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Apportionments Equitable Compensation

It is not a large apportionment, but Equitable Compensation meets some very real needs-both for ministers and churches in the Oklahoma Annual Conference. In this, as in every other annual conference, there are small congregations and circuits which cannot pay sufficient salary to meet the minimum salary standards set by our annual conference.

Meeting these basic salary requirements is the first priority of this ap­portionment. But it is not the only way in which this apportionment helps to meet the needs of churches and pastors. Occasionally the skills and leadership abilities of a particular pastor are especially needed in a specific church. When the church in need cannot provide adequate support for the pastor, these funds are used to help close the gap for a brief period of time, while the church grows into its potential and assumes full responsibility for supporting its pastor.

Not every church can meet the requirements to qualify for equitable compensation support. No two churches within 20 miles of each other can participate in the minimum compensation plan unless they combine to form a circuit. The charge is expected to pay at least half the required compensation amount, and that amount was at least $10,000 in 2006. The churches also must pay the pension amount on the base compensation they pay the pastor. Churches are urged to increase their pastoral compensation by 5 percent each year, and cannot continue in the program if they reduce the amount of pastoral support.

It's a relatively small apportionment, but it does a big job!