Changes at PACT
Words of advice
National Church Administration Day
Connectional Giving
Clergy Benefits Essentials Workshop
IRS Form 1099 Rules are Changing
Changes at PACT
By Rick Carlin
Effective October 1, 2010 PACT will be transferring coverages in the Oklahoma Conference Insurance Plan to a new set of carriers. Instead of Zurich Insurance Company underwriting and reinsuring all the lines of coverage for the PACT program, the insurance will be divided among the following companies:
Property/Crime - QBE Insurance Corporation
General Liability including sexual misconduct -
QBE Insurance Corporation
Workers Compensation - Liberty Mutual
Automobile - Great American
Directors & Officers/
Employment Practices - Chubb
Umbrella - Great American
Equipment Breakdown - Hartford Steam Boiler
These new companies will meet your specific coverage needs and there will be no changes in coverage, if any, until January 1, 2011, and the goal is to maintain the same premium as the current year. We will keep you informed of any changes, prior to January. The transition to the new carriers should be seamless, transparent and “user friendly” for those churches currently insured in the program. These changes should also allow us to grow the program and add new churches.
PACT’s mission is and continues to be protecting the property and assets of conferences and local churches so that they may pursue their ministries in effort to serve their congregations and communities.
Your church will be receiving a detailed letter within the next three weeks explaining the new policies. Any information or documentation regarding these new companies will be sent to the appropriate parties prior to the October 1, 2010 date. If you have any questions at any time please call our office at 1-800-460-5678 or 843-5678.
Words of advice
Recently I read the following in Christianity Today and thought I would share this with you.
“Ministries don't function like factories, but they must follow many of the same laws. With some exceptions, churches are held to the same standard as businesses for paying overtime, providing family medical leave, avoiding discrimination, and making reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.
Here are a few –
Become a Legal Eagle: Determine which federal employment laws apply to your ministry, based on the number of employees you have. Realize that state or local laws may apply with even fewer employees.
Watch the Clock: When certain employees work more than 40 hours in a week, they qualify for overtime pay. Know who they are, and pay them accordingly.
Use Fair Scales: Apply the same pay scale to men and women who perform similar duties. Don’t turn a blind eye to discrimination. Look at job candidates' qualifications, not their age, race, gender, disability, or national origin.
Focus on Function: Be willing to hire people with disabilities who are qualified to perform the essential functions of a job with reasonable accommodations.”
National Church Administration Day
The National Association of Church Business Administration is sponsoring the second annual National Church Administration Day event on October 21, 2010.
The National Church Administration Day is a service event of local chapters to share their knowledge of accurate, current information and resources to assist Ministers and Laity in congregations with the administration of their churches. We will celebrate the power of peer-learning to address the increasing complexity of “doing church” in contemporary society.
The National Association of Church Business Administration, the interdenominational group sponsoring the celebration, is asking many of its 80 local chapters to host instructional events, allowing its 15,000 chapter members and others to learn the latest administrative strategies from each other.
This would be an excellent time for pastors and the lay leadership of a church to express appreciation for the work of your staff and volunteers who work so hard in the area of administration in your church.
Connectional Giving
Giving for the month of August continued to keep pace with last year with 54.43% of our apportionments paid compared to 54.46% last year while designated giving for other areas was up by $21,141.
This year World Communion Sunday will be celebrated on October 3rd. This important church wide special offering goes to support scholarships for U.S. racial and ethnic minority students and international students. The average scholarship ranges from $250 to $12,000 a year to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, room, and other expenses.
If you would like more information, you can go to www.umcgiving.org/wcs. Education is a valuable asset not to be wasted. Please encourage your congregation to support this important ministry that helps people around the world.
Clergy Benefits Essentials Workshop
Tiara Dalton is sending out the brochures for the 2010 Clergy Benefits Essentials Workshop. We are again going to host a workshop at the new Holliman Lodge at Eagan Camp. The dates for the workshops are November 4 – 5 for Canyon Camp and November 11 - 12 at Camp Egan.
We will continue to have two different tracks: one for younger clergy and their spouses and a second track for clergy and their spouses who are nearing retirement age. It is beneficial when both the clergy person and their spouse attend the workshops together.
We are living in financially uncertain times and this is time well spent with clergy and spouses to discuss short term and long term financial plans and how to meet your personal goals for the future.
IRS Form 1099 Rules are Changing
Just a heads up that you need to be aware that starting in 2012 IRS reporting requirements are dramatically changing. The new law will require you to file 1099’s for every vendor you do business with. More information will follow.
