2025 Journal-Yearbook

Illinois Great Rivers Conference 2025 Journal-Yearbook

structure shall be under the employee policies and procedures of the Conference Personnel Committee. The Conference Personnel Committee shall provide com- parable rights and privileges to clergy serving under appointment to conference staff as provided for clergy serving in local church appointments. All Conference Personnel Committee policies and procedures related to clergypersons under ap- pointment to conference staff shall comply with the current Book of Discipline of 1. The effective date of new appointments and salaries will normally be July 1, unless another effective date of appointment is set by the bishop. Va- cation days not used in any single appointment year are lost and do not accrue, nor shall the charge be obligated to pay additional compensation for any such unused days. 2. The pastoral service on a charge shall be the responsibility of the pastor appointed to that charge. No pastor shall perform pastoral acts in any parish other than the one assigned to him/her, except by invitation of the pastor-in-charge, or, in cases of emergency, with the consent of the district superintendent. The United Methodist Church. B. Ministerial Appointments 3. All pastors serving a full-time charge shall be granted a paid vacation of thirty-one (31) calendar days annually, including up to four Sundays and excluding holidays. (The understanding of “holidays” will be mutually agreed upon by the pastor and the Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Commit- tee). This amount of time (whether taken all at once or in two or more shorter intervals) shall be granted during each appointment year. The pastor, in consultation with the Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, shall arrange for pulpit supply and other needed pastoral service during such vacations. The church shall bear the cost of providing pastoral service during vacation periods. 4. Each charge shall allow its pastor to assist up to two (2) weeks (to include up to two Sundays) of evangelistic meetings, assisting at Conference camps and other ministry activities e.g. School of Christian Missions, Mission trips, Academy for Spiritual Formation) per year. None of these activities shall be counted against vacation time. 5. Pastoral leave for spiritual growth is dealt with in ¶ 351.2-3, 2020/2024 Book of Discipline . 6. Each charge shall provide time and financial resources for its pastors to participate in continuing education according to the policies recom- mended by the Annual Conference Board of Ministry and adopted by the Annual Conference. C. Moving of Pastors 1. A licensed carrier shall be used in moving the pastor’s household goods, unless an alternate plan is approved by the pastor, District Superintendent and the Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee of the charge to which the pastor is moving. 2. The local church to which a pastor of the Annual Conference is appointed

110 Legislative Items