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Apportionments Episcopal Fund and Housing

This one apportionment has two distinct parts: The Episcopal Fund, managed by the General Council on Finance and Administration to support the work of the bishops of The United Methodist Church, and the Episcopal Housing Fund, managed by the Conference Treasurer, to provide housing for the bishop of the Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Confer­ences, Bishop Robert E. Hayes Jr.

First, let us consider the work and responsibilities of an active bishop in our church. According to the Book of Discipline, _ 414, the first responsibil­ity is to "lead and oversee the spiritual and temporal affairs of The United Methodist Church which confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and particularly to lead the Church in its mission of witness and service in the world." The second task is to "strengthen the local church, giving spiritual leadership to both laity and clergy; and to build relationships with people of local congregations of the area."

The Episcopal Fund pays salaries and professional travel and moving expenses of bishops, provides pension and health insurance coverage for bishops and their spouses, pays episcopal office expenses up to a speci­fied amount each year, and pays each episcopal area annually to assist in providing an episcopal residence.

The amount apportioned for Episcopal Housing is added to the funds provided by the Episcopal Fund and to earnings from funds restricted for this purpose. The Oklahoma Conference and the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference jointly provide a home for the bishop's family.