COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY REPORT
February 12, 2013
Items for Presbytery Action:
Motion to Approve Moderators:
To approve Rev. Jack Lilley for Wheatland Presbyterian
Transfers/ Receive/Member at Large/Labor outside of Bounds
Approve request by Rev. Jeff Borgerson to Labor Outside the Bounds.
Approve retirement for Rev. Barb Parker effective September 1, 2012.
Approve Transfer of Rev. Barb Parker to Whitewater Presbytery effective September 28, 2012.
Board of Pensions
Request that Presbytery approve the recommendation by COM to respond to the Board of
Pensions regarding the proposed change in medical benefits. (See letter attached)
Items acted upon by Committee on behalf of the Presbytery
*Accepted the Semi-Annual Report by Chaplain David M Terrinoni, USAF.
*Approved a request to validate the teaching assignment of Richard Floyd at Columbia
Theological Seminary retroactively from last fall thru this spring.
Area I
Approved 6 month contract extension (thru June 2013) between Rev. Beth Wagner, Transitional
pastor, 2nd Congregational/1st Presbyterian, Rockford.
Approved Terms of Call between Julie Raffety and Rockford Westminster pending successful
examination of the candidate effective February 13, 2013.
Salary $20,000
Housing $20,000
S.E.C.A. $3,060
Total Effective $43,060
Full Pension and Medical
Medical Deducible $ 2,425
Study Leave $ 1,500
Professional Fund $ 3,900
4 weeks of vacation and a study leave of 2 weeks.
Moving allowance in the amount of $5,000.
Area II
Area III
Area IV
Approve contract extension between Jan Chandler, CRE and Church of Hope, Gardner, 1/1/1312/31/13.
Approve extension of contract between Rev. Frank Fisher, Interim, and Gibson City thru
9/25/13.
FYI
Area Chairs for 2013
Area 1-Rev. David Jones
Area 2-Rev. David Spaulding
Area 3-Elder Adelaide Kern
Area 4-Rev. Matt Robinson
COM Retreat with MSRB held on January 29-30 at Stronghold. Joint discussion of Future
Church based on books Bad Religion (Douthat) and The Church Transforming (Jinkins).
Triennial Visits-Estimated cost of a Triennial visit $60-$100 (paid for with Per Capita dollars)
Completed: Hanover
Pending: Fairbury Earlville Ottawa Kewanee Paw Paw Princeton, Washburn, Gardner,
Apple River-Scales Mounds, Dakota, Franklin Grove, Oregon, Prairie Dell, Waterman
NOTE: COM members! Remember to pick up your directories today!
*Please contact me with any questions regarding this report. Should you find errors, please!
contact me, so that they can be corrected ASAP.
Suzanne Finefield, Moderator, COM. 815-672-5496 or sfinefield@gmail.com
THE PRESBYTERY OF BLACKHAWK
P.O. Box 199 1922 N. IL Rte. 2 Oregon, Illinois 61061-0199
Phone: 815-732-6111 Fax: 815-732-7325
office@blackhawkpresbytery.org
www.blackhawkpresbytery.org
January 29, 2013
The Presbyterian Church (USA)
Board of Pensions Medical Benefits Group
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
At the annual retreat of the Commission on Ministry for Blackhawk Presbytery, we reviewed the
proposed changes to the medical benefits program of the PC(USA) effective January 1, 2014. While we
may not fully appreciate the actuarial task that stands before you, we are deeply concerned regarding the
consequences of what is being proposed.
Many congregations in our Presbytery are struggling with the fiscal realities of congregational
resources. In some cases faithful stewards are forced to choose clergy based not on the appropriateness
of their fitness for the call, but the pastor’s ability to live within the financial limitations of the call. We
believe the proposed changes to the medical benefits intensify this tension; and would create an
environment in which congregations would find single pastors more attractive than pastors who are
married and have children. This change removes the neutrality of marital and familial circumstance for
the pastoral candidate.
We are additionally concerned regarding how this will shift the financial burden from
congregations with greater resources to fund spouses and children’s medical benefits. Moving the
additional coverage to a fixed amount regardless of income places a heavier burden, as a percentage of
total income, on our low income clergy.
We appreciate the bind higher medical costs are placing on our benefits system. We are also
well aware that our clergy have experienced a benefits package long ago modified in other corporate
contexts. We hope, however, that the necessary changes permit continued neutrality regarding family
circumstance for our clergy and that undue burden is not placed on our lesser compensated pastors.
We request that other alternatives be weighed and considered which may not create greater
disparity of financial burden for our clergy and their families. These alternatives include, but are not
limited to, increased co-pays, removal of cap on salary maximum for dues calculation, removal of
benefits for Medicare eligible pastors, increase deductible calculation, or permitting the addition of
spouse and children at a rate calculated as percentage of effective salary rather than a flat amount; or
some combination that will permit solvency for our program and equity among our members.
One final note, we are deeply concerned regarding the timing of the discussion of these changes.
In a tradition that values open and fair dialogue regarding policy decisions, we regret that the timing of
any public hearing regarding these changes comes AFTER the time the changes are to be made by your
board. This implies a spirit of distrust that could jeopardize a sense of collegiality and integrity.
Again we do not mean to question your dedication and wisdom in these difficult times. We only
hope that the burden of these difficult choices may be shared rather than isolated.
Sincerely yours,
Commission on Ministry
Blackhawk Presbytery