A voting session of Annual Conference will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2020, at 10:00 am through an online forum. The Ordering of Ministry and Ordination services will be held in person (we hope) on Saturday, September 19, 2020.

The virtual session will include worship, celebration, and the essential business of the North Carolina Conference.  Items that need to be voted on to continue the ministry of the Annual Conference will be brought for vote on June 18.  

Fill out the Lay Member Change Request form. We will update our system with the correct information. Then, keep checking the website and your email for further information.

We will vote on items needed to be considered in order to continue the business of the Annual Conference.  These items will include the reports of the Council on Finance and Administration, Board of Pension, Insurance Committee, Commission on Equitable Compensation, and Nominations. Special Conference Rules are being voted on prior to the virtual session on June 18. Read a letter from Conference Secretary, Jerry Bryan, for more information.

We will vote on the reports necessary to continue conference business into the 2021 calendar year. A summary of primary points of the reports include:

• Board of Laity – the Board of Laity will nominate a new Conference Lay Leader to take office effective July 1, 2020
• Nominations Committee – nominations for service on district and conference boards and committees will be presented for service beginning July 1, 2020
• Council on Finance and Administration (CFA) – the budget is proposed with a 4.52% decrease. Counting this recommendation and the decrease over the last few years due to funding pension and health insurance liabilities, the budget will have decreased by just over 29% over the last five years. At the request of district superintendents, CFA recommends no change in district superintendent salary for 2021.
• Insurance Committee – the Insurance Committee is proposing an increase of doctor visit copays of $5 with other benefits staying the same. This will result in a premium increase of 8% for the church and pastor portions. This increase is approximately half of what is forecasted to be needed with the Insurance Committee planning to fund the other half from investment returns or reserves. Dental benefits are proposed to remain the same with a 5.5% increase in premiums.
• Board of Pension – the Board of Pension recommends a 2.5% increase in the Past Service Rate for the pre-1982 pension plan and a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for retiree health reimbursement accounts, as assumed in those respective funding plans. The Board further recommends a reduction in the billing rate for the CRSP-DB plan of 0.3% with a corresponding 0.3% reduction for the UMPIP pension benefit for part-time clergy.
• Equitable Compensation – the Commission on Equitable Compensation recommends no change in minimum salary for 2021. This recommendation is in line with commitments for no increases in salary for Conference employees, district superintendents, and bishops. Local churches set pastor salaries and can choose to increase salaries if warranted at that local church.
• Clergy Medical Leave – there are no changes proposed for benefits provided through the Joint Commission on Clergy Medical Leave.
• Trustees – there are no recommended changes proposed by the Conference Board of Trustees. An informational report will be provided following the Board of Trustees meeting required to be held within 30 days of the annual conference.

Paper ballots will be provided for anyone who requests a printed Conference Workbook be mailed to them.  Paper ballots for the Special Conference Rules should be postmarked by May 20. Ballots for the June 18 sessions should be postmarked by June 25 to be mailed in to the address provided on the ballot.

Instructions will be provided during the virtual session on how to submit a question. 

Due to limited capabilities to process amendments to items being brought for vote on June 18, the items will be voted either for or against as they are presented.  

Items being brought for vote will be included in the Conference Workbook.  Informational sessions will be available online the week prior to the Annual Conference Session.  This will give more information and answer questions on proposals.

Contact Jay Locklear (jlocklear@nccumc.org) with your ideas and your contributions.

A memorial service will be held as part of Annual Conference 2021 to honor all who have passed since Annual Conference 2019.

This will not change the appointment of clergy or have any impact upon the compensation of clergy.  The appointments of clergy for 2020-2021 will be set in the June 18 virtual session. The Ordering of Ministry Service will be held on September 19, 2020, and will include recognition of local pastors, certification of lay ministers, and commissioning and ordination of clergy.

All 2020 and 2021 retirees will be recognized at Annual Conference 2021.

A celebration luncheon will be held at Annual Conference 2021.  Due to implications from COVID-19, a retiree luncheon will not be held in 2020.

Resolutions will be deferred to Annual Conference 2021. 

A nomination for Conference Lay Leader will be made during the virtual session on June 18 and that nomination will be included in the voting process.  In order to receive this nomination, a change to the Conference Rules will be proposed to allow for this change in the previously approved procedure for receiving that nomination.

As per the requirements of The Book of Discipline, elections for the Conference Secretary, Statistician, and Treasurer will be postponed until at least Annual Conference 2021.  Persons in those positions will continue at least until the next election.

The Rules Committee will propose rules for this unique session.  The rules will be stated in the advance material and approved by ballot – paper or online, as the lay or clergy member chooses. This vote must be cast by May 20.

We will invite and receive a special offering for the COVID-19 Response Fund. Learn more on our Special Offerings page.

The opening service of worship and the conference agenda will include ministry celebrations and plans.  Ministry reports, updates and plans are continually posted on the conference web page.