1. South Carolina Conference 2009 Orientation for Lay and Clergy Members

2. South Carolina Annual Conference

3. SC Conference Orientation 09 Agenda General Information Special Events Great Day of Service Worship at Annual Conference Constitutional Amendments Resolutions Nominations Report Standing Rules Report Pensions and Insurance The Proposed Conference Budget

4. General Information Dates – May 31-June 3, 2009 Registration begins at 1:00 pm Place – Florence Civic Center Host Church – Cumberland UMC Lunch Breaks – try to get back on time (we will start on time) Consider on-site food (Menu's are found in the Hospitality Section)

5. Special Events Special Events (pp iii-v) Sunday, May 31(5:00 pm) Lay Orientation – Arena Clergy Session – Exhibit Hall

6. Great Day of Service Don’t Forget to Register Tuesday, June 2 2:00 to 5:00 pm To register go to the conference website at umcsc.org To help groups gather, eat, and depart together, lunch will be available at the Civic Center. The cost for lunch is $10. You will meet with your group for lunch and leave together after lunch for you site. Members are being asked to invite your congregation to send items of need. You will receive a letter listing the items to bring. You may also find the items on the website.

7. Worship at Annual Conference Sunday, May 31 Ordination Service – Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor, Preacher – (Offering Bethlehem Bible College) Monday, June 1 Memorial Service – Rev. Mel Arant, Preacher Evening Worship – Rev. Jennifer William, Preacher (Offering Conference Related Homes) Tuesday, June 2 Recognition of Retiring Ministers – “Passing the Mantle” Evening Worship – Rev. George Ashford, Preacher (Offering Esperanza UMC, Greenville District) Wednesday, June 3 Sending Forth Service – Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor, Preacher

8. Constitutional Amendments Section C – Preregistration Packet General Instructions Materials 1. General Instructions (page C-1) 2. Proposed Constitutional Amendments (pages C-2 to C-20)  Two Groups 1.Nine amendments 2.Twenty-three amendments related to Worldwide church  Four paragraphs have two amendments each

9. Constitutional Amendments Section C – Preregistration Packet General Instructions Materials 3. Amendments with Additions and Deletions (pages C-21 to C-34) 4. Rational Provided by the Secretary of the General Conference (pages C-35 – C-37) 5. Worksheet (Designed to help delegates plan for their votes) (pages C-38 – C-41)

10. Constitutional Amendments General Instructions How and When will debate be conducted? After the Mid-morning break – Monday In the order they are printed Debate on all amendments will be one block A single ballot (all 32 amendments)

11. Constitutional Amendments General Instructions No Amendments May be Offered Who may vote? Lay members Clergy members in Full Connection How will voting be conducted? Eligible members (stand & show credentials) Tellers distribute ballots to eligible members (at their seat)

12. Constitutional Amendments General Instructions How are Constitutional Amendments Proposed and Approved? Book of Discipline (¶ 59 Article I) 2/3 Vote of General Conference 2/3 Affirmative Vote of Aggregate votes of the Annual Conferences When will the Results be Known? The Conference vote (at the end of conference) General vote will be known in 2010

13. Constitutional Amendments The Amendments dealing with the Worldwide Church Amendments 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 More than a name change “central” to “regional” Currently Annual Conferences, Jurisdictional, and Central Conferences – can change the BOD on a limited basis Central Conferences Outside the US – can change anything in the BOD Passage of the amendments could create US regional conferences who could change the BOD the same way

14. Constitutional Amendments Possible results (World Wide Church) 1. Negative – diminish connectionalism Regionalize like the Anglican Communion 2. Positive – let U.S. to make own decisions about concerns related to U.S. church It will allow overseas conferences to avoid U.S. dominance 3. A Further Matter A study committee has been appointed to study our worldwide structure to present findings 2012. Approval would preempt their work

15. Constitutional Amendments Other Amendments Amendment One - ¶4 BOD – Inclusiveness of all in membership and ministry of the church Consequences – may effect a pastor’s discretion for church membership and participate in the ministries of the church Amendment Two - ¶5 BOD – Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policies for church groups Consequences – every church group will be required to write policies on ethics, conflict of interest and fiduciary accountability

16. Constitutional Amendments Amendment Six - ¶ 15 BOD – Proportional representation at General Conference – This amendment would allow transitional conferences to have at least two delegates to general conference (currently a conference must have 225,000 members and 25 clergy. Consequence – takes away delegates from other conferences Amendment Eight - ¶ 16 BOD – Adds the words “gender” to the responsibility of General Boards and Agencies (for inclusiveness sake)

17. Constitutional Amendments Amendment Nine – ¶ 23 BOD – Representation to General Conference – No jurisdiction shall have fewer than 100 delegates to General Conference – Protects declining jurisdictions from going below 100 representatives to General Conference (protects the ability to elect Bishops) Amendment Fifteen - ¶ 32 – Shortens the list of who (for inclusiveness sake) will be members of the Annual Conference and shortens the requirement that a person must be a member of the UMC to one year (from two years)

18. Constitutional Amendments Amendment Seventeen - ¶ 33 BOD – Allows lay persons to be members of the committee on investigation (currently only clergy persons are allowed) Amendment Nineteen - ¶ 35 BOD – Allows provisional members and local pastors (who have served two consecutive years and have completed the course of study or an MDiv) to vote on delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference. They will still not be eligible to be elected.

19. Constitutional Amendments Amendment Twenty-Two - ¶ 37 BOD – Adds Bermuda to the Northeast Jurisdiction.

20. Resolutions Wednesday Morning Board of Church and Society (page 14) – presentation Wednesday Morning A Resolution to Begin Combating Human Trafficking Monday Afternoon Wednesday Morning Resolutions and Appeals – presentation – First presentation Monday Afternoon – approval Wednesday Morning (dealing with resolutions brought directly to Annual Conference)

21. Nominations Report Nominations Report (Registration Packet) The report will be presented on Monday afternoon and approved on Wednesday morning

22. Consent Calendar Consent Calendar (pages 79-80) Items may be removed from the consent calendar by filling out the “Petition to Remove” found on page 81

23. Standing Rules Monday Morning Changes of standing rules are presented by the Committee on Standing Rules Monday Morning The Report will be found in the Registration Packet

24. Report of Board of Pension and Health Benefits Pension And Health Insurance (pages 37-48)

25. Purpose To provide for financial stability in retirement for South Carolina Annual Conference Clergy To provide health care for all eligible active and retired clergy of the South Carolina Annual Conference Protection for people who have given their lives in service to God and God’s people

26. Pension Clergy Retirement Security Plan (Pensions) Made of three parts Defined Benefit = Pension benefit defined as 1.25% of the Denominational Average Compensation at Retirement per year of service after January 1, 2007. Defined Contribution = 3 % contribution and interest earned during work determines benefit. Comprehensive Protection Plan – Death benefit and disability

27. Pension Costs Defined Benefit = $535/month for each full time clergy (part time is prorated by quarters) Defined Contribution = 3 % of total compensation (Cash + value of housing or allowance) CPP = 3% of total compensation

28. Health Insurance Medicare Companion Benefits Changes (for Retirees) Current2010 Deductible$250 Coinsurance80% Out of Pocket Maximum $1,250$1,500

29. All Health Benefits Plans Pharmacy Plan Changes 2010 PlanRetail (30 day)Mail Order (90 Day) Generic$10$20 Formulary$20$50 Non Formulary$35$88 Retail Deductible $ 50/$ 100N/A Out of Pocket Maximum $2,000/$4,000

30. Health Insurance 2010 Rates Active Premiums will increase 9% for the year 2010. Retiree Premiums will increase 10% for the year 2010.

31. Health Insurance 2010Rates CoverageParticipant (30%) Church Share (70%) Participant$185$429 Part & Spouse$387$901 Part & Child$258$602 Part/Children$350$818 Full Family$516$1,204 Medicare Part$122$284 Med Part/Sp$244$568

32. Retiree Health Liability Funding Plan (General Conference Mandate) 1.The Annual Conference is required by Accounting Rule changes adopted by the General Conference (§1506.25 Book of Discipline 2008. 2.The original estimate of the Accumulated Liability was $63,275,000. 3.Subsequent actions by Annual Conference reduced this to $44,512,000. 4.SC BOPHB identified $8,500,00 to fund part of this liability.

33. Retiree Health Liability Funding Plan (cont) 5. Reduce retiree subsidy capping maximum at $5,000 per year beginning in 2012. Each year following reducing by 5% until 2015 which will reduce the subsidy to 50%. 6. Funding the remaining liability with a surcharge on premium to be phased in beginning in 2011 over five years fully funding the liability in 2030. 7. What this means: Premiums will increase in order to keep the retiree health benefits solvent.

34. Proposed Conference Budget The Proposed Conference Budget Found on Pages 1-10 Report Number One Two Types of Funds In the Budget Funds we have control over (Items 1-12) Apportioned by Annual Conference Action Funds we do not have control over (Items 13-20) Apportioned by General Conference Action

35. Proposed Conference Budget Important to Know General and Jurisdictional Apportionments Are passed on to our Annual Conference Items 13-20 World Service Fund Episcopal Fund General Conference Administration Fund Ministerial Education Interdenominational Cooperation Fund Black College Fund Africa University Fund Jurisdictional Mission/Ministry Fund The Annual Conference cannot change these items Those items are rising 2.5% overall

36. Proposed Conference Budget Approved by Annual Conference Action Line Item #3 – District Superintendents Salary District Superintendents voluntarily requested 2% decrease Line Item #5 – District Administration Approved as requested District Administration has been drawing down reserves for two years Expenses are being held down as much as possible DS will try to reduce travel as a cost cutting matter Rest are lower than requested

37. Proposed Conference Budget Line Item #1 Detail of Conference Benevolences (Report #2) Page 2 – Reduction 6.7% Cuts come from Connectional Ministries $164,128 in reductions Will come from program and staff reductions Other decreases in budget come from drawing down reserves

38. Proposed Conference Budget Item # 2 Retiree Health/Transition/Contingency Significant increase due to retiree premiums An increase was granted but only ½ of what was requested Item # 4 Equitable Compensation requested an increase Grant requests will increase CF&A is asking the draw down its reserves

39. Proposed Conference Budget Item Seven Conference Administration has also been drawing down reserves However, the Reserve is necessary Some funds are guaranteed 100% payment (salaries) Conference Journal Committee is being asked to use digital options

40. Proposed Conference Budget (Item Seven) Camps & Retreats (Item Nine) Senior College Scholarships (Item Ten) Spartanburg Methodist College (Item Twelve) Methodist Homes Residents Assistance While important Have other sources of income for support (See Report #7)

41. Proposed Conference Budget Item Eight Congregational Development Being asked to drawn down reserves Item Eleven Campus Ministry Employs clergy whose salary is below the conference median Could not reduce request But increase was denied

42. Proposed Conference Budget Top 12 items = 5.1% Decrease (Conference Approved Funds) Bottom 8 Items = 2.5% Increase (General and Jurisdictional Approved Funds) Total budget = 3.3% decrease

43. Proposed Conference Budget Report #7 is new Asking to make up for reductions for Senior College Spartanburg Methodist College Completely voluntary Will be noted as a apportionment remittance with Lake Junaluska Dam asking