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2020 Charge Conference InstructionsSouthWest DistrictRev. Susan Landry, DSIn light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Charge Conferences this year will be conducted via Zoom with the District Connection Groups. A detailed schedule has been provided to the pastors and is also available on the district website. Because of the unique circumstances, conferences will be as brief as possible, while still allowing all required business to be conducted. Churches will be affirming the business that has been previously approved at a Church Council meeting. Invitations to the Zoom Charge Conferences will be emailed to pastors who are then responsible for forwarding the invitation to church leaders. Please note that we do need as many leaders as possible to participate in the meetings, but at least a minimum of 3 from each church.Since the actual conference will be held virtually and there will be no in-person meetings, ALL Charge Conference reports must be completed with necessary paperwork completed and submitted to the District Office 15 days prior to the Zoom Conference. Required paperwork can be emailed (southwest@), mailed (P. O. Box 13, Griffin, GA 30224), or hand-delivered to the office on Tuesdays or Thursdays (430 W. Poplar Street, Griffin). See the Charge Conference Checklist and instructions below for specific forms to be included.Denise Wilson will be leading a Charge Conference workshop via Zoom to review all of this information on Tuesday, September 29 at 5:30pm. Any clergy or laity who will be involved in completing Charge Conference reports are encouraged to attend. The link to the meeting will be available on the Reports Due page of the District Website. Charge Conference Workshop, Tuesday, September 29, 5:30pm via Zoom(Invitation will be available on the Reports Due page of the District Website)To prepare for the Charge Conference:Schedule a Church Council/Administrative Board meeting several weeks prior to the Charge Conference date to approve the required items, which include the following: Report of the Lay Leadership (Nominations Report) for 20212021 Pastor’s SalaryCertified Lay Servants and Certified Lay speakers (if applicable)Candidates for Ministry (if applicable)Complete required reports online through Data Services. This MUST be completed 15 days prior to your Charge Conference. (Specific instructions for the reports below are at the end of this document):Church Information ReportFinance ReportLay LeadershipLay Servant Annual Reports (completed by all Certified Lay Servants/Speakers)Pastor’s Report, Part 1Recommendation for Ministry (if applicable)Treasurer’s Report (ONLY if recent financial statements are not available)Trustees ReportHigher Education ReportVital Congregation GoalsClergy Information Report Clergy Financial Support WorksheetHousing Allowance Resolution (if applicable)Submit the following items to the District Office no later than 15 days prior to the Charge Conference:Charge Conference Checklist with appropriate responses and signaturesInsurance Declaration Page (proof of insurance coverage)List of all Lay Servants being approved AND their Lay Servant Annual Report form with required signaturesParsonage Inspection Report (if applicable)Financial Statements through September 2020, including Balance Sheet and Statement of Profit & Loss (if you completed the Treasurer’s Report on Data Services, you do not have to submit hard copies)Nominations Report – List of ALL leaders and committee members elected for 2021, with email addresses (or phone numbers, if no email address) for all ChairsFormat of the Charge ConferenceThe Zoom Charge Conference will begin with prayer, scripture and a brief message from the DS, followed by the Call to Order of the business portion. There will be a recognition of Candidates for Ministry and Lay Servants, followed by the approval of required business: 1) approval of pastor’s salary, 2) election of leaders, 3) approval of any lay servants, and 4) approval of any candidates. There will be a format for voting through the Zoom application. After all business has been completed, the meeting will be adjourned. It is critical that pastors share the Zoom information with church leaders so there will be adequate participation, and that all participants have access to the information being voted on. It is suggested that when the Zoom invitation is emailed to your leaders, the required paperwork accompany the invitation.Instructions for Individual Required ReportsMost of the forms can be found and completed through Data Services. To access Data Services, go to the conference website, , and click on the Login button at the top. PLEASE NOTE: Church numbers and passwords no longer give access to reports and information. Individual users must be set up by the pastor. Individuals log into Data Services using personal email addresses and passwords. Clergy must use their conference email address.The following reports can be found under the Charge Conference tab in Data Services. Blank copies of these reports can be found under the “Forms/Charge Conference” section of the conference website. It is strongly recommended that you look at the blank reports before submitting information in Data Services. These reports must be completed 15 days prior to your Charge Conference. Church Information Report – This report includes information on the location of the church, church website, worship schedule, etc. Review the information provided and update as necessary.Finance Report – This report consists of questions regarding the finances and the actions of the finance committee of the church during the current year. A paper copy of this report is not required to be submitted to the District Office.Lay Leadership – This report only asks for certain required positions. Churches need to submit names and contact information for those required positions, which does include the Lay Member (delegate to annual conference).Lay Servant’s Annual Report – Anyone wishing to be approved as a Certified Lay Servant or Certified Lay Speaker must submit an Annual Report online and be approved at Charge Conference. Reports submitted by individuals online, will appear on the church’s Lay Servant page on Data Services. Make sure the reports are printed and signed by the Lay Servant and the pastor.Pastor’s Report, Part 1 – Effective dates are from the date of last year’s Charge Conference to this year’s Charge Conference. Names and numbers for new members and members lost by death or transfer are no longer required on this report. They will be recorded on the End of Year Report. Only members being removed by action of the Charge Conference, withdrawal or expulsion should be reported here. In addition, the pastor should be prepared to submit a brief report of the state of the church and his/her continuing education progress and future plans.Recommendation for Ministry – If your church has a candidate to approve as a new or continuing candidate for ministry, this form must be completed. A candidate for ministry is one who has been assigned a mentor by the DS and is actively participating in the candidacy group mentoring program. A continuing candidate is one who has been approved by the District Committee on Ordained Ministry but is not currently appointed. If a person does not fit into one of these categories, they do not need CC approval.Treasurer’s Report – Only to be completed when an appropriate recent financial statement is not available (Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss Statement). This report will provide information on income and expenses for the current year, as well as various fund balances, through 9/30/20.Trustees Report – This is a summary of activities of the Board of Trustees for the current year. “People Facts”, which is referenced in question #15, refers to the Conference background check company. A paper copy of this report is not required to be submitted to the District Office.Higher Education – Follow the links at the bottom of the Charge Conference/Data Services page to enter information on college students. Students entered in previous years should show up when you log onto the site. There is no paper report to be submitted to the DS. If you have problems or questions about this report, there is a phone number or email address listed that you can contact for assistance.Vital Congregation Goals – Follow the link at the bottom of the Charge Conference/Data Services page. At the bottom of that page, find your church by conference and district. This will bring up a report, “Historical Data & Goals”. You will need to enter the new numbers for the 2024 goals. You may also adjust goals for 2022-23 if necessary. The following reports can be found under the Clergy Report Tab in Data Services and must be completed by the clergy. They are accessed through the clergy personal login, using clergy’s conference email address: Clergy Information Report (Master List) – update the information on this report by clicking the blue “edit” button. Be sure to update the date at the top of the report.Clergy Financial Support Worksheet – Create a new form to report the salary breakdown for 2021. Effective date is 1/1/2021 This report must be approved electronically by the SPR Chair, so the report needs to be completed in time for that approval process to take place prior to submission to the District Office. Pastors serving more than one church should complete one form for each church. If you have questions about minimum salary amounts, check the 2020 Annual Conference Handbook or call the District Office. Once approved, the pastor’s salary cannot be changed without another Charge Conference.Housing Allowance Resolution – to be completed by pastors receiving housing allowance.To Be Submitted to District Office 15 Days Prior to Charge ConferenceONLY the following items should be submitted to the District Office prior to the Charge Conference: The Charge Conference Checklist, complete with all required signatures. This will serve as your Church Council minutes for the approval of required items.Insurance Declaration Page(s) verifying insurance coverage.Lay Servant Annual Reports with required signatures for all those seeking certification as Certified Lay Servants/Speakers.Parsonage Inspection Report, if applicable. This form is available on the Reports Due page of the district website. Financial Statements for the period ending 9/30/20, including a Balance Sheet and P&L Statement. If these reports are not available, complete the Treasurer’s Report in Data Services and no paper is required to be submitted.Nominations Report showing ALL leaders and committee members being elected for 2021. Please include email addresses for committee chairs. ................
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