Last Monday, the Conference Connectional Network of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference declined to move forward with a new conference staff structure and to study this possibility over the next year. The plan was presented earlier at the Conference Finance and Administration meeting of which I am a member. The plan and the transition plan to get to the new structure was very sketchy and probably led to this decision by the Connectional Network. I believe that Conference Connectional Network was wise to take this course of action and I hope that this action will be supported by the WPA Annual Conference.
The new structure focused on District Programming Positions that would do the bulk of their ministry in their assigned districts and provide conference ministries as assigned (for example one might have the extra responsibility of camping). To make this financial possible (saving about $100,000 per year) the conference program staff and three district superintendents would be let go and their responsibilities picked up by the district folk.
The proposal to change responsibilities and structure of the conference staff is important and will impact the ministry of this conference for the next decade. Here are some important things that I hope we will look at in this study.
WHAT DO WE HOPE TO GAIN:
1. We shouldn't simply ask what District Program people will do for local churches, but we should push the question back one level and ask "What do local churches need to make disciples?"
2. What are the specific administrative and programing pieces that need to be provided by the connectional system to enhance the local church disciple making?
3. What resources (people, program, time) should be allocated to most effectively make these things happen in the least disruptive and cost effective way.
WHAT DO WE HOPE NOT TO LOSE:
1. We can't simply add. We need to ask about what is going right and what is valuable to making disciples.
2. How will we resource those items most effectively in any new structure with the least disruptive and cost effective way.
HOW DO WE MAKE THE TRANSITION:
1. Once we know what we want to keep and what we want to gain the plan should chart a detailed course of action on how to get from where we are now to where we want to be.
2. There should be a time-line for hiring and letting go of personnel; for buying and selling of property; for when programming and administration responsibilities transition; and for when and how progress reporting will be provided to the annual conference and its agencies.
3. There should be a transition budget. Not simply a block of money, but anticipated costs for personnel, property, training, programming, and administrative costs. The budget should have quarterly targets for easy review by the Conference Connectional Network.
4. There should be detailed job descriptions with salary and benefits for each position that we are losing and gaining. It should be easy to see if the responsibilities for each position are reasonable and cost effective.
5. If district boundaries are going to change this should be outlined so that appropriate property may be sold or purchased and appropriate discussions might take place regarding district ministries.
HOW DO WE DO THIS WITH JUSTICE:
1. If we must say good-bye to certain staff members, how do we do this in a just way. How do we care for an unemployment period (our folks don't qualify for regular unemployment, but we still advocate for corporations like ours to provide it for others); how do we handle hospitalization and career counseling?
2. If we have to say good-bye to significant ministries who do we do that in a way that honors what those ministries have done.
3. If we say good-bye to certain districts how do we do that with dignity and grace.
As I said I am glad that we are studying these important decisions and I pray that as we walk this narrow path we walk it with wisdom, grace, and the transparency deserving of the Body of Christ.
Until next time...Grace & Peace
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