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Home > Congregational Support > Pastoral Charge Payroll Service FAQs
Pastoral Charge Payroll Service FAQs
frequently asked questions
Where did the payroll service come from?
The General Council has been hearing petitions from Conferences about compensation related issues in the denomination for decades. The concept of a payroll service for ministry personnel was first raised to the General Council by a petition from a Conference in 1997. More recently, over 35 petitions or resolutions dealing with ministry compensation have been brought forward to the 37th and 38th General Councils. The 38th General Council (2003) requested that further exploration take place and work was undertaken, with oversight by the Executive of the General Council and its Permanent Committee for Ministry and Employment Policies and Services, to review the current state of compensation, identify feasible alternatives and to make recommendations to the 39th General Council (2006).
Who was consulted?
Research into the history of our practices, consideration of other North American denominational practices, and exploration of the concerns raised in the 35 petitions were conducted. Fifty-six focus groups were arranged across all Conferences with over 1,100 people attending, including Treasurers, Ministry & Personnel Committee Chairs, Board Chairs and ministry personnel.
Where was the decision made?
The report which was placed before the 39th General Council 2006 proposed four actions:
1. Implement a pastoral charge payroll service
2. Provide a comprehensive salary to ministry personnel instead of a base salary and housing allowance/housing
3. Implement a redesigned salary structure that includes minimum and maximum salaries
4. Augment compensation for exceptional circumstances
All Commissioners to the Council received the report in their workbook prior to the meeting and at the meeting there was agenda time for all Commissioners to hear a presentation on the report and ask questions. Two days later, additional agenda time was Background for General Council Office Representatives to Conference annual meetings: Pastoral Charge provided for debate and discussion by all Commissioners prior to a vote being taken. An amendment that would have eliminated the pastoral charge payroll service from the motion was defeated. The Council voted to affirm the principles underpinning the recommendations and refer the four proposed actions to the Executive of the General Council for consideration and action. (motion GC39 2006-177, Record of Proceedings page 778.)
In November 2006, the Executive of the General Council voted to implement the first of the four proposed actions: a pastoral charge payroll service to be in place by the end of 2008.
Why is mandatory participation necessary?
The goal of the payroll service is to ensure just, fair, equitable and consistent compensation practices for ministry personnel across the denomination. In order to do this, participation for ministry personnel from all congregations is necessary. This action also addresses one of the findings from the research which is that not all ministers are being paid on time or in the correct amount which can happen for a variety of reasons and is rarely identifiable in advance.
As noted in the Record of Proceedings from the 39th General Council 2006, the payroll service is a change in mechanics only and does not alter the fundamentals of the pastoral relationship. But it does have the additional benefit of easing a burden for those treasurers who find the payroll function onerous or of making it easier to find someone to volunteer to be the treasurer. Many pastoral charges are fortunate not to be experiencing these challenges. However, part of being both a conciliar church and part of being the body of Christ is that we do what is needed to support one another, even when there may be no perceived gain for ourselves, and even when there is some cost to us of doing it. That is all part of faithful living.
Did the General Council have the authority to do this? Why wasn’t a remit used?
The General Council has a legislative power under the Basis of Union that gives it the authority to adopt church-wide policies. Section 8.6.2(1) provides [The General Council shall have full power] to legislate on matters respecting the doctrine, worship, membership and government of the Church This general legislative power of the Council is subject to three conditions, none of which applies in the situation of the pastoral charge payroll service [first, any policies that change a specific provision in the Basis of Union are subject to a remit; second, no terms of admission to full membership may be prescribed other than those laid down in the New Testament; and third, the freedom of worship enjoyed by the negotiating churches at union in 1925 shall not be
interfered with]. Since the payroll service does not change any specific provision in the Basis of Union no remit was required.
The Basis of Union (8.6.10) also provides [The General Council shall have full power] to enact such legislation and adopt such measures as may tend to promote true godliness, repress immorality, preserve the unity and well being of the church and advance the kingdom of Christ throughout the world. The payroll service will ensure ministry personnel are paid on time in the correct amount and will help ensure that fair compensation practices are applied uniformly across the church. There is historic precedent for the General Council to establish policies on employment matters affecting ministry personnel and congregations. Examples are; the General Council (through its Executive) sets minimum levels of remuneration for Ministry Personnel in pastoral relationships on an annual basis, the General Council has required mandatory participation in the United Church of Canada pension plan for all lay employees serving more than 14 hours per week in Pastoral Charges, the General Council has established a restorative care plan for Ministry Personnel in which Pastoral Charge participation is mandatory, participation in the Church s group insurance and benefit plans is mandatory for Ministry Personnel and lay employees who serve more than 14 hours per week.
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Posted: May 28, 2008
Expires: never
category: Congregational Support
keywords/tags : congregational
support
payroll
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