent but as a truth telling agent to assist the Conference in its work to become the Beloved Community. This continues to be an important piece of the work of the Commission as the statistics have shown that, while the number of clergy women has increased in the Conference, the use of expansive language for both humans and God has not. COSROW will continue to seek to have voice at the tables where the policies for language use are made.
The Commission is also concerned about the flight of women clergy from church leadership positions. To that end the Commission is working with Diane Owen at the conference office to strategize ways to support the particular needs of clergy women serving in the churches of the Annual Conference. For many years we have gifted books to the recently ordained clergy women. This year the Commission gifted the book: Mother God by Teresa Kim Pecinovsky (Author), Khoa Le (Illustrator) to Yolanda Y Williams, and Leslie Zeek who were ordained as full elders.
COSROW works hand and hand with other Commissions and Ministry Teams in the Conference, including Commission on Church and Society, CONAM and Religion and Race; as well as United Women in Faith. The Commission values these partnerships as we seek to affirm the worth of all persons in God’s realm.
COSROW MN will be seeking new leadership in the coming year.
Respectfully Submitted:
Faye Christensen and Rev. Debra Collum, Co-Chairs
The Book of Discipline says, “The purpose of the council shall be to develop, maintain, and administer a comprehensive and coordinated plan of fiscal and administrative policies, procedures, and management services for the Annual Conference (Paragraph 612.1). The council worked on many activities this year including:
Our thanks to those churches that shared in the connection this year through apportionment payment. Our collection rate in total for apportionments was 83.3% with disaffiliation and 80.4% without for 2023. This was 4.8% better with disaffiliations and flat to the amount collected in 2022. Most apportionment funds received from local congregations stay within Minnesota to plant new churches, revitalize others, provide training, workshops, and internships, and support other outreach efforts.
Conference Reserves and Investments:
Invested funds as of end of 2023 totaled $90.9 million, this is an increase of approximately $10 million from the end of 2022 primarily due to market returns.
The benefit reserves ($75.9 million) are held at Wespath in the Multiple Asset Fund. The return on this fund for the year end 2023 was 13.7% lagging behind benchmark. The Multiple Asset Fund had the following investment allocations: U.S. Equities 36.2%, International Equities 29.7%, Fixed Income Securities 23.8%, Inflation Protection 9.8%, Alternative investments (.10%) and Cash Equivalent Securities .40%.
The Permanent Church Extension Fund, Capital Facilities Fund, and the Trustee Property Fund are invested with the Minnesota United Methodist Foundation in 40% equity and 60% fixed and had a 13.6% return for the year ended 12/31/2023.
There are three generations of clergy pension and retirement plans being administered by the Conference; each is funded at 100%. Retirement and health reserves are at a level that allows them to be used to cover approximately $1.2 million of expenses at the conference and $2.2 million of expenses at the local church level that used to be apportioned to or collected from the local churches. The operating reserve is funded at a level that meets current requirements.
Sharon Fields, Chair
Barb Brower, Director of Finance and Administration
The Committee On Native American Ministry (CONAM) has been busy this past year. In the spring of 2023 CONAM submitted a grant application to The Foundation for Evangelism. This grant proposal was to fund the launching of five contextualized Native American circles across the Minnesota Annual Conference. The Foundation for Evangelism fully funded the $10,000 grant request. In the early Fall CONAM began to identify congregations that would be the sites of these five Native American Circles. Invitations were sent and accepted by these four congregations: Northwoods UMC in Esko, Detroit Lakes UMC, Hamlin Church, and Centenary UMC. CONAM will launch a Youth Native American Circle in St. Paul. This Circle will serve at risk Native American youth and their families.
In February CONAM gathered the leadership together from each of these congregations for an overnight retreat to learn about contextualized Native American ministry and to experience Native American worship. At the conclusion of the retreat, each congregation was gifted a ceremonial drum, resources, and they each selected a launch date.
Northwoods UMC April 21, 2024
Detroit Lakes UMC May 19, 2024
Centenary UMC June 8, 2024
Hamline church UM June 22, 2024
Indian Magnet School – Youth Circle Date TBD
During the infancy stage of these new ministry circles, CONAM will walk beside these congregations as they grow. The goal of these Native American Ministry Circles is to reach new people, grow in love of our Native American neighbors, and to offer healing in a broken world.
These Circles will begin with leadership from within each of the existing congregations. Once the circles begin to grow, leadership will rise from within the circle, with the hopes that Native American people will take over the leadership of the circle.
During the 2019 Annual Conference, a portion of the Love Offering was received to provide diapers to Native American families across the conference. Unfortunately, the pandemic took over our lives and CONAM was unable to distribute diapers to those who needed them during that time. During the launching of each of these Native American Circles, diapers will be offered to our Native American neighbors who may be in need.
CONAM has cast a vision of planting a contextualized Native American Church within the conference. We continue to collaborate with Bishop Lanette Plambeck and the Cabinet as we prepare the ground to plant a new expression of church as a contextualized Native American Church.
Rev. Dawn Houser, Chair
Mission - Helping campers to experience Christ, Creation, and Community through camp and retreat ministries
Core Values - Provide sacred places apart - Nurture Christian faith and discipleship - Teach creation care and appreciation - Partner with United Methodist churches and agencies - Extend Christian hospitality and community - Develop principled spiritual leaders - Inspire and equip lives for love and justice
Outcomes - Disciples and leaders who hear and respond to God's call to share faith, love and accept everyone, serve others, and trust God
Koronis Ministries - In 2023 Koronis Ministries finally saw a return to pre-COVID attendance levels. The camp and retreat center hosted roughly 7,000 guests, which was the second highest annual attendance in 16 years (behind 2019). The increased usage resulted in the ministry’s first $1 million budget in its history, and allowed for a small surplus and continued reinvestment in facility upkeep and enhancement. The new Tabernacle meeting and dining center was used the entire year, and hosted a number of weddings, concerts, large group gatherings, and conferences (including a gathering of 150 UMC Clergy). Camp Koronis, the ministry’s summer “cabin camp,” also continued to rebound from its post-COVID attendance lows, serving almost 300 high-energy campers in a seven-week summer schedule. Six international summer staff representing four countries joined a gifted crew of 18 US-born summer staff and about 15 year-round staff to serve our guests and campers. Spirits are high as we take the energy and enthusiasm from 2023 into the year ahead.
KoWaKan Adventures - In 2023 Kowakan Adventures served 13 groups and 113 people, an increase from the past five years. A number of groups chose to spend their time at our beautiful base camp on pristine 50-acre Section 12 Lake. Other groups chose guided expeditions into the Boundary Water’s Wilderness. Our groups all continued to appreciate the recent improvements to the facility, including a new dock and raft, a large 24’ Yurt gathering space, and our mobile Sauna. The camp is taking bookings for the summer of 2024, and is excited to continue to offer meaningful connections to the North Country and to the Almighty!
Northern Pines - Northern Pines Camp and Retreat Center- Carol Ford retired on July 1, 2023 after many years as assistant director. We celebrated her ministry on July 29 at camp. Nathan Flann joined our staff in June as the ministry assistant and is a great asset to the ministry team at camp. We had a great retreat and guest season, with several family reunions, new groups and many returning groups. Our summer staff were amazing and led 8 weeks of camp for over 500 campers. Northern Pines also had their ACA (American Camp Association) accreditation visit and we remain an accredited camp, something we are proud to claim. Our Christmas at Camp event, a drive-through event with even more lighted cabins than last year, a live nativity and carolers, provided a special opportunity for us to share our site with the community. We had many volunteer groups on site. One of the big projects completed was a new steel roof on our pavilion.
2023 by the numbers – total summer camp registration 976, down 3% vs 2022. Church participation: 122 (40%) Minnesota UMC congregations sent 1 or more campers, registration breakdown includes 62% UMC, 28% other denominations, 10% unchurched. Camperships: $43,363 was awarded to 148 campers to attend one event of their choice, congregations contributed $41,449 in local funds to support those from their communities to attend camp
Staffing Transitions and Celebrations – Welcome: Nicole Anderson, Director at Lake Poinsett Camp, Laurie Wilson, Storm Mountain Food Service Manager, Larry Wilson, Storm Mountain Property Manager, Nathan Flann, Northern Pines Ministry Assistant. Goodbye: Christy Heflin, Director at Lake Poinsett Camp, Jay Foss, Storm Mountain Property Manager.
Dakotas-Minnesota Area Alignment/Collaboration – Since 2016, the Dakotas and Minnesota conferences’ camp and retreat ministries have combined their strengths and leadership, forming a supportive, cooperative, symbiotic and highly collaborative relationship. This merger helps provide consistent support while significantly reducing financial costs and includes a combined administration office and area staffing, director level staff shared policies, processes, and organizational strategies, and a joint advisory council. The Camp and Retreat Council is made up of equal representation from each conference and meets quarterly.
2023 Financials - The Camp and Retreat Ministry operations of the Dakotas and Minnesota Conferences each ended 2023 financially in the black. Success is attributed to strong financial support from local churches and conference boards/teams, unified financial system, controls and review processes, staff management and oversight, regular review of costs/rates, and real-time access to accurate data and information. Operating income breakdown: 49% from hosted/Retreat Ministries, 26% from summer camping ministries, 13% from apportionments and special askings, 10% from gifts and earnings, 3% misc. income.
Camper Safety and the American Camp Association (ACA) Accreditation - Dakotas and Minnesota staff regularly review every facet of camp programs and operations to ensure a safe and quality camp experience for all participants. Each of your six Area sites are fully accredited operations through the ACA, the national accrediting body for camping programs. To earn accreditation, camps must comply with hundreds of health, safety, and program quality standards. Only one in five camps nationwide achieves this distinction.
Current Staffing - Dakotas: Nicole Anderson - Director, Lake Poinsett Camp; Tanner Clark – Director, Storm Mountain Center; Paul and Brenda Lint (will be moving to local church leadership in June, 2024) - Co-Directors, Wesley Acres Camp. Minnesota: Leslie Hobson - Director, Northern Pines Camp; Dan Ziegler - Director, Koronis Ministries and Kowakan Adventures. Central Camping Office - Stacey Edwards - Camping Coordinator; Linda Bowers - Camping Assistant; Beata Ferris (position will going away in 2025) - Marketing and Outreach Project Coordinator; Mary Hovden - Camping Accountant; Keith Shew – Area Executive Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries
Thank you for your continued support of your camp and retreat ministries in the Dakotas and Minnesota Annual Conferences. Thank you for making sure that the children, youth, families, and adults in your church and community know about camping opportunities! Your support and encouragement helps ensure that your camps and retreat centers can continue to be places where God meets with people. An experience at one of your Dakotas and Minnesota United Methodist Camps has changed the lives of generations of our Conferences’ leadership. Thank you!
“Camp Gives Kids a World of Good!” American Camp Association
Keith Shew, Area Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries
It’s been an exciting and busy year, and it’s been a joy to work alongside so many Minnesota United Methodists in telling your stories, equipping you with resources and information, consulting with you about communications, and answering your questions. Sincere thanks to our communications specialist, Karla Hovde, an exceptional colleague in ministry who plays a key role in resourcing clergy and churches. Together, we seek to tell the story of who we are as the Minnesota Annual Conference, where we are headed, and the values that guide us.
In looking back over the past year, something I’m particularly excited about is the 2023 launch of our Communications Hub, which sits on the conference’s MNsource platform. The hub is a robust online, on-demand resource center where church leaders can access seasonal, customizable graphics; resources for working with the media; copyright and live streaming tips; website and social media best practices; and more. There are eight categories of resources to assist you in effectively communicating within your congregation and community—and I plan to add two additional categories in mid-2024: effective e-newsletters and how churches can use AI/ChatGPT to further ministry and save time. Please let me know if there are additional resources that you’d like to see added. Thanks to Karla and Technology and Ministry Specialist Cullen Tanner, each of whom created a category of resources for this major project.
The hub was created in response to a communications survey I sent in late 2022 to all active clergy, and was my applied project for the Practical Church Leadership (PCL) Certificate Program through Dakota Wesleyan University, which I completed in July 2023. I have continued my studies and will graduate in May 2024 with my Master of Business Administration, with an emphasis in Nonprofit Administration. It has been a wonderful journey, and I’ve learned so much that I’ve been able to apply in my position—from strong financial management to creating high-performing teams to how to use data to help make key business decisions.
Since September 2023, I’ve enjoyed being a member of the Bishop’s Leadership Team and helping to share the work of that group—particularly regarding the move to four districts and the organizational redesign that’s underway.
The Dakotas and Minnesota communications teams collaborated on a “Dynamite Prayer Initiative” from Jan. 14-Feb. 10. Dakotas and Minnesota United Methodists were invited to read the book of the same name by Rev. Dr. Rosario “Roz” Picardo and Rev. Sue Nilson Kibbey and to discuss it in small groups while praying for God to break in new ways. We created prayer graphics, videos, and other resources that we emailed to churches and shared on our conference social media pages. Hundreds of people participated in this initiative.
On a similar note, in April 2024, we began a “100 Days of Prayer” initiative across the area. Every morning, we post a brief breakthrough prayer graphic or video on our conference Facebook and Instagram pages. The hope is that these prayers will act as an anchor for United Methodists are who walking through this General, Annual, and Jurisdictional Conference season with mixed emotions. On a weekly basis, we distribute an email containing the graphics and videos for the coming week, along with a call to action—something you can do to recognize God’s blessings or share God’s love with people in your own life and context.
We continue to use two primary e-newsletters to help people throughout the conference stay connected and informed: MN Bulletin Board (which comes out every Tuesday and includes upcoming events and opportunities) and MN Connect (which comes out every Thursday and includes news, feature stories, ideas, and inspiration). Social media also continues to be a significant vehicle to disseminate information throughout our conference and stay connected to the churches and United Methodists we serve. We share articles and blog posts, events, opportunities, inspirational messages, and more.
In October 2023, Karla and I were humbled and pleased to have received seven awards from the United Methodist Association of Communicators (UMAC), which recognizes the achievements of communicators within annual conferences, general agencies, and local churches and selects winners from hundreds of submissions. We received the following awards in the annual conference/local church division:
My favorite parts of my role have always been consulting with congregations around communications and telling stories of churches that are reaching and discipling people in new and innovative ways. I have personally told dozens of stories over the past year, and I’m ever grateful for those of you who shared them with me and entrusted me to share them with others. It’s an honor and a privilege to work alongside congregations and church leaders, and I can’t tell you how much I value your trust and partnership. I’m always available as a resource, and I’m always eager to hear about the ways in which your church is growing in love of God and neighbor, reaching new people, and healing a broken world. Don’t hesitate to contact me anytime to ask questions or offer feedback or suggestions.
Christa Meland, Conference Director of Communications
Programming: SPRC trainings, manages Ending Well, Clergy Boundary and Ethics training, helped with On-Boarding sessions and Starting Strong. I am the coordinator for Rule of Christ trainings and Conversations at the Crossroads process. Coordinated online trainings and added content to MNSource. Major responsibility for the conference Fresh Expressions initiative.
Coaching and Consulting: Worked with congregations and pastors in each district to provide resources, coaching and consulting processes to deal with conflict, strategic planning and other ways to increase vitality.
Worked collaboratively with DSes and other staff in Connectional Ministries such as Director of Leadership Development, Director of Clergy Well-Being, the Director of New Church Development and the Director of Racial Justice and Equity. Filled in gaps for staff who were out on medical leaves.
Rev. Susan Nienaber, Director of Congregational Vitality
The finance and administration area of the Annual Conference provides accounting, budgeting and reporting, investment management, personnel and benefits administration, oversight for historical records of churches and the conference, stewardship of resources for the conference, property and risk management, and the means by which funds are transmitted from churches in Minnesota to mission and ministry sites around the world.
Shared Ministry:
As a connectional church, apportionments are the foundation of our shared ministry. Overall, in 2023, congregations within the state collectively remitted 83.3% with disaffiliations and 80.4% without disaffiliations of the requested apportionments. This is 4.8% better than 2022 with disaffiliations and flat without. We received $4.8 million in apportioned revenue on a total apportioned amount of $5.8 million. We are especially grateful to those churches who consistently and faithfully pay their full apportioned amounts and to those who have increased their giving of apportioned funds.
We remitted to the General Conference the apportionments collected or 59.2%. CFA did not use reserves to pay General Conference apportionments in 2023.
Non-apportioned giving and Love Offering
Minnesota United Methodists have a strong history of generosity and last year gave $558,682 above and beyond apportionments to various ministries and causes. This mission giving included the conference's Reach • Renew • Rejoice congregational development initiative, General Conference Advance Specials, Minnesota Conference Advance Specials, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Special Sundays, and the Minnesota Conference Racial Justice and Love Offering.
Donations to the 2023 Love Offering, an offering that Minnesota churches take annually to support missions, totaled $80,143. Sixty percent funded a new grant to support churches that have partnerships with mental health services offered in local schools or communities, thirty percent went to three Minnesota nonprofits engaged in mental health education and advocacy and ten percent went to Volunteers in Mission scholarships that support first-time mission trip participants. Thank you for your generosity!
Barb Brower, Director of Finance and Administration
Leadership Development continues to be a key aspect of our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Our vision is one of flourishing clergy and congregational leadership energized for mission and excelling in our gospel imperatives; Growing in Love of God and Neighbor (the Great Commandment, Matthew 22:37-40), Reaching New People (the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20), and Healing a Broken World (the Great Proclamation, Luke 4:16-21).
Leadership Development specifically exists to equip leaders in our Jesus movement of hope by creating, curating, and aligning systems & resources for a learning culture. This culture is Rooted in Jesus, Grounded in Wesleyan Theology, Inclusive of All Persons, and Engaged in the Work of Justice and Reconciliation.
The Numbers for the Year:
In mission together,
Jody Thone, Director of Leadership Development
Our mission: to embed the value of clergy well-being in order to strengthen clergy resiliency and become more effective pastoral and ministry leaders. Collaborative strategic efforts across both Minnesota and the Dakotas annual conferences guide the mission by equipping and resourcing clergy and thus, churches and ministries, through training, education, and resources as follows:
Diane Owen, Dakotas-Minnesota Area Director of Clergy Well-being
This is my final report as the Director of Connectional Ministries. I will be retiring at the end of June, and the Rev. Carol Zaagsma will be stepping into this role on July 1st. It has been a privilege to be able to serve God and the church through this ministry and I am grateful for the bishops, superintendents, directors and staff who I have had the joy of partnering with in this ministry. There have been challenges to be faced including navigating much change and in transition in recent years, but there has also been incredible ministry that has occurred and a strong team to support one another and do the work together.
In the past year:
And finally, I welcome and pass on this work and role to the Rev. Carol Zaagsma who will begin on July 1 at the new Assistant to the Bishop for Connectional Ministries. She is uniquely called and gifted for this next season of ministry for the Minnesota Annual Conference, and I trust God will be working in and through her and you to continue to live into our vision of a United Methodism that is rooted in Jesus, grounded in Wesleyan theology, inclusive of all and engaged in the work of justice and reconciliation.
Rev. Cindy Gregorson, Director of Connectional Ministries and Clergy Assistant to the Bishop
The functions of the MN Committee on Episcopacy are to support the bishop of the area in the spiritual and temporal affairs of the Church, with special reference to the area where the bishop has presidential responsibility, to be available to the bishop for counsel, to assist in the determination of the episcopal needs of the area, and to make recommendations to appropriate bodies and to keep the bishop advised concerning conditions within the area as they affect relationships between the bishop and the people of the conference agencies. See Book of Discipline ¶637 for a full description of the committee’s responsibilities. We pray that God will work through us as we engage in these tasks together.
Bishop Lanette’s heart for showing up is evidenced from start to finish in 2023. She prioritized meeting people at district gatherings during her first few months in Minnesota, sharing a sense of who she is while listening intently to what Minnesota United Methodists shared about their passions and concerns. She ended the year leading the area-wide virtual 2023 Advent Study based on the book In Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation by Will Willimon for over 200 people across the Dakotas and Minnesota. These area-wide initiatives have continued with the Dynamite Prayer Initiative during Epiphany with a study of Rosario Picardo and Sue Nilson Kibbey’s book, followed by this year’s Lenten Study on Multiplying Love by Paul W. Chilcote. Throughout the year, she initiated a joint weekly Wednesday Bible Study with Dakotas-Minnesota cabinet members, traveled with other newly elected bishops to Cambodia & Philippines with the General Board of Global Ministries, participated in spring & fall gatherings with clergy, and attended many worship services either in person or virtually with congregations in Minnesota and the Dakotas. She flew 39,000 miles in her first year as a bishop; and that doesn’t include miles in the car traveling around Minnesota and to Eastern North & South Dakota.
Since her arrival, Bishop Lanette has been leading in strategic ways to move the Minnesota Annual Conference forward while simultaneously navigating through the remaining season of disaffiliations under ¶2553. The process for disaffiliations under ¶2553 expired December 31, 2023, resulting in 23 congregations, or 7.5% from Minnesota disaffiliating. The Minnesota Annual Conference emerged from this season with 313 faith communities, along with some new ministries emerging.
Bishop Lanette’s collaborative leadership style is coming to life through the work of the Bishop’s Leadership Team (BLT), comprised of thirteen diverse individuals from across the conference. Referencing the recommendations from the 2022-2023 Transitional Table, the 2023-2024 BLT has engaged in organizational redesign, as well as recommending how to draw the lines for moving from five districts to four. The organizational redesign calls for the creation of a Wisdom Council that will center historically underrepresented or marginalized voices in leadership, while strategists will provide focus for next generation, urban/suburban, rural/town & country, and missional engagement ministries.
Another priority has been a Landscape Assessment intended to help understand where we are right now, and how well we are aligning with our mission, vision and values. This Landscape Assessment is also referred to as the 4 P’s – with audits to understand where we are with Personnel (roles and staffing), Pockets (finances), Programs (vital congregations and laity/clergy development), and Policies (are procedures up to date and do practices align with our mission, vision and values). The first two were initiated this year, with a staffing review of job descriptions and salary band analysis, as well as the zero-based budgeting process for the 2025 budget; while programs and policies will be reviewed in the coming year. In addition, the racial justice audit is providing a foundation from which our equity initiatives can grow.
The North Central Jurisdictional Conference will meet July 10-13, 2024, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. One of the primary responsibilities of the North Central Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy Committee is to assign bishops to episcopal areas. This committee has taken steps to survey various conference staff and elected leaders to gather feedback that will aid in this assignment process. With a number of strategic initiatives newly underway, our hope is that Bishop Lanette will be reassigned here for the 2024-2028 quadrennium. As co-chairs of the Minnesota GC/JC Delegation, Dave Nuckols and Rev. Carol Zaagsma serve on this committee, representing our conference.
Janet Beard has served well as our Administrative Assistant to the Bishop, with a tremendous gift of hospitality and professionalism across the episcopal area. We give thanks for Janet’s support and cheerfulness and wish her well as she begins a new role outside the Minnesota Annual Conference effective May 31, 2024.
We also thank Rev. Cindy Gregorson for her service as Clergy Assistant to the Bishop since July 2021. As she retires June 30, 2024, we offer our gratitude for her spirit of genuine care for the very best for our conference, as well as the strategic leadership she demonstrated throughout her tenure in conference level leadership.
Our MN Committee on Episcopacy has been pleased to support the episcopal leadership of our annual conference this year. We said farewell to Walker Brault and Lee Rainey this year; while thanking those who are new or continuing: Marilyn Erdman, Bobbi Nichols, Dave Nuckols, Rev. Dawn Houser, Rev. Mark Miller, Rev. Mariah Tollgaard, Rev. Yolanda Williams, Rev. Carol Zaagsma; and looking forward to our incoming members.
Rev. Carol Zaagsma, chair
Since the 2017 Annual Conference session, only the Executive Secretary of Equitable Compensation position has been nominated and elected.
Grants for equitable compensation are paid from the Strategic Leadership Fund according to the 2023 Policy and Procedure Manual section 300.03c following the procedures established further in 300.03c(1-10).
The Covenant Committee of the Board of Ordained Ministry is to fulfill the recommendation for minimum compensation of the former Equitable Compensation Action Team (not elected since the 2015 Annual Conference). The minimum compensation schedule is found in the 2023 Policy and Procedure Manual section 300.03a(2). The minimum base is set at 62% of the Conference Average Compensation with service increments of $700 per year for 8 steps.
Accordingly, in 2025 the minimum base will be $47,190. The eighth step will be $52,700.
Following the next session of General Conference to be held April 23 to May 3, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina, changes may be required in the way our Annual Conference has been doing things for years. Proposed legislation removes the permissive language that the Commission on Equitable Compensation’s responsibilities can be given to other agencies in the Annual Conference. Our Annual Conference may need to act to be compliant with The Book of Discipline if the legislation is approved.
As Executive Secretary I seek to pay attention to issues that are important to raise before the Annual Conference for information and possible action.
As a result of the federal tax legislation passed in December 2017 and Minnesota’s subsequent action to bring Minnesota into compliance with federal law, the expenses paid on behalf of pastors by our Annual Conference were considered regular income and were fully taxable—subject to federal and state taxes as well as SECA taxes (since pastors are considered self-employed for SECA taxes at 15.3%). The total tax liability could easily be 40% of the cost of the move. In 2018 our Annual Conference took action that a grant could be requested for up to $500 to help offset the additional tax liability for all pastors.
In response to changes in federal and state legislation, the 2022 Annual Conference approved making the grants available upon request to the Executive Secretary of Equitable Compensation based on the cost of the move rather than asking for proof of increased tax liability. It is the responsibility of the pastor to make a request for the grant. The funds will come from the moving expense budget line.
The grant for those who request a grant is given on the following schedule:
It should be noted that I have received no requests for this grant for 2023 moves by March 1, 2024.
Another result of the 2017 federal tax legislation is that there is no itemized deduction for unreimbursed business expenses making it necessary to use an accountable reimbursement plan. Note the special notes below about the tax consequences of not using an accountable reimbursement plan.
Clergy taxes are more complicated due to the fact that in parts of the Internal Revenue Code clergy are considered employees and in other parts self-employed. Because of this I recommend that all clergy view the webinar on clergy taxes offered each year by the Board of Discipleship. The video archive for the most recent one held February 5, 2024, can be found at www.discipleship.org/calendar/event/clergy-stay-on-top-of-your-taxes-2024 with handouts and a question and answer document also available there. I highly recommend that United Methodist clergy pay more attention to the information offered through the United Methodist Church than other sources since United Methodists have some areas of distinctiveness compared to other denominations in tax issues.
Information concerning the Minnesota Annual Conference’s compensation compared to the Denominational Average Compensation is something I look at and share with the Conference. Remember that both figures are based on compensation actually paid two years previously. The 2025 Denominational Average is calculated on actual compensation plus a housing addition for pastors across the US Annual Conferences paid in 2023. 25% of cash salary paid is added for those in a parsonage or the actual housing allowance paid for those not in parsonages is added. (Minnesota’s minimum housing allowance by 2022 Annual Conference action is $20,000.) The 2023 figures are the most current to use for the calculation made in mid-2023 for 2025.
In 2021 Minnesota ranked 38th of 54 Annual Conferences. In 2022 Minnesota ranked 37th of 54 Annual Conferences. Minnesota ranked significantly lower than Iowa and Wisconsin and was comparable to the Dakotas in 2021 and 2022. In 2023 Minnesota ranked 35th of 53 Annual Conferences at $71,849. In 2023 the Dakotas ranked 30th at $73,163; Iowa ranked 31st at $73,100; and Wisconsin 34th at $71,888. In 2024 Minnesota ranked 33rd of 54 Annual Conferences at $74,498. In 2024 the Dakotas ranked 10th at $84,767; Iowa 27th at $76,636; and Wisconsin 40th at $72,733. In 2025 Minnesota ranks 34th of 54 Annual Conferences at $76,133. In 2025 the Dakotas ranks 21st at $81,594, Iowa 28th at $78,520, and Wisconsin 38th at $75,562.
Another way to consider compensation is to compare it to the Denominational Average Compensation. From 1982 through 1994, Minnesota’s CAC was higher than the DAC. Since 1995 Minnesota was higher than the DAC only in 2001 and 2003. Since 2004 in most years Minnesota lost ground compared to the DAC. The difference of $4184 in 2025 means the DAC is 5.2% higher than Minnesota’s CAC. (I have a chart showing this history since 1982 which I will provide to anyone who requests it.)
Pastoral responsibilities for costs of health insurance and pensions as well as items either paid directly by the church (such as parsonage utilities) or by reimbursement plans (such as continuing education, travel, professional expenses, and annual conference attendance expenses) may have a significant impact on true compensation. I continue to gather information from neighboring conferences about how these are handled.
With the delay of General Conference and the number of disaffiliations in neighboring Annual Conferences, there may be changes made to these policies. I continue to wait for the dust to settle before sharing further information within this Annual Report.
Work that still needs to be done:
Completing the study of how salaries and benefits issues of neighboring conferences compare to the Minnesota Annual Conference as noted above.
Follow-up on any issues arising from General Conference.
SPECIAL NOTES TO CONGREGATIONS AND PASTORS:
The Internal Revenue Service mileage rate for 2024 is 67 cents (up from 65 cents in 2023).
Mileage reimbursement at the IRS rate has no tax impact as income. Congregations may pay above this rate, but any reimbursement above the IRS rate must be declared as income (although actual expenses may offset the additional income). Congregations do not have the option of reimbursing at a lower rate according to our Annual Conference policy.
Some congregations continue to provide reimbursements for continuing education and mileage as an allowance (a budget figure divided by twelve) rather than on a vouchered basis for actual expenses. To do so is contrary to conference policies AND IRS requirements. Paying an allowance rather than to reimburse according to vouchered receipts and adopted congregational policy for reimbursements can result in a significant tax liability to the pastor since then IRS considers allowances to be regular income that is subject to tax liabilities for federal and state income and SECA.
If you have questions about what has been reported above, please do not hesitate to contact me for further information.
Rev. Rod Stemme, Executive Secretary
First Year of the Fresh Expressions Initiative
In 2021, as the congregations and ministries of the annual conference were moving through Covid and beginning to see the early signs of how it was impacting our ministries, the appointive cabinet repeated a resourcing survey question on the clergy performance and development form and Susan Nienaber created a survey for the lay delegates of annual conference 2022. Coming out of the pandemic and the season of disaffiliations, the need to reach new people in new ways was a huge response from both clergy and laity. There was widespread recognition that the attractional model of doing church was no longer working for many of our congregations in this post-pandemic reality (i.e. attractional model is “if you build it, people will come or if you offer it, people will come”). In the spring and summer of 2022, Ben Ingebretson and Susan Nienaber started researching Fresh Expressions and spoke with several leaders in other annual conferences about their experience with Fresh Expressions.
December 15, 2022 Ben, Susan and Cindy Gregorson reached out to Rev. Michael Beck and started an exploratory conversation. We were intentional about choosing Michael because he is United Methodist and was beginning his work with one of our UM general boards. Cindy quickly invited Michael to be the conference speaker in 2023 as a way to launch a Fresh Expressions initiative.
We had 500 people register for our Imagine Day in Minnesota and the Dakotas which took place in September of 2023. We quickly learned from Michael that this was the largest launch of a Fresh Expressions movement ever in the history of Fresh Expressions in the U.K. or in the U.S. Imagine Day was followed by two Activate Days, the training of conference cultivators, monthly coaching sessions with Michael and the launch of an episcopal area Facebook group with hundreds of members joining that group. We look forward to Multiply Day at the end of June 2024.
Why Did Things Take Off So Fast in the MN/DAK Episcopal Area? This is just a hypothesis regarding the Minnesota Annual Conference: Like many annual conferences we went into crisis mode when the 2019 Special Called General Session happened and we stayed in crisis mode through the pandemic, the worldwide racial reconciliation movement and the season of disaffiliations. However, throughout we gave thanks to God that here in MN we were able to remain pretty stable with only 8% of our congregations choosing to disaffiliate. Between 2019 through 2022, while we did hold steady, we also knew that these years were taking a toll on our pastors and congregations and that the ground we had gained prior to 2019 would be lost in ways that were unknown to us at that time. There was some intuition that we were going to need something post-pandemic/post-disaffiliations to get us moving again. We knew that churches were going to need something to get them outside of their walls and beyond typical programming. It had to be something that was accessible to congregations of any type or size, that didn’t cost much and could be done in any location.
We believe that the timing happened to be perfect. As an annual conference we were ready and prepared to lean in and Michael Beck has been the perfect leader. God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was powerfully at work. I don’t think any of us could’ve predicted how big the response/movement/revival has been. We give thanks to God and to everyone who has participated in any way. Wayne Dyer once wrote that “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” This describes what this initiative in our area feels like. We tuned into God’s abundance at just the right time.
Rev. Fred Vanderwerf and Rev. Susan Nienaber
“…all Christians are called to minister wherever Christ would have them serve and witness in deeds and words that heal and free” 2016 United Methodist Book of Discipline (12b)
Marion Hansen, Chair
The role of the Mission Promotion Team is to be a resource for local churches who are seeking to know more about how to reach out and make a difference in the world, to help action teams coordinate their efforts as appropriate, and find and research mission opportunities for the Love Offering. During 2023-24, MPT provided grants to local churches seeking to create or grow their partnerships with local schools. We hosted a Mission Summit event, (April 2023) which provided information to about 40 participants (who were able to attend as we pivoted to an online meeting at the last minute) about how local churches can be involved in supporting people suffering from mental illness and we also learned about how the Minnesota court system is using innovative options for people in the system who suffer from mental illness.
Mission Promotion Team includes representatives from Church & Society, Haiti Partnership, Vietnam/Laos Partnership, UWF, Parish Nurses, CONAM, Volunteers-in-Mission (VIM) and Disaster Relief. Our goal is help those groups with any needs they have. For example, we offered ideas to the Church & Society team about how they can get the word out about their reading program.
MPT plans to continue our work with the 2023 Love Offering grants to local churches creating mental health programs; encouraging people to be involved in mission work of all kinds in all places. We’d welcome you to join our team.
Karen Thompson, Chair
Deaconesses and Home Missioners are laypeople who are called by God to be in a lifetime relationship in The United Methodist Church for engagement with a full-time vocation in ministries of love, justice, and service. Together we form a covenant community that is rooted in Scripture, informed by history, driven by mission, ecumenical in scope, and global in outreach.
The Deaconess and Home Missioner call to ministries of love, justice, and service is defined in Paragraph 1913.1 of the United Methodist Book of Discipline, which states:
Deaconesses and Home Missioners function through diverse forms of service directed toward the world to make Jesus Christ known in the fullness of his ministry and mission, which mandate that his followers:
Discernment Events for Deaconesses and Home Missioner Ministry
During a period of discernment, we listen for the call of God on our lives. The Deaconess/Home Missioner Discernment event is an opportunity to explore God's call to vocational ministry, hear and share call stories, and learn what it takes to be in relationship as a Deaconess or Home Missioner.
There will be an event in August 8, 2024 8PM ET. You can register here: https://tinyurl.com/DHMAugust2024. For more information and the latest dates for these events, please e-mail: [email protected].
Our Order continues to grow! As of May 1, 2024 across the United States, we have:
Deaconess Home Missioners: Active – 267, Retired – 119
Home Missionaries: Active – 4, Retired - 44
The Minnesota Conference has 9 active Deaconess/Home Missioners serving under appointment and 1 Deaconess in retired relationship. In 2024, we are celebrating the consecration and commissioning of Deaconess Shirley Durr. We serve in a variety of ministry settings including health/wellness, law, education, advocacy and social service. Our ministries vary but our call to love, justice and service binds us as a covenant community.
Sadly, our annual conference experienced the sudden & unexpected passing of Deaconess Pamela Johnson, from the North Star District, on March 20, 2024. Deaconess Johnson was consecrated and commissioned as a Deaconess in 2014. She served as a Life Skills Trainer at Oak Ridge Homes and devoted her life to helping those with special needs as a Camp Counselor and Special Olympics coach. She was a lay speaker to many UMC congregations in north-central Minnesota and was an active member of Aitkin UMC.
If you have questions or would like more information about DHM in the Minnesota Annual Conference, please contact one of our currently serving Deaconess Home Missioners:
Shirley Durr (Twin Cities District): [email protected]
Kim Harris (Big Waters District): [email protected]
Jak Henderson (Twin Cities District)
Leslie Hobson (North Star District): [email protected]
Louis Porter (Twin Cities District)
Cindy Saufferer (Southern Prairie): [email protected]
Nicole Weydt (River Valley District)
Carolyn Winslow (River Valley District): [email protected]
Amanda Zbacnik (Big Waters District): [email protected]
Deaconess Carolyn Winslow
Thank you to all the churches who completed their statistical reports this year! These reports form the basis of the data used in calculating apportionments. As of March 31, 46 reports had not yet been received.
The 2023 statistical year follows our statistical jubilee where statistical data was not collected. Additionally, churches worked with the new ACStats reporting system for the first time. Thank you all for your flexibility and adaptability as these were addressed.
2023 saw membership in the Minnesota Annual Conference fall below 50,000 for the first time since 1948 when the Minnesota and Northern Minnesota conferences were merged. As of March 31, the reported year 2023 year-end membership was 43,420. This is a decrease of 6,850 or 14% since 2021. At most, 29% of this change can be attributed to disaffiliations with disaffiliated churches totaling 1,963 in membership at year end 2021 though some of these members have opted to move their membership to another United Methodist congregation.
Average in person worship attendance ticked up 9% to 14,467 while online attendance dropped 28% to 11,590, both relative to 2021. Differences between online and in person worship attendance prevent a statistically sound comparison of overall worship attendance.
Walker Brault
The Minnesota Conference Board of Pension, Inc. (MCBPI or Board) is composed of fourteen lay and clergy persons, assisted by one consultant, Wespath Benefits and Investments liaison and three staff. The Board is responsible for certain benefits for eligible ministerial members who are currently serving or who have served the annual conference and other church workers and lay employees of the annual conference. Those responsibilities include: 1) pensions; 2) protection in case of death or disability; 3) health insurance; 4) medical and dependent care reimbursement; 5) incapacitation funding (pulpit supply); 6) maternity/paternity leave funding and 7) adoptive aid grants.
2023-24 CONFERENCE YEAR HIGHLIGHTS/DEVELOPMENTS/ISSUES:
The Wespath Valuation Report for 2025, as of 1/1/2023, indicates the Pre-82 plan for all conferences, on a minimum contribution basis, with a funded ratio of 125%. Minnesota’s minimum contribution basis funded ratio is reported at 113%. There are no conferences with a funded ratio of less than 100 percent. The Pre-82 plan encompasses all participating conferences; if a conference defaults on its liability, all plan assets are available, and all conferences are responsible for the liability.The Board reviews the Valuation reports, the financial climate and the funded status each year to determine when it is prudent to redirect funds from the Pre-82 assets.
The Pre-82 preliminary valuation report as of 1/1/2023 for 2025 reports a funded ratio of 11% on a funding plan basis for the Minnesota Conference. The Board has reserves available if there is an unfunded liability due for the Pre-82 service. Wespath’s glide path policy used with the Pre-82 plan indicates a reduction in equity allocation from 41% to 37% for the 2025 contribution. The equity allocation keeps the discount rate at 5.50% for the conference liability. Changes to the investment allocation protects the assets from large swings in the equity market and to improve sustainability of the conferences and the benefit program. The mortality assumption changes from the RP-14 (MP-16) to PRI12TQ Adj (MP20) decreased the liability.
The Retired over age 65 participants are enrolled in the BCBS Group Plan N medical supplement plan and the MedicareBlue Rx plan provides prescription drug coverage for all Medicare primary retirees. An additional plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield – an Advantage Plan – began on 1/1/2024. 15% of Plan N participants chose to move to the Advantage Plan. Premiums for Plan N did not change from 2023 to 2024. Retirees over 65 must have Medicare Part A and Part B to be enrolled in the plans.
At this time, the Board does not have a preliminary proposed rate for 2025 for Retired over age 65 with Medicare supplement or Advantage plans. The Board, also, has not yet determined the 2025 cost share for participants in the HealthFlex Exchange plan. To keep the MAC Health Plan financially sustainable, reserve levels will be monitored regularly, and careful consideration given for use of reserves to moderate increases to churches and participants.
INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PENSION PLAN AND COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION PLAN ACTIVITY:
TOTAL PAST SERVICE (PRE-1982) PROJECTED PENSION LIABILITY
|
Year |
Pension |
Total |
Funded Liability |
Unfunded |
Percent |
|
Jan. 1 |
Rate |
Liability |
(Projected Value of Assets) |
Liability |
Funded |
|
1982 |
$178 |
$24,869,910 |
$9,947,960 |
$14,921,947 |
40 |
|
1990 |
253 |
30,195,441 |
24,196,041 |
5,999,400 |
80.1 |
|
1996 |
357 |
38,914,290 |
38,914,290 |
-0- |
100 |
|
2000 |
422 |
46,113,717 |
54,136,563 |
-8,022,846 |
117.4 |
|
2005 |
542 |
45,316,293 |
56,439,371 |
-11,123,078 |
124.6 |
|
2010 |
626 |
47,446,365 |
72,574,041 |
-25,127,676 |
153 |
|
2015 |
692 |
40,626,922 |
47,372,636 |
-6,745,714 |
116.7 |
|
2018 |
734.5 |
38,377,727 |
38,781,115 |
-403,388 |
101.1 |
|
2019 |
749 |
36,171,535 |
37,634,880 |
-1,463,345 |
104 |
|
2020 |
764 |
34,168,148 |
36,931,721 |
-2,763,573 |
108.1 |
|
2021 |
780 |
33,080,574 |
34,453,304 |
-1,372,730 |
104.1 |
|
2022 |
796 |
33,637,554 |
32,905,100 |
732,454 |
97.8 |
|
2023 |
812 |
30,603,942 |
32,432,641 |
-1,828,699 |
106 |
|
2024 |
829 |
28,344,733 |
32,235,009 |
-3,890,276 |
114 |
SUMMARY OF PAYMENTS FROM BENEFIT FUNDS ON DEPOSIT
|
2023 |
2022 |
|
|
CRSP-DC Match |
$113,608 |
$124,856 |
|
Special Grants, Pulpit Supply |
60,573 |
102,469 |
|
Retiree Medical Subsidy |
535,130 |
535,412 |
|
Total |
$709,311 |
$762,737 |
SUMMARY OF DEFINED BENEFIT PENSIONS PAID FOR PRE-1982 SERVICE, MPP ANNUITY AND CRSP (Clergy Retirement Security Program)
|
2023 recipients |
2023 |
2022 |
|
437 Retired Clergy Participants |
$8,788,502 |
$8,464,376 |
|
147 Surviving Spouses and Others |
1,936,492 |
1,860,701 |
|
584 Total Persons Receiving Pension Benefits |
$10,724,994 |
$10,325,077 |
|
FUNDS PAID OUT |
2023 |
2022 |
|
Disability Benefits to Pastors |
$239,147 |
$307,892 |
|
CPP Benefits to Children & Spouses |
58,243 |
57,652 |
|
Total |
$297,390 |
$365,544 |
INFORMATION RELATING TO MEDICAL INSURANCE
ANNUAL COSTS AS OF JANUARY 1, 2024 (Church shares after subsidy from reserves)
|
HealthFlex Exchange |
Local Church share |
Pastor’s share |
|||||||
|
ACTIVE PASTORS |
With ACH* |
W/O ACH* |
|||||||
|
Individual |
$11,892.00 |
$12,012.00 |
Depends on choice |
||||||
|
Family or Participant +1 |
$20,268.00 |
$20,388.00 |
Depends on choice |
||||||
|
*ACH=Automatic Clearing House funds transfer/withdrawal from bank account RETIREE & DISABLED RATES BEFORE SUBSIDY AS OF JANUARY 1, 2024 |
|||||||||
|
ANNUAL PREMIUM |
Individual Pays |
Conference Pays |
|||||||
|
RETIRED PASTORS |
|||||||||
|
Retiree or Spouse 65+ & MEDICARE |
Medicare Supplement |
BCBS Advantage Plan |
** |
** |
|||||
|
Retiree under age 65 |
Depends on choice of HealthFlex plan |
** |
** |
||||||
|
Retired (clergy and spouse) |
See above by type |
** |
** |
||||||
|
DISABLED PASTORS |
Conference will subsidize 70% of default premium for 5 years followed by |
||||||||
** Subsidy Rules apply (See #4 below Retiree Premium Subsidy for specifics)
Rules for Retiree Subsidy (subsidy is per clergy and per spouse on MAC Plan)
|
Type of Retirement |
Retired before 1/1/1982 |
Retired between 12/31/1981 & 1/1/1991 |
Retired between 12/31/1990 & 1/1/2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Full or Mandatory |
Lesser of 100% of premium or $320 per month |
Lesser of 100% of premium or $160 per month |
Lesser of 100% of premium or $4 per month per year of service |
|
Early (62 years of age or 30 years of service) |
Lesser of 100% of premium or $320 per month |
Lesser of 100% of premium or $160 per month |
Lesser of 100% of premium or $4 per month per year of service |
|
20-year rule |
No Subsidy |
No Subsidy |
No Subsidy |
Note: Withdrawal under BOD paragraph 360 will terminate conference retiree subsidy.
For the complete detail of the legislation look in the 2003 Journal, action item 509 on pages 161–164 and 2007 Journal, action item 523 on pages 138-146.
Approved action item 206 in the 2023 Journal on page 121 adjusted the years of service used for clergy retiring after 1990 to include the year 2024. The Board will regularly review the years of service used for subsidy.
Note: Eligible clergy that do not complete the enrollment form or the waiver form within 30 days of eligibility will be automatically enrolled in the default C2000 HealthFlex plan and the church will be billed. Billing is issued monthly by the conference benefits office. Complete details regarding the coverage and operation of the program are on file with the Benefits Officer of the Minnesota Conference and with HealthFlex. As of January 2024, 175 pastors, lay employees, and retirees under age 65 are enrolled in HealthFlex Exchange plus their dependents. As of January 2024, 233 Medicare eligible retirees, spouses, surviving spouses, and LTD participants with Medicare are enrolled in the fully insured Medicare supplement plans offered by the Minnesota Annual Conference.
OTHER BENEFIT PROGRAMS
FLEXIBLE SPENDING PLAN: HealthFlex Exchange offers a Flexible Spending Plan for participants on the HealthFlex medical coverage. The benefit plan is established by HealthFlex under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. Participants elect an amount to withhold before tax, which may be used to pay medical, dental, or dependent care (daycare) expenses. Carryover of unused medical funds up to $640 in plan year 2024 are permitted into the next year.
MEDICAL/INCAPACITATION LEAVE COMPENSATION: See 2011 Journal, page 93 thru 95, for policies and funding of and by the Board relating to medical/incapacitation leave. The Board currently provides pulpit supply for up to 8 weeks when a clergy person, due to impaired health (illness, surgery or accident) is deemed temporarily unable to perform the essential duties of the appointment by the Cabinet.
MATERNITY AND PATERNITY LEAVE—PULPIT SUPPLY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: See 2005 Journal, page 125-126, for policies of funding by the Board relating to Maternity and Paternity Leave. The Board will provide pulpit supply financial assistance to the church when arranged with the church, the District Superintendent and the Benefits Officer. Compensation to the pastor, pension and medical coverage will be maintained by the church for no less than the first eight weeks of leave.
ADOPTIVE AID GRANTS: The Board provides an adoptive aid payment of $1,000 to active clergy participating in conference medical coverage for the adoption of a child other than a blood relative of either spouse or a legal lawful child from a previous marriage. Blood relatives are defined as nephews, nieces, grandchildren, or cousins. A request for payment must be made to the Board within 12 months from the date of adoption. The Board of Ordained Ministry & Cabinet should be reminded annually that this benefit is available to clergy.
MISCELLANEOUS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The 2025 Minnesota Conference Average Compensation (CAC) is $76,113. The 2025 Denominational Average Compensation (DAC) is $80,297. Compensation is defined as total cash salary plus housing plus any tax-deferred contributions made on the pastor’s behalf.
The 2025 Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP-DB, CRSP-DC) and Comprehensive Protection Plan (CPP) billing calculations are shown below.
MCBPI pays Wespath the ‘normal cost’, a set amount, calculating the actuarial value of the benefit to be earned for the year to fully fund participant’s benefits, for clergy enrolled (CRSP-DB) based on appointment increment. The ‘normal cost’ can be influenced by past investment earnings, DAC for year, and actual experience to actuarial assumptions. This amount is billed to the local churches.
MCBPI approved starting for 2024 using $550,000 of reserve funds to subsidize half of the CRSP-DB cost to the local church. The 2024 CRSP-DB cost per appointment increment is as follows:
CRSP – DB (defined benefit) = $2,700 fulltime appointment
$2,025 ¾ time appointment
$1,350 ½ time appointment
CRSP – DC (defined contribution) = 2% of Compensation (Salary + Housing)
CPP - ¾ and fulltime appointment = 1% of Compensation (Salary +Housing)
*Wespath legislation adopted by General Conference 2016 changed the Comprehensive Protection Plan eligibility to all ¾ time clergy appointed, effective January 1, 2017, with a billing rate of 3% of clergy compensation (salary + housing). (See “Conference Year Highlights” #3 above)
Clergy pension benefits effective January 1, 2014, with Modified CRSP based on:
Jim Nienaber, Benefits Officer/Executive Director of Minnesota Conference Board of Pension, Inc.
Kathleen Menne, Minnesota Conference Board of Pension, Inc. Chair
Barbara Brower, Director of Finance and Administration
Your partnership, prayers, and support are a cherished gift as BUSTH seeks to serve the church and the world! In a year like 2023, BUSTH’s commitments to equip transformational leaders for peace and justice are all the more necessary and significant. We are hopeful and vigilant in our continued partnership with you.
NEWS:
With faith and gratitude,
G. Sujin Pak, Dean
Since 1914, Candler School of Theology at Emory University has educated faithful and creative leaders for the church’s ministries throughout the world. An official seminary of The United Methodist Church, Candler holds true to the Wesleyan value of ecumenical openness, enthusiastically welcoming students from more than 40 denominations, with nearly half of Master of Divinity students coming from the Methodist family, including United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal, Wesleyan, Free Methodist, Church of the Nazarene, and others. Our student body reflects the diversity and breadth of the Christian faithful, with an enrollment of 419 from 12 countries and 38 states, and 44% persons of color. This diversity is a blessing, enriching our life together and providing a “learning laboratory” for ministry in the 21st century—ministry that cultivates community across difference, welcomes all to contribute and belong, and embodies Christ’s love in and among us.
Candler offers six degrees (Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Religion and Public Life, Master of Religious Leadership, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry) and ten dual degrees, most of which are available in hybrid or online formats. Response to our new hybrid-format Master of Divinity, which launched in Fall 2023, has been strong: 65% of 2023’s MDiv entering class chose the hybrid model, blending online classes and in-person intensives. Plus, around 20% of MDiv students participate in Candler’s Teaching Parish program to earn contextual education credit as they serve as student pastors in local churches. Our proven DMin program—with a near 90% completion rate—is 90% online as well. These flexible options plus Candler’s recognized academic excellence and hands-on learning opportunities are opening possibilities for even more people to follow God’s call to ministry.
Reducing student debt through generous financial aid is a top priority for Candler. In 2023-2024, we are on track to award $6.3 million in scholarship support, with 100% of MDiv students receiving aid. All MDiv students who are certified candidates for ordained ministry in the UMC receive full-tuition scholarships, and all MDiv, MTS, MRL, and ThM students receive a scholarship covering at least 50% of tuition. MDiv students also receive financial coaching and complete a financial literacy program to strengthen their budgeting skills and reduce debt. That knowledge will serve them—and the ministries they serve—well into the future.
Candler is growing in exciting directions as it creates avenues to bring high-quality theological education to a wider audience. It is a hub of Christian learning with multiple entry points. Those who aren’t seeking an advanced degree can engage in learning through The Candler Foundry, our innovative program to make theological education accessible to the public through short courses, events, and related activities; the United Methodist Course of Study to educate licensed local pastors; the new Candler Center for Christian Leadership to refine business-related skills of United Methodist leaders; and La Mesa Academy, offering diplomas in pastoral leadership via a two-year hybrid program with courses in Spanish, English, and Korean.
One of the biggest news items of the year for Candler is the announcement that after nearly 18 years, Dean Jan Love will step down from Candler’s deanship in the summer of 2024. Through Dean Love’s transformational leadership, Candler has expanded to offer three new degrees, five new dual degrees, and more online and hybrid options, including the highly successful hybrid MDiv and DMin degrees. She has increased the diversity of Candler’s faculty and student body, continued the school’s tradition of world-class scholarship in hiring 75% of the current full-time faculty, and grown the number of endowed professorships. Her efforts have enhanced Candler’s ability to fulfill its mission in a rapidly changing environment, and she leaves the school in a strong position. The next dean of Candler is expected to be named by early summer.
Candler depends upon your prayers, partnership, and support. Thank you for the countless ways you advance this essential ministry in the life of our denomination. We invite you to visit us online at candler.emory.edu.
—Office of Communications
Candler School of Theology, Emory University
Duke Divinity School can attest to the work of God’s Spirit to usher us into a season of hope and continued faithfulness to the mission and calling to serve the church, academy, and the world. In 2023, the Duke University president and provost appointed Dean Edgardo Colón-Emeric for a full five-year term.
In the next three years, we will celebrate a number of centennial milestones: Duke University and The Duke Endowment (2024), the 17th centennial of the Council of Nicaea (2025), and Duke Divinity School (2026). As a foretaste of those occasions to reflect and celebrate, we have had two important milestone celebrations in 2023. The Office of Black Church Studies (OBCS) commemorated its 50th anniversary. The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale (D’79) received Duke University’s Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions in ministry and service. The Hispanic House of Studies (HHS) celebrated its quinceañera (15th anniversary). HHS was created by the Divinity School, with support from The Duke Endowment, to support the formation of ministers to Hispanic/Latinx congregations and communities in the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Annual Conferences and beyond. These efforts extend throughout our academic and ministerial programs. For instance, we now offer the “Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism” course in Spanish on Divinity+.
This fall, we welcomed 215 entering students from 35 different states and 16 other countries. The Master of Divinity program gained 104 new students, with 54 residential students and 50 in the hybrid program. The Master of Arts in Christian Practice enrolled 13 new students; the Doctor of Ministry, 22; Master of Theology, 11; Master of Theological Studies, 29; the Doctor of Theology welcomed five new students to campus, and five special students enrolled. The Certificate in Theology and Health Care welcomed 11 residential students to campus and 15 in the hybrid program. Across all degree programs at the Divinity School, 31 percent of the incoming class identified as a race or ethnicity other than white.
Duke Divinity School continues to invest in pathways to support Methodist leadership and pastoral formation. Divinity+ launched the Church Administration series focused on developing practical skills for church leaders. More than 1,000 learners have enrolled in the first two courses, “Theology and Time Management” and “Strategic Management.” We inaugurated the Certificate in Chaplaincy, designed to prepare students to provide spiritual care in a variety of settings such as hospitals, hospice, prisons, higher education, and the military. The certificate can be earned as part of the residential M.Div., Th.M., and M.T.S. degree programs.
The school has also welcomed new leaders who bring their gifts to the work of advancing the mission to serve Christ and the church. The Office of Black Church Studies is led by the Rev. Dr. Eric Lewis Williams (D’05), assistant professor of theology and Black Church Studies; and the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies has named the Very Rev. Timothy Kimbrough (D’83), Jack and Barbara Bovender Professor of the Practice of Anglican Studies. Key members who have joined our staff team include Anita Lumpkin, executive director of enrollment management; and the Rev. Sarah Belles, a Duke Divinity alumna and ordained elder in full connection with the Western North Carolina Annual Conference, as the director of student life.
With gratitude to funding from the Lilly Endowment, the Divinity School has launched the Transformative Preaching Lab to prepare creative, culturally competent preachers who can reach audiences in effective and engaging ways. It will expand preaching training for students in the hybrid M.Div. program with new courses and preaching laboratories and new capacities to explore and engage digital tools for community worship and preaching. The Transformative Preaching Lab also provides new opportunities for formation in trauma-informed preaching and preaching in immigrant communities.
The Theology, Medicine, and Culture initiative has launched the Mental Health Track for Christian mental health practitioners as part of its Certificate in Theology and Health Care. This hybrid certificate program offers spiritual and theological formation for mental health clinicians in a range of disciplines. The research and programming from Duke Divinity initiatives, including Theology, Medicine, and Culture; Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts; Leadership Education at Duke Divinity; and Thriving Rural Communities, continue to provide numerous opportunities to bear witness to God’s creativity, compassion, and care for communities and congregations.
Duke Divinity School continues to be grateful for our ongoing participation in The United Methodist Church and partnership with this annual conference.
Respectfully submitted by Edgardo Colón-Emeric
Dean of Duke Divinity School
La Escuela de Divinidad de Duke puede dar fe de la obra del Espíritu de Dios para llevarnos a una etapa de esperanza y continua fidelidad a la misión y el llamado de servir a la iglesia, la academia, y al mundo. En el 2023, el presidente y rector de la Universidad de Duke asignó al Decano Edgardo Colón-Emeric por un término completo de cinco años.
En los siguientes tres años, celebraremos varios hitos de centenario: el de la Universidad de Duke y el de La Dotación Duke (2024), el centenario número 17 del Concilio de Nicea (2025), y el de la Escuela de Divinidad de Duke (2026). Como muestra de esas ocasiones para reflexionar y celebrar, hemos tenido la celebración de dos hitos importantes en el 2023. La Oficina de Estudios de la Iglesia Negra (OEIN) conmemoró su aniversario número 50. La Rev. Dra. Cynthia Hale (D’79) recibió el Premio al Alumno Egresado Distinguido de la Universidad de Duke en reconocimiento a sus importantes contribuciones en el ministerio y el servicio.
La Casa Hispana de Estudios (LCHE) celebró su quinceañera. LCHE fue creada por la Escuela de Divinidad, con el apoyo de La Dotación Duke, para apoyar la formación de ministros para congregaciones y comunidades Hispano/Latinas las Conferencias Anuales de Carolina del Norte y del Oeste de Carolina del Norte y más allá. Ahora ofrecemos el curso “Redescubriendo el Corazón del Metodismo” en Español en la plataforma Divinity+.
Este otoño, le dimos la bienvenida a 215 estudiantes de nuevo ingreso de 35 estados diferentes y 16 países distintos. El programa de Maestría en Divinidad agregó 104 nuevos estudiantes, 54 de los cuales son estudiantes residenciales y 50 estudiantes del programa híbrido. El programa de Maestría de las Artes en la Práctica Cristiana inscribió 13 nuevos estudiantes; el de Doctorado en Ministerio, 22; el de Maestría en Teología, 11; el de Maestría de Estudios Teológicos, 29; el de Doctorado en Teología a cinco nuevos estudiantes al campus, e inscribió a 5 estudiantes especiales. El programa de Certificado en Teología y Cuidado de la Salud a 11 estudiantes residenciales al campus y a 15 en el programa híbrido.
La plataforma Divinity+ lanzó la serie de Administración de la Iglesia la cual se enfoca en desarrollar las habilidades prácticas para líderes de iglesia. Más de 1,000 estudiantes se han inscrito en los primeros dos cursos, “La Teología y el Manejo del Tiempo” y “Administración Estratégica”. Inauguramos el Certificado en Capellanía, diseñado para preparar estudiantes para proveer cuidado espiritual en una variedad de ámbitos tales como hospitales, hospicios, prisiones, instituciones de educación superior, y el servicio militar. El certificado se puede obtener como parte del programa de residencial.
La Oficina de Estudios de la Iglesia Negra es dirigida por el Rev. Dr. Eric Lewis Williams (D’05), profesor asistente de teología y Estudios de la Iglesia Negra; y la Casa de Estudios Anglicana Episcopal ha nombrado al Muy Rev. Timothy Kimbrough (D’83), Profesor Jack and Barbara Bovender de la Práctica de Estudios Anglicanos. Miembros clave que se han unido a nuestro personal incluyen a Anita Lumpkin, director ejecutivo de administración de inscripciones; y la Rev. Sarah Belles, alumna egresada de la Escuela de Divinidad y presbítero ordenado en plena conexión con la Conferencia Anual del Oeste de Carolina del Norte, como director de vida estudiantil.
Con gratitud por los fondos recibidos de La Dotación Lilly, la Escuela de Divinidad, ha lanzado el Laboratorio de Predicación Transformadora. Expandirá el entrenamiento de predicación para estudiantes del programa de Maestría en Divinidad en su híbrida con nuevos cursos y laboratorios de predicación. El Laboratorio de Predicación Transformadora también proveé nuevas oportunidades para la formación en la predicación consciente de situaciones y experiencias traumáticas y la predicación en comunidades inmigrantes.
La Iniciativa de Teología, Medicina, y Cultura ha lanzado el Enfoque de Estudio en Salud Mental para practicantes Cristianos de la salud mental como parte de su Certificado en Teología y Cuidado de la Salud. La investigación y los programas por parte de otras iniciativas la Escuela de Divinidad de Duke, incluyendo Teología, Medicina, y Cultura; Iniciativas de Duke en la Teología y en las Artes; Educación del Liderazgo en la Escuela de Divinidad de Duke; y Comunidades Rurales Florecientes, continúan proveyendo numerosas oportunidades para testificar de la creatividad, compasión, y cuidado de Dios por las comunidades y congregaciones.
Enviado respetuosamente por Edgardo Colón-Emeric
Decano de la Escuela de Divinidad de Duke
Gammon Theological Seminary is the Interdenominational Theological Center's United Methodist constituent member in Atlanta, Georgia. The Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) is a Christian Africentric ecumenical consortium of seminaries and fellowships that educate students to commit to practicing justice and peace through a liberating and transforming spirituality to become leaders in the church and local/global communities. Gammon was founded in 1883, bearing the name of the Rev. Elijah H. Gammon, a generous clergyman, businessman, and philanthropist. Rev. Elijah H. Gammon invested and endowed the founding of Gammon Seminary in partnership with Bishop Henry Warren and the Freedman's Aid Society. Gammon has educated Black Clergy for almost 140 years, with graduates serving every level of the church, including Bishops, Superintendents, General church leaders, Conference staff, and Clergy in every jurisdiction. Gammon/ITC offers the following degree programs: the Master of Divinity, the Master of Arts in Religion and Education, and the Doctor of Ministry. The support given to The United Methodist Ministerial Education Fund by United Methodist Conferences continues to enable Gammon students to be grounded in the Wesleyan tradition of theological education.
Our 17th President/Dean, Rev. Dr. Candace M Lewis, and the Gammon staff team continue to lead innovatively in chartering a "Brand New Day" for Gammon's recruitment, retention, research and resources, fund development, and scholarship endowments in her first two years of service.
Our new initiatives and celebrations this year, 2023 – 2024, at Gammon, include:
The greatest challenge facing Gammon Seminary is the rising cost of theological education and the significant debt our students incur as they answer their call to full-time ministry. Therefore, Gammon is committed to raising a million dollars in the next two years to offer full-tuition scholarships to students called and committed to full-time ministry in the United Methodist Church. We are grateful to this Annual Conference for your support of theological education and your commitment to ensuring pastoral leadership is theologically trained to lead us forward in the Wesleyan tradition.
Respectfully submitted,
Rev. Dr. Candace M. Lewis, President-Dean
For 170 years Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary has been in service to the Church and the Wesleyan/Methodist connection through the formation of Christian leaders in ordained and lay ministries. As the result of a new strategic planning process that seeks to position the seminary more fully and purposefully in service to the global church, Garrett adopted a new mission and vision that will focus our work to this end: Forming courageous leaders in the way of Jesus to cultivate communities of justice, compassion, and hope…for the thriving of the Church and the healing of the world.
During this past academic year, Garrett also welcomed its largest entering class in over a decade, with 124 new students, and a current enrollment of 314 students representing 37 states and 21 nations from across the globe. We have experienced particular growth in students from the African continent and the Indian subcontinent, adding to an already richly diverse student body. While our denominational diversity also continues to grow, we also proudly welcomed growth in our United Methodist students who constitute more than 50% of our student body.
Of particular importance in the past year has been the partnership we have entered into with Phillips School of Theology of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME). Phillips students are now also fully Garrett students and together we are preparing the next generation of CME leaders in a robust pan-Methodist/Wesleyan context alongside UMC, AME, and AMEZ students. Phillips President, Dr. Paul Brown, is now also affiliated with our faculty, teaching CME History, Doctrine, and Polity, as well as spiritual formation and organizational leadership courses. It is our hope and intention to continue to grow this partnership and foster a truly pan-Methodist/Wesleyan ethos which includes our growing global Methodist partners in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Additionally, last year, all Garrett degree programs were made truly hybrid so that students can study with us and earn their degrees either on our Evanston campus or in virtual learning spaces around the globe. This has added an amazing breadth of experience and contexts to our classrooms, where we seek to address real-world challenges with gospel inspired solutions or responses.
Garrett’s world-class faculty continue developing curricular innovations that are responsive to the church’s growing needs, while also contributing a significant body of scholarly work to their respective fields. Our faculty are also at work developing The Garrett Collective, an online platform of theological learning and resources for churches and partner organizations inspired by our faculty’s research and/or strategic partnerships. Finally, at this critical juncture in the history of United Methodism, faculty leaders are providing essential guidance to UMC students, while also continuing to envision with hope the next expression of Methodism that is responsive to the Spirit’s call for such a time as this.
I am in my fourth month as acting/interim president of Hamline University, coming to lead Hamline as President Fayneese Miller is on sabbatical until her retirement in June 2024. I was drawn to Hamline by its mission “to create a diverse and collaborative community of learners dedicated to the development of students’ knowledge, values, and skills for successful lives of leadership, scholarship, and service.” This mission continues to reinforce the many ways in which we educate, care for, and serve our diverse body of students and members of the Hamline community. Hamline, like most other colleges and universities across the country, is facing a challenging time due to the pandemic-driven decline in enrollment, the public’s waning trust in higher education, and most recently the federal government’s overhaul of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA changes have dramatically slowed the process of colleges and universities receiving the information they need to determine students’ eligibility to receive financial aid, therefore delaying applications and deposits.
The Take the Lead Campaign, a comprehensive campaign with a goal of $110 million, concluded successfully in December 2023 raising more than $122 million. This will bolster Hamline as we manage a decline in graduate enrollment and a slow return to undergraduate enrollments nearer to pre-pandemic levels. Campus life is robust, student activities are in full swing, and faculty, staff, and students are engaged in all aspects of the campus. There have been changes on the University Leadership Team; we hired Assistant Vice President and Athletic Director Alex Focke, who started his new role in July 2023, and Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management Tom Crady, who started his new role in March 2024. We are in the midst of national searches for a Vice President for Finance and Administration, a Vice President for Enrollment Management, and for a Provost.
Chaplain Kelly Figueroa-Ray was commissioned as a Provisional Member at the May 2023 Minnesota Annual Conference, and intends to submit her paperwork for Ordination as a Full Member this year to the Board of Ordained Ministry to request consideration for ordination as an Elder in May 2025. Chaplain Figueroa-Ray is the University Chaplain in charge of religious and spiritual life at Hamline University. She is also the Director of the Wesley Center and oversees four full- and part- time staff and the advisor for six Wesley Center interns and two student workers. She also teaches and advises students as affiliate faculty in the Department of Social Justice and Social Change. In Fall 2023, she taught the First Year Seminar (FYSEM) course “Religion and Politics Do Mix.”
The Wesley Center continues to offer high-impact programming and this year has officially institutionalized Hamline’s Food Resource Center (FRC) into the department. Just this past fall there were 3,977 visits to the FRC and 40,196.94 pounds of food given away. Due to this departmental change, the Wesley Center now has a student-centered office space on the third floor of Anderson Center, a Food Resource Center centrally located in West Hall, and two spaces for prayer and spiritual activities (Wellspring in the Anderson Center and the Gathering Place in Sorin Hall). Nur Mood, formerly the assistant director of social justice programs, was promoted to associate director of the Wesley Center. Alexis Borgesen also completed her AmeriCorp Vista worker term in July 2023, and a new part-time coordinator of the FRC was hired in December 2023.
In terms of programming, in Summer 2023, there were three Hamline students who were SPROUT Garden interns at Hamline Church. A campus-wide Respectful Conversation on the topic of “Co-Creating Community at Hamline: What would it take for us all to feel like we are in this together?” was held in November 2023. The Minnesota Council of Churches reported that it was a success in increasing empathy among participants. Also, in the fall, the Wesley Center partnered with the experimental FYSEM Learning Communities to offer tours of the Hamline-Midway neighborhood to first-year students. During the hour-long walking tour, first-year students were able to visit local points of interest, talk with business owners, and walk the neighborhood around campus. In Religious and Spiritual Life, the Spirituality Scholars program merged with the Multi-Faith Alliance (MFA), to become an official student organization on campus. It is made up of the student scholars interested in interreligious relationship building on campus, including the four student leaders who run Jewish Student Life (JSL), Muslim Student Association (MSA), HU Mindfulness and Meditation (HUMM), and the newly formed Christian Campus Ministry (CCM). Scholars in MFA meet weekly, share a meal, read a common work, reflect in journal writing and dialogue, and collaborate on events. MFA Scholars also rotate attending the Hedgeman Center’s Multicultural Alliance meeting. CCM took five students to Christian-related conferences last year, continues to offer weekly Holy Communion, and CCM student leaders have organized three worship services on campus this spring. The Catalyst Spring Break trip this year was to Florida where 10 student and staff participants wrestled with the theme of environmental and climate justice through experiential learning. Hamline Votes is gearing up for this election year and Chaplain Kelly has assumed the responsibility to ensure that Hamline maintains compliance with new Federal and State laws regarding encouraging students to register to vote. The McVay Youth Partnership celebrated its 20th year in spring 2024 and is working through a transition as its director of 20 years, Jane Krentz, is retiring in June. A search for a new coordinator of the program is underway and the Associate Director of the Wesley Center will assume a supervisory role of that new staff person.
The theme of the annual Mahle Lecture Series for 2023-2024 is Interreligious Peacebuilding Through Study. Eleven Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars who are members of the Society of Scriptural Reasoning will be present April 14-17, 2024. On April 16, there will be a workshop on the practice of scriptural reasoning led by Dr. Peter Ochs and the other leaders, a form of interfaith dialogue through scripture reading, dinner, and a keynote address by Dr. David Ford titled “The Promise of Scriptural Reasoning.” This conference comes ahead of the transition of the Journal of Scriptural Reasoning from the University of Virginia to Hamline University over the next year. This spring, the Hamline University library began publishing The Mahle Journal to collect reflections and lectures from each year for future engagement.
A multi-faith Baccalaureate Service on the theme of “Caring Across Difference” will occur this spring. It is our hope that Bishop Lanette Plambeck will offer words of welcome from the Minnesota Annual Conference. The University Chaplain’s #HugHamline Campaign also began this year with a visit from members of Faith United Methodist Church in Farmington, MN. They brought over $800 to donate to the cause, which was spent on items that made students feel cared for by the United Methodist Church. The Chaplain will hold a #HugHamline breakfast at Annual Conference this year in Bloomington, MN.
Kathleen M. Murray Acting/Interim President
Educating tomorrow's leaders by offering on-campus, online, and hybrid learning courses at a FLEXible schedule, Saint Paul School of Theology is a seminary serving a diverse community committed to the formation of people for innovative, creative ministry through rigorous academic life. Grounded in the academic study of faith and ministry, theology is practiced in a traditional classroom and remote spaces. Our contextual curriculum features Ministry Collaboration Groups, Practicums, Spiritual Formation Retreats, and Seminars. Students learn from dedicated faculty, experienced pastors, and community leaders about best ministry practices, leaving our graduates with the tools and first-hand experience necessary to meet the needs of a changing world.
In 2024, we are launching two exciting new programs to revitalize current pastors and preachers and prepare seminary students for music ministry. First, with the help of Lilly Endowment's Compelling Preaching grant and the leadership of Dr. Casey Sigmon, Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship and Director of Contextual Education and Pause/Play Center for Preachers, Saint Paul School of Theology is creating a Center that addresses the risk of losing heart and prophetic imagination as a preacher in this divided world. The Pause/Play Center for Preachers' mission is in its name: to hold space for busy preachers to pause and play their way into a renewal of their vocation as preachers of the Good News. Second, for Fall 2024, as part of our Master of Arts in Christian Ministry (MACM) degree program, we will launch a first-of-its-kind specialization in Modern Worship Music. Saint Paul will partner with The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection and their COR Worship Collective to prepare students to write, produce, and perform modern worship music. Students will integrate a worship leaders' skills with their study of theology, the bible, history, and worship in a diverse, inclusive, and spiritually enriching environment. Lastly, we recently completed the (Theo)Logic Studio on our Oklahoma Campus. The Studio is for creating, recording, and editing digital media resources for the ministries of students, staff, faculty, and alums. The Studio is a place for content development, from podcasts and video resources to digital graphics.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, we brought 41 new, faithful theologians from across the world to our learning community. International students from South Korea, Belgium, and Mexico added to the global learning environment on both campuses and online. Twenty-seven percent of incoming students identified as a race or ethnicity other than white, and 53 percent identified as female.
Saint Paul staff and faculty continue contributing to the academy, church, and society. The faculty of Saint Paul School of Theology maintains high standards of scholarship, research, publication, and engagement. Over the past year, their many activities and publications have been so numerous that space permits only sharing selected highlights:
The 2023-2024 Fiscal Year brought a change in leadership to the Seminary. Rev. Neil Blair '80 retired as President on December 31, 2023, and President Jay Simmons, formerly Vice President of Institutional Advancement, took the helm at the start of 2024. In addition, Saint Paul Board of Trustees' Chair Dr. Amy Hogan stepped down as Board Chair, with Ms. Sharon Cleaver assuming the position until the end of June 2024. Our current strategic plan is set to conclude within the coming year. Consequently, the Board of Trustees formed a task force several months ago to prepare the next iteration of our strategic plan. Members of the Seminary's Executive Leadership Team are now working with faculty and staff to refine the draft scripted by the task force. These efforts will continue over the next few months until we have a document ready for review by the Board of Trustees. While we are still too early in this effort to comment on any specific initiatives, the plan ultimately endorsed by the Board will guide all our efforts for the next several years. Therefore, this effort is critical in defining how we ensure that Saint Paul remains a vital and vigorous Seminary committed to preparing our students for creative and innovative ministry.
For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Saint Paul Course of Study (COS) School educated 250 individual students, including 79 new students, with approximately 600 registrations and offering 46 classes. Serving 31 Conferences, 89 Districts, 116 Full Time and 126 Part-Time Licensed Local Pastors comprised these registrations. Seventy percent of these students are taking more than one course. To help offset student costs, twenty percent of all students received aid from their conference or church. COS School continues to attract a diverse student body. We helped 23 students finish the 20-course program this year, issuing them certificates of completion. With approval from GBHEM, the school has continued its course offerings in both asynchronous and synchronous online formats. Utilizing this online format, we reached students in 28 states. We continue to offer online registration completed by the student with the ability to access their student account through Populi as used by our Seminary students. COS also uses the same learning platform, Moodle, as our Seminary students. By implementing the Course of Study School into Populi, these students share the same benefits as the Seminary, allowing them to participate in the Saint Paul experience. They have full access to the Seminary library on campus and online, with several required readings accessible as an eBook. We have invited COS School students to join our Saint Paul School of Theology Weekly Chapel Services and Spiritual Formation gatherings and other Saint Paul events.
Saint Paul is a financially healthy Seminary. We operate with a balanced budget, no debt, and an endowment that is 9-10 times the size of our annual expenses. Sustainability has been our focus over the past six years, and we have achieved our goal. Investments in our future bring exciting new opportunities for our students, staff, and faculty. As always, we continue to be grateful for donations from the community that provide technology, scholarships, and evolving academic programs to students. Our significant technological investments have allowed us to maintain a hybrid educational delivery model, providing a flexible working arrangement for our students.
Saint Paul School of Theology is blessed to be your partner in ministry and help those seeking to discover more and answer the call. Your advocacy for the Seminary and generous financial support have been vital in realizing our accomplishments. Many thanks for the innumerable ways you have helped Saint Paul. Your prayers and actions on behalf of the Seminary are a blessing to all of us.
Jay K. Simmons, President
For more than 150 years, United Theological Seminary has prepared men and women to serve as faithful and fruitful Christian leaders who make disciples of Jesus Christ. In the 2022-2023 academic year, the seminary served 547 students, representing 36 states, 20 countries, and 43 denominations, with 38% of students identifying as United Methodist. United in Christ, the student body is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial community that is 43% African American, 27% White, 18% international, 9% Hispanic, and 2% Asian or Pacific Islander.* During the 2022-2023 academic year, 120 graduates completed their programs.
Houses of Study
United’s academic programs include seven Houses of Study for denominational, church renewal, and/or language- and culture-based ministry, including online Spanish and Korean houses of study. These houses of study have enrolled over 120 new master’s students in the United States and around the world.
Bishop Bruce Ough Innovation Center
In 2023, the Bishop Bruce Ough Innovation Center, directed by Rev. Sue Nilson Kibbey, engaged more than 5,000 participants through 64 resourcing events and activities. The Center partnered with the Black Methodists for Church Renewal Laity Advocacy Committee to conduct the 2023 Laity Leadership Institution. The Center also launched a Dynamite Prayer movement, based on the guidebook Dynamite Prayer: A 28 Day Experiment (Invite Resources, 2022) by Rev. Kibbey and Rev. Dr. Rosario Picardo. Multiple United Methodist conferences and more than 90 congregations across denominations committed to be part of a Dynamite Prayer Wave and received resourcing on the practice of “breakthrough prayer.”
New Faces at United
Over the past year, the seminary welcomed several new members to the United community. Bishop James Swanson, most recently bishop of the Mississippi Conference of The United Methodist Church, was installed as United Methodist Bishop-in-Residence. Dr. Pauline Paris Buisch and Rev. Dr. Xavier L. Johnson joined the faculty as Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Assistant Professor of Preaching and Black Church Studies, respectively, and Dr. Eliseo Mejia came on board as the Academic Oversight Officer for the Hispanic House of Study.
Reducing Student Debt
Finances shouldn’t stand in the way of a seminary education. That’s why United has launched the Fresh Wind: Where the Spirit Takes Flight campaign to add $10 million to the scholarship endowment, which will dramatically increase the seminary’s capacity to provide scholarships to students for many years to come. As of January 2024, the seminary was more than 70% toward the $10 million goal.
Kent Millard, President
* Student data represent unduplicated headcount enrollment for the 2022-2023 academic year. Demographic figures represent those who responded.
The mission of Wesley Theological Seminary (WTS) is to equip persons for Christian ministry and leadership in the church and the world, to advance theological scholarship, and to model a prophetic voice in the public square.
Despite the challenges posed by the global landscape, WTS continues to flourish, driven by our commitment to excellence in theological education and community engagement:
Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Theological Studies Degrees: We offer pathways to meet the needs of a variety of students. Whether traditional, brick and mortar, in- person study or a flexible, online, hybrid model (Wesley FlexMA), WTS is committed to curating space for theological reflection, academic inquiry, and practical application. www.wesleyseminary.edu/study/
Doctor of Ministry Degree: WTS is a leader in DMin education offering specialized tracks of study for scholars going into parish ministry, global missions, or military chaplaincy. www.wesleyseminary.edu/doctorofministry/program/
Wesley Innovation Hub: WTS received a $1.2M grant from the Lilly Endowment and will embark on groundbreaking initiatives that harness the power of technology, entrepreneurship, and interdisciplinary collaboration. www.wesleyseminary.edu/wesley-innovation-hub/
Center for Public Theology: WTS received a generous grant from the Trinity Wall Street Foundation to launch “The Public Theology Fellows Program,” an innovative initiative to bridge gaps between faith communities and political action. www.wesleyseminary.edu/ice/programs/public-theology/
Community Engagement Institute: WTS received a generous grant from City Seminary in NYC for the innovative, immersive study and praxis of urban ministry. www.wesleyseminary.edu/ice/about-us/overview-2/
The Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion: WTS is thrilled to share two new exhibits, Sacred Ground, which focused on the intersection of community-engaged art and spirituality; and Paradise Lost, a captivating exhibition highlighting transcultural, multicultural, and interreligious narratives. www.luceartsandreligion.org/
Lewis Center for Church Leadership: The Lewis Center conducts leading edge research for the local church. WTS is pleased to report a growing demand for transformative leadership training within religious communities. www.churchleadership.com/
Call us: (202) 885-8659 Email us: [email protected]. Follow us: Facebook/IG: @WesleySeminary and LinkedIn: @WesleyTheologicalSeminary
Submitted by Lyvonne Briggs, Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing, on behalf of
The Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson
President, Wesley Theological Seminary
Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
122 West Franklin Avenue, Suite 400 Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 870-0058