Items to be voted on AC 2021

New items from the floor:

2021 Annual Conference Landing page

Items you’ll be voting on include:

Resolutions (Below)

On the Election of General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegates

Be it resolved that resolved, that Paragraph 3012.10.c) of the Rules of the Annual Conference Session be amended to read as follows: Clergy and lay delegates to the General Conference shall be elected first by separate ballot, to be followed, after all the delegates to the General Conference have been elected, by balloting for delegates to the NEJ. After all NEJ delegates have been elected, four clergy and four lay persons shall be elected as alternates to the NEJ. All delegates and alternates must be elected by a minimum of a simple majority of the votes of the members present and voting, clergy members voting for clergy delegates and lay members voting for lay delegates.
On Clarifying Annual Conference Deadlines

Be it resolved that each year the Conference Secretary, in consultation with Conference Communications and the Connectional Table, shall set a deadline for resolutions to Annual Conference and a deadline for reports from the various committees and agencies (the deadline for resolutions and the deadline for reports may be the same date); and

Be it further resolved that the Conference Secretary shall announce the deadline(s) for resolutions and reports at least ninety (90) days in advance of the deadline(s) on the Conference website and in the e-connection.
On Establishing a Baltimore-Washington Conference Cemetery Association

Be it resolved that the Baltimore-Washington Conference Trustees are authorized to form a Baltimore-Washington Conference Cemetery Association which will have overall responsibility for the three historic cemeteries and additional cemeteries that are specifically acquired by the Conference from the closed church transfers;

Be it further resolved that the Conference Trustees will designate a portion of closed church sales proceeds under their direct control for endowing the care and maintenance of the cemeteries under the responsibility of the Baltimore-Washington Conference Cemetery Association; and

Be it further resolved that the Baltimore-Washington Conference Cemetery Association will be authorized to receive and use additional streams of funding under their direct control for the care and maintenance of the cemeteries under their responsibility.
To Declare gun Violence a Public Health Emergency in our Conference
Be it resolved that every congregation in the Baltimore Washington Conference respond to gun violence as a community-wide health care emergency by entering into courageous conversation on the causes and effects of gun violence and by taking steps to prevent violence. We affirm “Our Call to End Gun Violence” (2016 UM Book of Resolutions #3428) and will prioritize: universal background checks on all gun purchases; ensuring all guns are sold through licensed gun retailers; prohibiting all individuals under restraining order due to threat of violence from purchasing a gun; prohibiting persons with serious mental illness, who pose a danger to themselves and their communities, from purchasing a gun; ensuring greater access to services for those who have mental illness; banning large-capacity ammunition magazines and weapons designed to fire multiple rounds each time the trigger is pulled, (this issue has been addressed at the federal level); and promoting new technologies to aid law-enforcement agencies to trace crime guns and promote public safety.
Creating a Green Baltimore-Washington Conference

Be it resolved, that churches within the Baltimore/Washington Conference will address creation care through one or more of the suggested actions or others of their choosing:

Do a study of creation care, using “Climate Justice: A Call to Hope and Action,” edited by Pat Watkins, or other Climate/Environmental Book with consultation with and input from the BWC Creation Care Action & Advocacy Team.
Support and encourage one or more members to do the Earthkeeper online training (https://umcmission.org/EarthKeepers).
Create a Green Team that will organize to educate and activate their church in creation care. These teams are encouraged to create relationships with Interfaith Power & Light (ipldmv.org) and Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (interfaithchesapeake.org), both of which are important regional partners in creation care.

On the Maryland Environmental Human Rights (MDEHR) Amendment

Be it resolved, that the Baltimore-Washington Conference endorses the passage of the Maryland Environmental Human Rights Amendment and encourages BWC congregations in Maryland to publicize this endorsement in their respective church bulletins, newsletters, and on their websites.
On the Endorsement of the General Conference Legislation Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation

Be it resolved that the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference endorse the passage of the Protocol when said legislation comes before a special called General Conference or a regular session of General Conference.

Council on Finance and Administration recommendations

The proposed budget of $18,145,697 shall be adopted for 2022, including a mission share income budget of $13,104,912. This represents a slight increase of $70,000 or 0.5% in the mission share asking compared to the 2021 budget following the $1.0 million reduction in the prior year. (See the proposed budget)

The Benevolence Factor (BF) for 2022 remains unchanged at 17.55%. The collection rate assumption for 2022 is set at 89.0%, which is 1.5% higher than the 2021 rate. Due to anomalies in the 2020 statistical data during the pandemic, the mission share base will be calculated as a 3-year average of local church statistics from 2018, 2019, and 2020.
As required by The Book of Discipline, the ratio for World Service and Conference Benevolences shall be set as follows: 33% for World Services and 67% for Conference Benevolences.
The firm of Ellin & Tucker is approved as independent auditors to audit the Conference Treasurer’s financial records for 2021.
The date for closing the 2021 Conference financial books shall be set at January 11, 2022, with all payments to be received by the Treasurer’s Office no later than that date.
The Baltimore-Washington Conference grants authority to the Council on Finance and Administration, in consultation with the Bishop, the Cabinet, and the Discipleship Council to act on financial matters between sessions of the Annual Conference.

Board of Pensions Recommendations

Commission on Equitable Compensation

The Commission on Equitable Compensation is recommending that the base salary for the 2022 Clergy Salary Table be increased 2.0%, or $914, which will make the base salary $46,592. The Commission is also proposing an increase in the recommended housing allowance of 2.0% or $407, which will make the recommended housing allowance $20,771.

Church Closures

The District Superintendents recommend the closure of nine United Methodist churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference.
They include:
Corkran Memorial UMC in Temple Hills;
Youngs UMC in Huntingtown;
Solomons UMC in Solomons;
Edgewater UMC in Edgewater;
Piney Grove UMC in Middle River;
Falls UMC in Sparks;
Zion UMC in Cumberland;
Shaft UMC in Frostburg;
Pleasant Walk UMC in Myersville.