Closer Working: Finance

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The following observations were made by a group focusing on Finance at the Closer Working Methodist URC Consultation in April.  See previous posts for more information.

To help LEP’s and United Areas arrange their finances more efficiently, we ask the URC and Methodist Churches to: -

• Produce a transparent breakdown of the various funds which local churches and circuits contribute to via ‘assessments’ including national and regional (Synod and District) funds. This breakdown should show what costs are paid from these funds, so that it can be readily seen what is covered.
• Adopt a national agreed formula for sharing payments to the denominational funds referred to in the first point.
• Agree that the agreed share to be paid regularly regardless which denomination actually provides ministry at any particular time
• Bring into line the time for agreeing national budgets

We recommend: -

• That all manses used by ministers of two or more denominations are always subject to a sharing agreement
• That manses should be surveyed to Methodist Quinquennial Inspection Standard before the Sharing Agreement is finalised so that maintenance issues can be negotiated
• In United Areas: - Local URC church and Methodist Circuit Accounts should be examined to a common standard before joint finances are set up
  o Local ministry costs are pooled and shared
  o Manse costs are pooled and shared

In circuits, which include LEPs, contributions to URC funds and local ministry and manse costs should be paid through the circuit and included in Circuit Assessments
 
Please note I'm on leave and will respond to comments on or soon after Tuesday 24 August 2010.