May 14, 2024 | Volume IX, Number 20

Presbytery News and Information

Dear Friends:

As promised, I want to provide a brief report to you on the recent gathering of mid council leaders in Philadelphia last week on the Board of Pensions (BoP) benefits plan redesign. Both COM Policy and Benefits Task Force Moderator Newton Cowan and I spent two days hearing directly from BoP leaders and representatives on how plan members, congregations, and mid councils can expect to be impacted by the proposed changes. 

Board President Frank Spencer set the tone for our gathering forthrightly and openly at the opening of the meeting: the current plan design is broken and can no longer support sustainable ministry. In essence, current trends in church finances, employee demographics, and skyrocketing health care costs, are leading to fewer and fewer pastoral leaders being able to secure installed calls, much less access any benefits from the Board, including family medical coverage.

In light of these trends, the Board’s plan redesign offers several alternatives for pastoral leaders and their families to secure medical coverage in partnership with their congregational employers. At first glance, these coverage options may appear opaque and complex, but the range of options provide various funding mechanisms for churches to continue to provide a vital medical safety net for their pastoral leaders and the family members who love and support them. The goal of providing uninterrupted quality medical coverage for plan participants remains the same; how that coverage is provided requires a degree of openness, transparency, and creative dialogue among all parties that the new plan seeks to foster. Our takeaway from our Philadelphia gathering is that every pastor’s medical benefits structure and scope of benefits can be tailored to address both individual and family needs on the one hand and available church resources on the other. 

Entirely unheralded in the plan roll-out has been the notable expansion of benefits to previously ineligible categories of church leaders and employees, including Ministers serving churches in non-installed positions, Commissioned Ruling Elders serving as pastoral leaders, and lay employees of congregations and church-related institutions. In addition, the menu of benefits available—such as CREDO and the Assistance Program--will be expanded to include all pastoral leaders of congregations, not just those in installed positions. These are important and welcome developments that allow all church institutions to live into a vision of just compensation for all employees. 

 We hope that you and your key financial or personnel church leaders will be able to attend one of the regional gatherings on the May 15 in Statesville, Greensboro, or Burlington to hear more details of the plan re-design and learn precisely how you and your churches will be impacted, and what options are available for your benefits coverage in the coming years. Please sign up for these workshops TODAY if you have not already done so.

In closing, I feel I must acknowledge that the system of employer-based health care in place in our country today unjustly plays favorites with what should be a right for all of God’s children. As Presbyterian Christians with a historic focus on community healthcare delivery, we all must work to support changes in governmental health care policies that promote quality, access, and fairness so that all people may thrive. Please know that your continued health and well-being remain front and center in my prayers—and in my vote in November and my advocacy efforts thereafter!

In Christ, 

Tony De La Rosa,

Executive Presbyter

Salem Presbytery Retiree Zoom Gathering

Save the date for the next Salem Presbytery gathering of retirees via Zoom on Wednesday, June 5th at 10:00 am. A Zoom link will be emailed to all retirees prior to the gathering.

Sign Up for Peace & Justice Newsletter

The Peace and Justice Task Force invites you to sign up for their monthly newsletter addressing Peace and Justice issues and events. Click the link below to sign up.

Ministry Training and Education

ATTENTION ALL:

• Ministers of Word and Sacrament actively serving as pastors to congregations or otherwise engaged in a validated ministry within the bounds of Salem Presbytery;

• Commissioned Ruling Elders actively serving a congregation;

• Certified Christian Educators;

• Salem Presbytery Members-At-Large; and

• Presbytery Staff

In order to maintain good standing with Salem Presbytery (which is necessary to access and share your PDP on the new Church Leadership Connection system), completion of Racial Equity Equipping Training is mandatory.

Folks have until September 2025 to complete this training to remain in good standing, OR you must gain approval for an alternative training from the Peace and Justice Task Force.

Our next equipping events are: Wednesday, May 29th from 9-3:30 at Shallowford Presbyterian Church (registration closes this Wednesday, May 15th!)

and

Tuesday, October 8th from 9-3:30 at North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church

Registration for both of those events is now live at our Presbytery’s Racial Equity website here:https://www.salemracialequity.org/register

If you have questions, our facilitator contact information can be found on the Presbytery’s Racial Equity website (https://www.salemracialequity.org/home).

Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising 

Presbyterian College is proud to partner with the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (Indiana University) to offer the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising (ECRF). This unique partnership enables this outstanding course to be offered in the southeast region. The executive certificate program provides the research, tools, and customized training to meet the growing needs of leaders in religious communities and fundraisers of faith-based organizations. 

This program would be ideal for clergy or other faith leaders and stewardship or advancement staff members in religious communities, schools, or service organizations. Scholarship opportunities to cover some of the cost of attending the ECRF may be available through a church financial leadership grant from the Presbyterian Foundation.  

More details and Registration:  https://www.presby.edu/academics/graduate-professional/lake-institute/

Program Dates: May 20-22, 2024 

Location: Covenant Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC

Ministry Opportunities

Position Opening at Westminster Presbyterian - Greensboro

Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC is accepting PDP’s from interested parties for the position of Interim Pastor.

Follow the link below for the job description and/or to apply.

Position Opening at Pleasant Grove Presbyterian

Pleasant Grove Presbyterian in Yanceyville is searching for a pianist for Sunday Worship and occasional services. Interested candidates should contact Pastor Steve Jordan at 336-380-1859 or 336-562-2215. 

Position Openings at First Presbyterian Salisbury

First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury is advertising an open position. See the link below for job description and information.

Position Opening at First Presbyterian High Point

First Presbyterian Church in High Point is advertising for the position of Next Gen Director. See the link below for job description and information.

Position Opening in Montreat

Greetings from Montreat Conference Center. We have a full-time, exempt position open for a Director of Development Communications. Follow the links below to read a full job description and/or to apply.

Looking Ahead - Upcoming Events

Register for Bible and Church Music Conference 2024 today! Come listen to leaders and speakers like Rev. Dr. Brian Blount and Rev. Shannon Johnson Kershner. For more information about BCMC 2024, please visit https://massanettasprings.org/programs/bcmc.

Ordination Anniversaries

Please pass along congratulations to the following who are celebrating anniversaries of their ordinations:

• Delores Spielman ordained Ma7 18, 2003
• Melissa Davis ordained May 19, 2013
• Andrew Taylor-Troutman ordained May 23, 2010 
• Jon Phillips ordained May 23, 2014  (10th in 2024)
• Jon Gaska ordained May 25, 2014  (10th in 2024)
• Pete Peterson ordained May 25, 1952
• Mason Todd ordained May 27, 2012
• Seulki (John) Kim ordained May 27, 2002
• Kaye Barrow-Ziglar ordained May 28, 2014  (10th in 2024)
• Ernie Thompson III ordained May 29, 1988

Community Circle Zoom Series: Small Church

Are you an educator, volunteer, minister of Word and Sacrament, or commissioned pastor who serves as a leader in a small church (less than 100 members)? Are you a mid council leader who supports formation for leaders in small churches? You are invited to register for this Community Circle, our newest Faith Formation Leader Connection opportunity designed especially for those leaders in small churches to talk about faith formation.

Zooms will be offered six times, March – November 2024; come to every gathering, or when you can, to share in conversation and learn, ask questions, receive and share resources for ministry, and support one another. Register once but register anytime. Register once, anytime during the series.

Our conversation facilitator will be Sandy Safford, faith formation leader for close to 30 years and a commission-ready pastor who served as pastor for a small rural congregation in Colorado for 10 years. She is also a consultant, retreat facilitator, and trained coach who loves the outdoors as well as collecting ideas with colleagues for wonder and imagination in ministry.

The dates (Eastern time) are:

• Tuesday, August 6th, 3 p.m.
• Thursday, October 10th, 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 13th, 1 p.m.

To keep up on all the resources and offerings from the Office of Christian Formation, check out our February Quarterly News, or QuickSheets.