Frequently Asked Questions
Who should attend the Unifying Conference?
All are welcome to join us and observe this historic conference!
If you are clergy, you will be eligible to vote per your clergy status.
If you are laity, the 2016 Book of Discipline (BOD) states that lay members to called special annual conferences are the same lay members of the previous annual conference. For the Unifying Conference, this means the lay members or alternates who were last seated at the 2024 Central Texas, North Texas or Northwest Texas Annual Conferences. If the alternate for your church attended in June, the alternate is the voting member for this Unifying Conference.
The Book of Discipline allows for replacement of lay members by the charge conference only in the instances of “death, serious illness, or cessation of membership.” (¶602.5) Should these circumstances apply to your church, please contact your district office to discuss steps for making changes.
How does the new conference structure provide checks and balances if something isn’t working correctly, and to address needed changes if it isn’t?
The Horizon Texas Conference Lead Team (the equivalent to CTC’s Core Team and NTC’s Core Leadership Team) has the responsibility of overseeing the work and ministry of the whole conference structure. This includes questions of operations, structural functions and progress toward goals, as well as questions of changes to be made between meetings of the Annual Conference. This team meets throughout the year and is built to be in regular communication and collaboration with the conference’s various ministry leaders.
When bringing together so many groups within the Pursuing and Embracing Diversity Team, how are we able to ensure that each retains an important voice and representation as desired by The Discipline?
There has been great intentionality in building a Pursuing and Embracing Diversity team that includes experienced and natural advocates for the areas associated with Pursuing and Embracing Diversity, including Religion and Race, the Status and Role of Women, Native American Ministries and Disability Ministries, among others. Each of the groups connected to the Pursuing and Embracing Diversity Team has clear and obvious representation on that larger, collaborative group.
Additionally, these teams will have the ability to develop task forces to delve more deeply into specific areas as needed. The Lead Team, as described above, is also in place as the accountability mechanism to ensure that these teams are indeed caring for the various functions they were designed to do.
In the apportionment formula based on “tithes and offerings,” does that consider other income? Does that include revenue from foundations with which the church may have affiliation? Are there any exclusions from the formula?
In some cases, we know that churches have foundations or other similar entities that generate income for the church, and those earnings are used to support ministry or operating expenses at a local church. However, these will not be considered in the 2025 proposed budget because there is not a way to collect that data. The proposed legislation seeks to add a line through the annual church reporting to collect this information, which will be included in the apportionment formula for the 2026 budget.
Giving to capital campaigns will not be included in the tithes/offerings for apportionment purposes.
Will the percentage for 2025 apportionments be based on 2023 or 2024?
Apportionments for 2025 will be based on giving reported for 2023. Moving forward, as giving is reported at the end of a year, churches will know what to anticipate for the next year’s apportionments. This predictability should offer more space to account for any budget adjustments or planning to make apportionment payments possible.
Why not allow the Annual Conference to decide between the various apportionment indices considered (7.5% vs. 9%, for example)?
The recommended apportionment index and the resulting budget come from the Stewardship Team after much discussion with local church leaders and with the support and approval of the three legacy Councils on Finance and Administration. While it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to develop the budget, it does go before the Annual Conference for approval, and this budget will be considered on September 28. If a member of the annual conference wishes to bring an amendment to the floor at the Unifying Conference, that is where it could be considered by the body.
Why are we considering a 50% payout of General Church apportionments when we are among the wealthiest Annual Conferences and have low local church apportionment rates (comparatively)?
While we are three annual conferences that have historically had resources, we are also three conferences that were impacted quite significantly by disaffiliation. We are working hard to reset in ways that will lead to long-term health and viability for all of us together.
After much prayer and discernment, the stewardship team, in coordination with the legacy Councils of Finance and Administration, has made the recommendation to pay our General Church apportionments at 50% in 2025, rather than our recent payout history of 80-85%. This recommendation was not made lightly, but was necessary as we organize our Horizon Texas Conference structure and budget to emerge stronger after this challenging season. We are in communication with General Church leaders about this approach.
There are two primary reasons for this recommendation:
To lower the apportionments to our local churches anywhere from 3-10% in 2025, recognizing the financial pressures many are facing.
To protect our conference reserves from being depleted over the next four years, ensuring long-term stability and ministry support.
This temporary measure will allow us to direct more resources toward local and regional ministries as we restructure for growth. Our goal is to increase our General Church apportionment payout by 10% a year and cease drawing on reserves by 2027 without increasing our 7.5% apportionment index.
How would a District Superintendent respond if a local church only paid 50% of Annual Conference apportionments?
District Superintendents regularly check in with churches to understand where they are and plan for the Annual Conference accordingly. There are cases in which a church must pay less than 100% of its apportionments, and the earlier they have these conversations with their District Superintendent, the better. Each church is different in where they are, but part of the conversation is always planning a path to get back to 100% apportionment or connectional giving payout.
Similarly, annual conferences across the connection are grappling with similar financial realities as inflation rises and membership and giving have declined. We are in communication with General Church leaders about the recommended approach, including a 50% General Church apportionment payout in 2025 and a stairstep plan that would allow us to increase General Church apportionment payout by 10% a year and cease drawing on reserves by 2027 without increasing our 7.5% apportionment index.
The General Conference already cut apportionments to the General Church by 40 to 50%. Weren’t our delegates part of setting this apportionment rate?
Yes, and as more combined financial information has become available across our three legacy conferences, additional decisions were necessary in determining how the Horizon Texas Conference can move forward in ways that will lead to long-term health and viability.
The budget before us represents the recommendation in a landscape of competing values – we value connection and the ministry that happens through the General Church, and we value the ministry and connections made by our local churches. We value impactful work and resourcing at the Annual Conference that supports the church as a whole, and we value the global impact of the General Church ministries. It is challenging to navigate all of these competing values, and so the budget proposal is calling us to consider what is possible this year and what next steps would look like in the years to follow.
Could there be an increase in that 50% payout if funds are available?
Yes! The stewardship team based the 2025 budget proposal on recent history and current realities. However, if we see significant growth and healthy giving, or if expenses are lower than anticipated, additional funds can certainly go to increase our General Church apportionments payout.
Is there a list available of restricted funds, how they are restricted and how they are currently being used?
Funds within the legacy conferences are classified as restricted, designated and unrestricted. Restricted and designated funds are utilized as defined in the supporting documentation. Unrestricted funds are used for the regular business of the conference.
Generally, restricted funds cannot be redirected for other purposes. Examples of restricted funds include retirement pensions and retiree medical benefits. Restricted funds can include donor-restricted funds for a specific purpose, such as scholarships.
A conference board or the cabinet may designate funds for a specific purpose. Such funds are “fenced” or “earmarked” for that express purpose. For example, during the pandemic, a cabinet may have “designated” funds for local churches to purchase equipment for live-steaming worship services. Unless expressly stated, the entity that designated the funds must also be the entity to redirect or reclassify those funds.
In advance of official operations beginning on January 1, 2025, the Stewardship Team is developing a list of designated funds to explore consolidations within each legacy conference and determine which legacy conference designated funds can be combined for the Horizon Texas Conference.
If we pay the General Church apportionments at 50%, will that rate be evenly applied across all funds those apportionments support?
The Book of Discipline, in ¶622 and ¶818.3, states that the Episcopal Fund must be paid at the same proportion as the conference’s clergy base compensation. Because the HTC clergy base compensation reaches 100% for clergy through local church funding and, where necessary, supplemental amounts from the conference, we must pay the Episcopal Fund at 100%.
How are clergy health insurance costs influenced by unification?
Bringing the legacy conferences’ various benefits together as we unify has been complex, and necessitated adjustments as the team compared benefit packages across the three conferences, as well as the historic draw-downs on health care benefits. Each legacy conference’s Board of Pension and Health Benefits approved the new monthly premium credit amount, which was recommended and approved at each of the three Annual Conferences this year.
The Joint Distributing Committee has proposed a monthly premium of $1,075 for eligible, full-time clergy ($12,900 annual). This represents a slight increase, as most monthly premiums were previously in the high $900s. Additional details about the health plan and clergy benefits can be found in Legislative Item #5 in the Pre-Conference Workbook.
Has it been decided in which city the conference headquarters will be?
No, the Office Location Sub-Team has recommended that both the Plano and Fort Worth offices remain operational through 2025, and that the HTC Trustees bring a recommendation to the Annual Conference for approval in 2025. Additional details can be found in the Report of the Office Location Sub-Team in the Pre-Conference Supplemental Reports.
Where should I plan to stay in Abilene?
The conference has secured room blocks at four area hotels.
NOTE: The registration fee for Clergy Retreat includes lodging for Thursday and Friday nights - Clergy Retreat attendees do not need to book additional accommodations.
Will there be childcare available?
The conference will coordinate childcare during the Unifying Conference on September 28, which requires advance registration by September 1. There will not be conference-provided childcare during the optional pre-conference events.
Will there be meals available?
There will not be conference-provided meals at the Unifying Conference. However, Saturday’s schedule will include a lunch break, allowing time for attendees to dine offsite. (See restaurant recommendations from the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau.)
Will the event be livestreamed?
The Unifying Conference business sessions taking place September 28 will be livestreamed for online viewing only on this website (htcumc.org/conference).