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2021 Annual Conference SessionNorth Georgia ConferenceThe United Methodist ChurchJune 3-5, 2021Virtual/Electronic SessionBishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, presiding

Table of Contents2021 Annual Conference Session HandbookReport numbers marked with an asterisk (*) are on the Consent Agenda unless removedduring Session 2 on Friday, June 4. The Consent Agenda is listed on page 11.Session InformationBishop’s Welcome .6Theme Logo: Love is Making Room.7Conference Offering: North Georgia MEF .8Agenda .9Consent Agenda .11Information for Conference Members and Visitors .13Registration for Conference Members and Guests .14Virtual/Electronic Meeting Guide 2021.16Parliamentary Guidelines .20Responsibility of Clergy Conference Members .20Responsibility of Lay Conference Members .212021 Annual Conference Q & A .22Worship Visuals .24General/Jurisdictional/Joint Agencies*100. Africa University .25*101. Candler School of Theology .26*102. Gammon Theological Seminary .27*103. Georgia UM Commission on Higher Education/Collegiate Ministry .28*104. Georgia United Methodist Foundation, Inc. .30*105. Hinton Rural Life Center .32*106. UM Connectional Federal Credit Union .33*106.a. Annual Report .33*106.b. Financial Report .34Administrative Departments and Conference Offices*200. Conference Board of Ordained Ministry .36*200.a. Director, Center for Clergy Excellence .36*200.b. Chair, Board of Ordained Ministry .37*200.c. Fellowship of Licensed Local Pastors & Associate Members .38*200.d. Order of Deacons .39*200.e. Order of Elders .40*201. Conference Communications Office.40*202. Committee on Episcopacy .42*203. Conference Statistician Team .43*204. NGC Housing and Homeless Council .44

Trustees of the North Georgia Conference of the UMC, Inc.205. Conference Board of Trustees .47205.a. Steps of the Disaffiliation Process .48205.b. Disaffiliation Agreement Pursuant to ¶2553 .50Conference Board of Pensions and Health Benefits206. Board of Pensions & Health Benefits .54206.a. Board of Pensions & Health Benefits report .54206.b. Recommendations .56206.c. 2022 Comprehensive Benefit Funding Plan .58Commission on Equitable Compensation207. Commission on Equitable Compensation .78207.a. Summary Report – Equitable Compensation .78207.b. Equitable Compensation Guidelines .79207.c. Conference Arrearage Policy .79207.d. Arrearage Policy .79207.e. Conference Pastors Payment .80207.f. Conference Standards for Pastoral Support .80207.g. Minimum Compensation .81207.h. Accountable Reimbursement Plan .81207.i. Continuing Education and Spiritual Growth .81207.j. Vacation Recommendations .81207.k. Credited Years of Service Vacation Recommendation .82207.l. 2022 Equitable Compensation .82207.m. Equitable Compensation Fund .82207.n. Guidelines/Standards: Housing Allowance & Parsonage .83207.o. Minimum Standards for Church-Provided Parsonage .83207.p. General Guidelines for Parsonages .85207.q. Summary Statement for Parsonages .88207.r. Current Statistics to Assist Staff-Parish Relations Committees .89207.s. Pastors Receiving Equitable Comp Jan.-June 2021 .90207.t. Churches/Charges Receiving Equitable Comp Jan.-June 2021 .90207.u. Churches Receiving Equitable Compensation: less than fullpayment of pastor's pension & insurance premiums Jan-June 2021 . 91Council on Finance and Administration208. Council on Finance and Administration . 92208.a. Conference Treasurer/Dir. of Administrative Services . 92208.b. Investment Summary . 92208.c. Exhibit I: Apportionments by Funds . 94208.d. Exhibit II: Apportionments by Districts . 95208.e. Net Assets (Barnes Adj) Fund Balance as of 12/31/19 and 12/31/20 . 96208.f. Council on Finance and Administration Report . 97

208.g. 2021 Recommendations .98208.h. Recommended 2022 Budget .100208.i. Interpretation of 2022 Recommended Conf. Apportionment Budget .101208.j. How are Apportionments Computed? .106208.k. How 2022 Recommended Apportionment Budget Was Developed .108Conference Ministries300. Connectional Ministries*300.a. Director, Connectional Ministries .111300.b. Proposal to Consolidate the Work & Ministries ofour NGC Board of Discipleship & Advocacy andour Board of Congregational Developments .113*301. Center for Congregational Excellence .116*301.a. Center for Congregational Excellence Team Report .116*301.b. Fresh Expressions .118*301.c. Black Congregational Development .119*301.d. Latino Congregational Development .119*301.e. Disaster Response Ministries .120*301.f. Mission .120*301.g. 2021 Churches of Excellence in Outreach .121*301.h. Committee on Native American Ministries (CONAM).121*301.i. North Georgia Young Adult Ministry .122Conference Related Agencies*400. Aldersgate Homes, Inc. and Collinswood.123*401. Murphy Harpst Children Centers, Inc. .124*402. North Georgia Camp & Retreat Ministries, Inc. .125*403. Wellroot Family Services .126*404. Wesley Woods Senior Living, Inc. .128Ministry of the Laity*500. Conference Board of Laity.129* 500.a. Advanced Leadership UMC .129* 500.b. Bishop’s Emerging Leaders of North Georgia (BELONG) .130* 500.c. Lay Servant Ministries .131* 500.d. Leadership UMC .131*501. Conference United Methodist Women .132*502. Conference United Methodist Men .133*503. Scouting Ministry.135Other Reports*600. Action Ministries History .136*601. Boston University School of Theology.139

*602. Drew University Theological School.140*603. Duke University Divinity School.141*604. North Georgia Black Methodists for Church Renewal .142*605. Professional Administrators of the UM Connectional Structure .143*606. Reinhardt University .144*607. St. Paul School of Theology .145*608. United Theological Seminary .146*609. Wesley Theological Seminary .147Resolutions701. Resolution Recognizing Our Role in Segregation and the Central Jurisdiction .149702. Resolution Reducing Suicide Among At-Risk Native Americans .150703. Resolution in Support of the Protocol of Grace and ReconciliationThrough Separation .151704. Resolution Relating to Rental/Housing Allowances for Retired, Disabledor Former Clergypersons of the North Georgia Annual Conference .152Standing Rules800. 2021 Standing Rules (as corrected from 2020 Journal) .154801. Amendments to Standing Rules B.1, B.2, B.3, B.4 .173802. Amendment to Standing Rule E.3. .176803. Amendment to Standing Rules H.1-H.5 and J.1-J.13 .177804. Amendment to Standing Rule K.5. .181805. Amendment to Standing Rule N.1 .182900.Nominations2021 North Georgia Conference Nominations Report .183

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,As I greet you again in this digital format, Icontinue to feel deep appreciation for the ways in whichyou have risen to the challenges of the past year. Yourcreativity and ingenuity, and your commitment to being awitness to God’s love in your community have inspired metime and time again.Our virtual annual conference session won’t be sounfamiliar this year after the success of our 2020conference in August. We will gather online for the 155thsession of the Annual Conference June 3-5, 2021.Our conference theme this year is “Love is MakingRoom.” This is a message I have seen you embody as youhave made room in your facilities for feeding ministries.You’ve made room on your lawns for outside worship.You’ve made room in your parking lots for vaccine clinics. You’ve made room in your heartsfor the grieving members of your communities.Our time together at Annual Conference 2021 will be spread across three days. OnThursday, June 3, clergy will gather online for the Clergy Executive Session. On Friday, June4, all members of the Annual Conference will convene online for a day-long session. OnSaturday, June 5, we will worship over live stream. Saturday morning will celebrate a largeclass of ordinands, provisional members, and local pastors in the Service of Licensing,Commissioning, and Ordination. On Saturday afternoon, we will celebrate the lives ofbeloved saints who have gone before us. Our special offering this year, received by localchurches across the conference, will go toward the Ministerial Education Fund that supportsthe education of future clergy.Please join me in preparing for our time together by praying for one another and forpracticing giving and receiving patience and grace. It is a blessing to work beside you as welive into the call that “love is making room.”Grace and peace to you,6

Annual Conference Theme:“Love is Making Room”The 2021 North Georgia Annual Conference will center on the theme “Love is MakingRoom.” For the previous three Annual Conference sessions our theme has come from aprayer in our communion liturgy, “That we may be one with Christ, One with each other, andOne in ministry to all the world.” This year our focus will turn to ways we live out thatprayer.The simple rectangular logo this year is symbolic of the table—the communion table,the kitchen table, the meeting table. The open lines represent the endless possibilities ofextension of the table.Jesus calls us to bring others to God’s table, where they will be exposed to the healinglove and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The love found at the table will equipthem to love one another, and compel them to invite, without exception, every single humanbeing to the table.As we gather in new and different ways, we have an opportunity to reflect on who ismissing from the table, who we have invited but not valued, and who doesn’t know that aseat is open for them at Christ’s table. Our mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for thetransformation of the world” calls us to make room. Love is making room.7

Special Offering: Ministerial Education FundBishop Sue Haupert-Johnson has named the North Georgia Conference Ministerial EducationFund as the 2021 Annual Conference Special Offering.The Ministerial Education Fund provides scholarships to seminary and undergraduatestudents, course-of-study for local pastors, and license to preach school.Aligning with the theme, "Love is Making Room," this fund helps pave the way forthose called to serve as clergy. Together we can help minimize debt of North Georgia UnitedMethodists beginning in ministry.Grants from the Ministerial Education Fund help pay tuition and other costs for futureclergy who will serve our churches or go on to be chaplains, teachers and missionaries.MEF is a general church apportioned fund of which 25 percent is retained by ourconference. But 100 percent of the giving to the Annual Conference Special Offering will goto United Methodist seminary and course of study students in the North Georgia Conference.Churches are invited to collect the offering any time before or after the 2021 AnnualConference. Individuals are encouraged to give through your local church. Churches canmake checks payable to the North Georgia Conference and marked for Fund #1147 - ACSpecial Offering. Mail to Conference Treasurer's Office, PO Box 102417, Atlanta, GA30368-2417.Please give generously to the Annual Conference Special Offering.8

Virtual/Electronic Agenda155th Session of the North Georgia ConferenceThe United Methodist ChurchJune 3 – 5, 2021Theme “Love Is Making Room”Thursday, June 3, 20219:30 amBegin participant log-in9:30 amGathering10:00 am12:30 pmClergy Executive SessionCall to OrderOpening PrayerReflectionOrganization of the Session:-Orientation to Virtual Session-Setting the Bar of the Clergy Executive Session-Permission for Visitors to be Present in the SessionReport of the Board of Ordained MinistryCelebration of Ministry:-Historic Questions-Fellowship & Orders Reports-Fellowship of Local Pastors & Associate Members-Order of Deacons Executive Committee-Order of Elders Executive Committee-Clergy serving in Extension MinistriesAnnouncementsClosing PrayerAdjournmentFriday, June 4, 20217:30 am7:30 am8:30 amParticipant log-in beginsGatheringSession OneOpening WorshipBishop Sue Haupert-JohnsonOpening PrayerHymn UMH 553 “And Are We Yet Alive?”9