United Congregational Church of Southern Africa

United Congregational Church of Southern Africa

SYNOD OF SOUTH AFRICA

CATEGORIES OF MINISTRIES

ACTING MINISTER

Procedure 4.3 states the following:

4.3.1The Regional Council thereupon makes arrangements for the appointment of an Acting Minister whose duties include the following:

4.3.1.1Pending the departure of the minister who has resigned from the pastorate, to preside at all Deacon’ and Church meetings when the future of the pastorate is being discussed.

4.3.1.2When the minister concerned has left, to be responsible for the general oversight of the local church. This includes the following:

i)Presiding at all Deacon’s and Church meetings either in person or by deputy.

ii)Making arrangements for the administration of the Sacraments.

4.3.2An Acting Minister is appointed for not more than a year at a time. The Regional Council approves the continuation in office at its annual meeting.

4.3.3The Regional Council appoints a minister to preside at all Deacon’ and Church meetings when the calling of a minister is being discussed. This applies also when a local church, having at least one minister in pastoral charge, desires to call an additional minister.

4.3.4Should any church wish to consider issuing a call to its acting minister, it first reports this to the Regional Council/Synod, which appoints another minister to preside.

The following questions comes to mind:

a)Is this a category or a function?

b)Who is eligible to perform the duties of an Acting Minister?

c)Is a Self Supporting Minister able to be an Acting Minister?

d)What other duties and responsibilities can be expected from an Acting Minister?

e)What remuneration is payable to an Acting Minister? Some ministers are paid on a monthly basis whether they visited the church in that month or not.

SELF SUPPORTING MINISTERS

Article 8.7 of the UCCSA Constitution states the following:

8.7A self-supporting minister is a minister engaged in full-time secular appointment who has been appointed to a specific form of ministry by a Regional Council or Synod.

Procedure 6 states the following:

6.1The Synod or Region appoints a self-supporting minister to a local church on the recommendation of the Synodical/Regional Ministerial Committee in consultation with the local Church concerned.

6.2A minister may not be appointed as a self-supporting minister to more than one pastoral charge per annum.

6.3A self-supporting minister receives no stipend or any other fixed emoluments except an allowance for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses.

6.4The Synodical/Regional Ministerial Committee annually reviews each appointment and thereafter makes its recommendations to the Assembly Ministerial Committee.

Again, the following questions comes to mind:

Is a Self Supporting Minister able to be an Acting Minister?
What is the time allocation to the duties of a Self Supporting Minister?
What other duties and responsibilities can be expected from a Self Supporting Minister?
What remuneration is payable to a Self Supporting Minister? Thus, what is the understanding of “out of pocket expenses”? Some ministers are paid a fixed amount per month. Lately I heard of a request to pay R4 000.00 per month.
Should a Self Supporting Minister in secular employment hold office in the church? Look at the availability to attend to ministerial matters.

What is the broader church’s understanding of the phrase “specific form of ministry’? Any form of ministry that will enhance the work of the church in the Region/Synod.
Will this be done with or without remuneration? Who would take responsibility for remuneration? Should the Region/Synod consider a “central fund” to provide remuneration – getting outside funding?
Is this not a form of specialized ministry?
Must the incumbent be associated with a local church to be performing this type of ministry?
How much time would be allocated to this form of ministry?

SECONDED MINISTERS

Article 8.6 states:

8.6A seconded minister is a minister engaged in another form of Christian service with the consent of the Assembly Ministerial Committee. The procedure for the appointment of seconded ministers is set out in Procedure 6.5.

Procedure 6 states the following:

6.5Application for secondment is made in writing to the Assembly Ministerial Committee through the Regional Council. The application for secondment must state: the designation of the post and a job description of the same, the name and address of the body to which secondment is sought, the proposed period of appointment and proposed arrangements for contributions to the UCCSA Pension Fund.

6.6The minister’s classification on the Roll of Ministers is amended only after the application is approved.

6.7The seconded minister is to submit a written report on the service done during the period of appointment to the Assembly Ministerial Committee not later than the end of August each year.

The following questions comes to mind:

What do we is understand by Christian Service?
Should we not redefine secondment, as none of the above is happening?
Some ministers were seconded to an organization and moved from that to something else. What about them?

EMERITUS MINISTERS

Article 8.9 states the following:

8.9A minister formally retires at the age of 65 years but may continue in active service provided:

8.9.1in the event of a minister serving a local church the provisions of Procedure 4.4.7.8 fulfilled. A two-thirds majority vote of the members present and entitled to vote at a special meeting of the local church called for that purpose is required for a decision on the extension of service. Thereafter the minister’s call or appointment is reviewed every two years;

8.9.2in the event of service in any other appointment the Assembly Ministerial Committee assesses the efficacy of the mode of ministry of such appointment each year and decides accordingly on the recommendation of the Ministerial Committee of the Regional Council or Synod.

8.9.3A minister may apply for early retirement from the age of 60, provided the application is properly motivated and supported by the relevant Regional Council/Synod. A minister who opts for early retirement may not continue in active service in his/her present charge beyond the date of retirement.

8.10A minister emeritus is a minister who has retired from the active service of the Church and who retains full accreditation on the Roll of Ministers for life.

Status and duration of extended ministry governed by the UCCSA Policy on Retirement, as per the constitution.
Region should meet with local church to apply constitution.
Region should than recommend change of status.
The status of appointment is Emeritus Minister on extended ministry.
Duration – two years – needs to be reviewed every two years.
What is the remuneration with this new arrangement?
What are the duties and responsibilities?

CONTRACT

Made and entered into between

…………………………………………………….

(here in after referred to as the CHURCH)

and

…………………………………………………………

(here in after referred to as the MINISTER EMERITUS

Where as the ………………………………..CHURCH requires the services of the Rev ……………….. for ministerial duties for a period of two (2) years commencing as from ………………….. until ……………………..

A job description duly set out as below has been agreed:

To be responsible for all Worship Services, the Eucharist, Baptism and Confirmation
To serve communion to the aged and the sick
To do house and hospital visitation as per the request of the branch church in conjunction with the Ward Deacon
To be responsible for marriage and baptism counselling, marriage and funeral services and bereavement and post bereavement counselling

Attend meetings as defined:

Local committee meetings
Local and general Members meetings
Deacons and Finance meetings
UCCSA and Regional meetings
Regional Ministerial meetings.
Attend Synodical, UCCSA and CUC structures where and when applicable

It is furthermore agreed that the Minister will endeavour to develop the Church towards the calling of a full time minister as well as autonomy for the different outstations.

CONDITIONS OF LEAVE

20 days per annum excluding weekends will be granted plus one (1) free day per week.
12 days sick leave per annum will apply.
Any sick leave not taken within the same year will be forfeited.
A minimum of ten (10) ordinary leave days must be taken annually and the rest can be accumulated.
Any unenjoyed leave in excess of ten (10) days per annum may be commuted at the end of the two (2) year contract.

REMUNERATION

Basic Salary……………..

Telephone Allowance………………

Travelling Allowance………………

Total………………

Year-end honorarium, as decided by the Finance Committee, will be made at a flat rate of ……….. per annum payable November of each year.

APPRAISAL

A six (6) monthly appraisal will be conducted.

Results of the appraisal may be linked to a review of the terms of the contract.

TERMINATION OF CONTRACT

The contract can only be terminated in the event of sub-standard performance by either the minister or church
In the event of termination, the procedures as per clause 5 of the UCCSA Constitution will be followed.

The parties agree that this contract contains and reflects the entire agreement. Furthermore, the parties agree to be bound by the contents of this agreement and undertake that no variation of this agreement shall be valid unless first reduced to writing and signed by each of the parties.

Signed on behalf of the …………………………………………………………………Church

At …………………………….. on this, the ……….. day of …………………….. 20…

…………………………………..

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Signed by the minister at ………………………………….. on this , the ………………. day

Of ……………………………20……

……………………………………