o Your Name o The church where you currently serve or attend o What you would like most to get out of our time together
The following paragraphs are excerpts From The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2012 Copyright ©2012 by the United Methodist Publishing House
Local Church Board of Trustees' Organization and Membership The board of trustees shall organize as follows: 1. Within thirty days after the beginning of the ensuing calendar or conference year (whichever applies to the term of office), each board of trustees shall convene at a time and place designated by the chairperson, or by the vice chairperson in the event that the chairperson is not reelected a trustee or because of absence or disability is unable to act, for the purpose of electing officers of the said board for the ensuing year and transacting any other business properly brought before it.
The trustees together have several legal and administrative functions. They are to: 1. oversee, maintain, and supervise all local church property 2. report annually to the charge conference on the state of the church’s property, equipment, investments and resources 3. ensure that the articles of incorporation of the congregation are kept up-to-date, if applicable
4. be responsible, in conjunction with the pastor, for all use of the church buildings and grounds 5. maintain adequate insurance coverage on all church property and develop appropriate risk management policies. 6. Submit to the committee on finance the annual budget requests for insurance, property maintenance and improvement, and new property purchases 7. be accountable to the charge conference and to the church council. Much of the work of the trustees is governed by specific requirements of The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. References are from the 2012 edition of The Book of Discipline.
1. oversee, maintain, and supervise all local church property
Conduct an annual inventory of all real property. o If there is a parsonage, accompany the committee on staff/pastor-parish relations on at least one inspection and inventory of the parsonage(s) each year. o Inspect and inventory all equipment and set up a maintenance schedule. o Set up a schedule for painting and redecorating. o Ensure that your facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. o Evaluate your insurance coverage annually. Work with your insurer to develop risk management policies for the church.
2. report annually to the charge conference on the state of the church’s property, equipment, investments and resources
o We’ll cover those under Responsibility 5.
o We’ll get to that in a minute on Responsibility 3.
o The Chancellor requests that you please actually check to make sure that the Trust Clause is included in all of your deeds.
o Missouri United Methodists - are determined to provide an environment in which children, youth and vulnerable adults are safe from neglect or abuse. SS policy applies to all staff and volunteers, clergy or lay, who have direct or indirect contact with children or youth. Vulnerable adults are persons over 18 years of age with physical, mental and/or developmental disabilities. Children are persons 0-11 years of age. Youth are years of age.
o There is a Conference policy as well as each Local Church has a policy. All Local Churches are required to have Safe Sanctuaries Policy and Procedures – check your local church office or each District Office has a copy. The policy should be updated on a regular basis; Charge Conference is the usual time these are reviewed.
o Two Adult Rule: During all conference-sponsored events one adult will not be alone with a youth. For small group activities where one adult supervises one group, two or more groups are to meet in sight and sound of each other o Four year older rule will apply at all events. Persons supervising youth or children will be at least 4 years older than the oldest youth participant. o Age Range of Volunteers: Youth under the age of 18 years but who are at least 15 years of age, may serve as volunteers when they have completed the application and training process, provided they serve under the supervision of one or more certified adults. Some events may require that the supervising adult be 22 years of age.
o Background Screens required at age 19 years old: Adult Staff/Volunteers who are 19 years of age must have a background screening, submit references and must be certified. Insurance companies are now requiring a National Background screen, so it is recommended to do a National screen and not only the State of Missouri Screen. The Conference Safe Sanctuaries office is doing a National screen and the County screen where they have lived.
3. ensure that the articles of incorporation of the congregation are kept up-to-date, if applicable 3. ensure that the articles of incorporation of the congregation are kept up-to-date, if applicable
o Chapter 355 Not-for-Profit Corporation Files an Annual Report with the Secretary of State with a $10 fee o Chapter 352 Benevolent Corporation Requires a court appearance to make any changes
o go to (Missouri Secretary of State) o Business tab o Corporations o Search for a Business Name COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF COLUMBIA Name Type Legal Non-Profit Corporation - Domestic – Information Charter Number:N Status:Good Standing Entity Creation Date:8/20/1971 State of Business.:MO Expiration Date: Perpetual Last Annual Report Filed Date:7/19/2009 Last Annual Report Filed:2009 Registered Agent Agent Name: JAMES V. HOGAN, IIIJAMES V. HOGAN, III Office Address: John Stafford, 3301 West Broadway Columbia MO 65203
4. be responsible, in conjunction with the pastor, for all use of the church buildings and grounds
5. maintain adequate insurance coverage on all church property and develop appropriate risk management policies.
o By listing the Conference & District as additional insured on the church's policy it simply insures that should there be a lawsuit the church's legal team, the district's legal team, and the conference legal team will all be working together on a solution. By listing the conference and district as additional insured the churches are in no way providing insurance for either. Both the districts and the conference carry their own insurance. It simply makes sure that all the legal teams have to work in the best interests of all parties. We all have a stake in the final outcome. By working together instead of against each other or independently the outcome is usually cheaper in legal fees and lower in assessed damages. This is why most insurance companies are willing to provide the service for no charge or for very little.
o The technical name for this is ascending liability. So far in our experience whenever there is a charge of misconduct in the local church the district and conference are also named in the lawsuit. This helps us manage the risk inherent in this reality. The additional insured only comes into play when there is an issue in that church (if Wesley UMC, the District and Conference are named in a suit, it does not mean that First UMC becomes involved.) o In the past we tried to manage ascending liability through having all of us insured by the same company. Since this was no longer practical, the best way for us to manage this risk is through the inclusion of the district and conference as additional insured on all church policies.
o Property Building and Business Personal Property Replacement Cost/Per Schedule/Agreed Amount Building Glass Included Newly Acquired/Constructed Property $500,000/90 Days Fire Department Service Charge $2,500 Valuable Papers (Original Information Property) $50,000 Rental Value/Business Income/Extra Expense $50,000 Property in Transit $25,000 Electronic Data Processing Equipment $25,000 Accounts Receivable On/Off Premises $50,000
o Property Cont. Outdoor Signs $5,000 Ordinance or Law 25% of Building Value (Supplemental Limits) Debris Removal 25% of Loss Personal Property of Others $10,000 Pastor's Personal Property $50,000 Deductible per Occurrence $1,000 Fine Arts/Mobile Equipment $25,000 Boiler & Machinery/Mechanical Breakdown Included Flood (Only churches not eligible for NFIP) $1,000,000 All Locations/$100,000 Deductible Earthquake (Shared Limit) $100,000,000 All Locations/2% TIV Deductible
o Crime Employee Dishonesty (Crime) $100,000/$1,000 Deductible Money/Securities Inside/Outside $50,000 (Increase in special holiday weekends) Forgery or Alteration $50,000/$1,000 Deductible
o Liability Liability General Aggregate-Annual $3,000,000 Bodily Injury/Property Damage Liability $1,000,000 Per Occurrence (Incl Corporal Punishment) Personal Advertising Injury $1,000,000 Each Occurrence Medical Payments $10,000 Per Person Damage to Premises Rented to You $100,000 Per Premises Products/Completed Operations $1,000,000 Each Occurrence/$3,000,000 Aggregate
o Liability Cont. Day Care Coverage Included for owner operated daycare centers only. Volunteers Included as insureds/employees Pastoral Professional $1,000,000 Each Occurrence Directors & Officers Liability $1,000,000 Claims Made Basis/$2,500 Ded/Claim Employment Related Practices Liability $1,000,000 Claims Made Basis/$2,500 Ded/Claim Sexual or Physical Abuse or Molestation $1,000,000 Each Occurrence/$2,000,000 Aggregate Employee Benefits Liability $1,000,000 ($1,000 Deductible/Claims Made Basis)
o Auto Church Owned Vehicles $1,000,000 Auto/Uninsured Motorist Liability Hired/Non-Owned Auto Liability $1,000,000 Bodily Injury/Property Damage Hired Auto Physical Damage Actual Cash Value less deductible
o Workers Compensation Workers' Compensation $1,000,000 Each Accident Employee Benefits Liability $1,000,000 ($1,000 Deductible/Claims Made Basis) o Excess Umbrella Liability Umbrella Liability $5,000,000 (Shared Limit) This was previously shared between all churches, an individual church will want to evaluate what coverage they need. Many have written with $1,000,000.
6. Submit to the committee on finance the annual budget requests for insurance, property maintenance and improvement, and new property purchases
7. be accountable to the charge conference and to the church council.
1. Subject to the direction of the charge conference as herein before provided, the board of trustees shall receive and administer all bequests made to the local church; shall receive and administer all trusts; and shall invest all trust funds of the local church in conformity with laws of the country, state, or like political unit in which the local church is located. Nevertheless, upon notice to the board of trustees, the charge conference may delegate the power, duty, and authority to receive, administer, and invest bequests, trusts, and trust funds to the permanent endowment committee or to a local church foundation and shall do so in the case of bequests, trusts, or trust funds for which the donor has designated the committee or the local church foundation to receive, administer, or invest the same.
The board of trustees is encouraged to invest in institutions, companies, corporations, or funds that make a positive contribution toward the realization of the goals outlined in the Social Principles of our Church. The board of trustees is to act as a socially responsible investor and to report annually to the charge conference regarding its carrying out of this responsibility. When such property is in the form of investable funds, the board of trustees shall consider placement for investment and administration with the United Methodist foundation serving that conference or, in the absence of such a foundation, with the United Methodist Church Foundation. A conscious effort shall be made to invest in a manner consistent with the Social Principles and the creation of an investment policy.