Illinois Great Rivers Conference 2025 Journal-Yearbook
of the church for handling church funds. All disbursements of funds shall be made by checks or electronic means drawn upon the account. 2. All church treasurers shall be bonded through the Annual Conference Blanket Bond Policy which shall be considered as secondary insurance to the local church’s own coverage for embezzlement, theft, dishonesty or similar losses. Local churches are encouraged to purchase their own primary coverage. 3. The local church shall budget travel expenses to compensate the pastor for actual miles driven fulfilling ministerial duties. Actual miles driven are to be multiplied by the Internal Revenue Service rate for mileage allowance. 4. Each charge shall provide and pay for telephone service beyond the church building for the pastor and basic cable or basic satellite television service for the parsonage home, and internet service, high speed if available, at the designated office or place where the pastor is expected to perform his or her pastoral duties. C. Housing 1. Every church must provide adequate housing for its pastor. The church or charge may meet this need by means of a parsonage or by providing a housing allowance sufficient to buy or rent a home in the area served by the church that meets parsonage standards as outlined in the Standing Rules and Book of Discipline . 2. Standards for the Parsonage home: a) A parsonage may be owned and maintained by a church, a pastoral charge or the Annual Conference. b) Any new parsonage being purchased or built shall comply with the pro- visions of ¶ 2544, 2020/2024 Book of Discipline . c) Deeds for such parsonages shall comply with the Trust Clauses in Deeds (¶ 2503, 2020/2024 Book of Discipline ). d) In considering the location of a new church parsonage, the positive witness of a commitment to the neighborhood and community shall be considered. e) Parsonages shall have an adequate yard and play space for children (not necessarily next to the church). The parsonage shall provide privacy for the minister’s family and have adequate parking. f) The parsonage shall have at least 3 bedrooms (one primary and two with at least 120 square feet each) with adequate closet space for each; at least one and a half baths, one with a shower, with adequate linen closets; family or recreation room; living room, dining area, kitchen with suf- ficient cabinets and work space; automatic dishwasher; coat closet near front entrance, where possible; adequate accessible storage space well distributed throughout the house; garage adequate for one car and stor- age; insulation; storm windows, storm doors and screens or equivalent; utility area with hookups for laundry appliances. g) The parsonage shall have automatic whole house heating and air conditioning; water softener if necessary; modern cooking facilities; refrigerator-freezer; automatic washer and dryer; automatic dishwasher; draperies or appropriate window coverings in all rooms; well-kept floor coverings for all rooms (carpet for living room and other suitable areas) and extermination of household pests where required. h) Additional Desirable Standards (not required to meet minimum stan- dards): Four bedrooms (one suitable for study in addition to church
Standing Rules 345
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