2015 ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE JOURNAL J. REPORTS 1. TELLING THE STORY REPORT... J TREASURER S REPORTS... J - 11

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1 J. REPORTS 1. TELLING THE STORY REPORT... J TREASURER S REPORTS... J Financial Commentary... J Budget... J Historical Rocky Mountain Conference Support of General Church Apportionments... J Tithe and Mission Giving Report... J Conference Statement of Revenue... J Audit... J SHARED FUTURES STATEMENT... J Reports J - 1

2 TELLING THE STORY REPORT Stories of Renewal of God s Creation Rocky Mountain Annual Conference 2015 Saturday, June 13, 2015: YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park (Setting: Everyone is seated in the living room setting with sofa, chairs, coffee table, lamps and end tables.) The photo presentation that accompanied this presentation can be found online. Go to and click on Presentations & Letters. Invitation to Stories of Renewal of God s Creation Youngsook Kang Good morning. It is so good to see you all. At each Annual Conference session we hope to tell the story of how we have cultivated abundant life throughout the Rocky Mountain Conference region and beyond. This year we are telling the story of how we have embraced environmental problems and exercised our stewardship of God s creation. The theme Renewal of God s Creation was inspired by a Pastoral Letter from the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church entitled God s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action. The opening sentence of the Letter reads, God s creation is in crisis. We cannot remain silent while God s people and God s planet suffer. This beautiful natural world is a loving gift from God, the Creator of all things seen and unseen. God has entrusted its care to all of us, but we have turned our backs on God and on our responsibilities. We are gathered here this morning to share our stories of how we work together to live sustainable lives as good stewards of God s creation in our churches and communities in the Rocky Mountain Conference. To that end, we asked each speaker to respond to the following questions: 1. How has your work area embraced environmental problems and exercised our stewardship of God s creation in the recent years? 2. What new ideas, mindset and consciousness would you call for us in order to be the kind of creature we are called to be? Now, shall we begin with a prayer? O God of life, may your presence be in our sharing. All of our sharing is yours. Amen. Kunle and Margaret, do you want to start? Please tell us the story of how our laity care for God s creation? Lay Leaders Story Margaret Hotze & Kunle Taiwo Margaret: And God looked out over the Rocky Mountain Conference.and saw that it was very good! Do we in this conference ever become immune to the beauty around us? Cindy Snodgrass, from Fowler, CO, writes, How marvelous is God s original creation of the world and how important it is that we strive to be God s serious stewards. In Fowler, we see and celebrate what God created each day. This picture is one of the amazing sunrises that occur in the Arkansas Valley. This photo is provided by James Graham, Sr., who regularly shares his beautiful photos of rivers, moons, sunsets, ---and members of our congregation. We begin our care for creation by being present to the wonder of God s creation. Kunle: What could be more beautiful than the Children s Garden at Calvary UM Church in Colorado Springs? We see in the beauty of these pictures how Calvary is teaching their children about God s bounty, about how we can be Co-Creators with God in the garden. Their Children s Garden is a feast for eyes as well as for bodies. Other churches have started community gardens to provide healthy, nourishing food, as well as time for gardeners to join in God s works. See these pictures from the Limon UMC Community Garden last year. We see first the bare frames, and then the fruits of their labor and God s good sun and rain. Margaret: And yet, amid the beauty and productivity, we remember Paul s words to the Romans: The whole creation has been groaning and in the past few years we have been learning about the many ways our behavior is affecting the earth in negative ways. J - 2 Reports 2015

3 United Methodist Women have been very actively supporting green efforts for many years. The ladies you see in these pictures from Karen Bueno have come together for training in the Be Just, Be Green principles of environmental stewardship by Miok Fowler, the Western Jurisdiction Environmental Guide. Kunle: Rocky Mountain Conference United Methodist Women received national recognition for hosting a Zero Waste meeting in Cheyenne two years ago. You ll see centerpieces made out of branches, handmade cloth napkins, real silverware and china. It s not easy to do a meeting with no waste at all no leftover paper, no paper coffee cups-- but the Cheyenne UMW did a great job. UMW continues to use principles of Environmental Justice in their meetings. Margaret: Many churches in our conferences have recycling programs. These ladies from 1 st UMC Fort Collins go beyond just having bins for different types of waste. They actually go through all the trash cans at church six days a week and sort recyclables from trash and compost and if you watch them at work, it makes you want to learn to throw your used coffee cup in the right receptacle. They figure they ve saved about 12.5 tons of compostable materials from going into the land fill over the last five years. Compost from the church is now being converted to organic fertilizer. Fort Collins Green Team also got grants from the city to pay part of the price for re-vamping lighting and for computerizing electric and gas usage. Kunle: Caring for Creation means honoring the land, using sustainable agricultural practices. Fair Trade products, such as Equal Exchange, honor small family farmers, allowing them to care for the land and for their families. Many of our churches are now using Fair Trade Coffee and Tea products. Margaret: Yes, and furthermore, Caring for creation goes beyond Rocky Mountain Conference. A team from Broomfield United Methodist church delivered water filtration buckets to Haiti. Honoring clean water and helping others to be able to access clean water that is mission intertwined with environmental justice. And a work team from our conference helped to dig post holes in Cambodia not a glamorous way to spend vacation days, but much appreciated in caring for the land. Caring for creation also means caring for all God s people. Many groups across the Conference have been learning about Human Trafficking, how they can help those who have been trafficked, and what practices need to be confronted to stop trafficking. Kunle: And then, there were those who lived at one with the land, before the coming of settlers. Renewal of Creation, caring for creation, means that we are in relationship with those who were here first. People from Fort Collins 1 st UMC make regular visits to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. These pictures of women and a little girl taken at a Pow Wow reveal their pride in their culture and their deep desire to continue their traditions for the next generation. As we see this picture of baptism at Pine Ridge, we remember that we are all baptized into Christ s body; in Christ we are one. Margaret: We rejoice that in our own conference, Pastor Norman Mark is working with the Native Grace Intertribal Fellowship, headquartered in the Cortez UMC. And in Monument Valley, Utah, Pastor Angela Nelson and her son and nephews show off the Navajo language Bibles given to Oljato UMC. These Bibles are gifts from Utah/Western Colorado Native American Ministries and United Methodist Women. We come together to honor God s written word. Kunle: This is our last picture: an elder gave her coin purse as well as the coins to Native American ministries in the Four Corners area. We can t look at this picture without remembering the story of the widow s offering told in Luke 21:2: All those people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. May we who have much remember that to whom much has been given, much is expected. We are called to celebrate this journey of growing our relationship with all of creation, and all of God s people. Kunle: LuAnne, tell us about how your church is working towards conserving resources. Voice from Grace UMC, Cheyenne WY LuAnne Ludwick 2015 Reports J - 3

4 Throughout the last several years, Grace United Methodist Church of Cheyenne, Wyoming has made several steps towards conserving resources and helping our planet thrive. We have found that little changes make a big difference. Just last fall, many of our light switches were changed out to motion sensor switches that are set on a timer, so that no one ever forgets to turn the lights out when a room in not in use. This coming fall will see most of the lights change to LED bulbs to further conserve energy. In May, the Trustees replaced three toilets with high-efficiency dual flush toilets to reduce water usage in the building. Last year, our children s Sunday school class made jewelry out of recycled paper beads; theysold the jewelry and bought these recycling bins for use in our Grace Hall. And Right inside our most used entryway into the church is a small recycling station for members to bring ink cartridges and batteries that a member takes for proper recycling so those items don t end up in a landfill. Last summer, members of Grace added a raised garden to the front of their church for the purpose of modeling sustainability. All ages were involved in constructing and planting the garden, to blessing the garden one Sunday after worship, to having a harvest celebration in the fall with a garden soup pot luck. Throughout the summer on Sundays, the produce was harvested and packaged for member to take produce home for their enjoyment. In October, the children got to harvest mini pumpkins from the garden to decorate. Grace UMC is actively looking for new ways to reduce our carbon footprint and help our planet be healthy and beautiful. LuAnne: Let us join in Litany Response. Litany Response: May we renew creation, getting our hands dirty, as co-creators of God s new kingdom Song: For the Beauty of the Earth Verse 1 For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. Cabinet Story Melanie Rosa The Mtn. Sky Area Cabinets are committed to creation care, and helping resource our congregations to exercise careful stewardship of this fragile earth. Metro District churches take environmental issues seriously. Simpson, First of Golden and University Park set examples all churches can follow. Between them they participated in a community-wide litter cleanup, drastically culled their paper mailing list, established recycle bins, purchased a recycle dumpster for the church and community and changed out light bulbs and fixtures. Highlands UMC is excited to have been certified as Denver's first Green Church. Their Green Team has also worked on various other projects including collecting fruits and vegetables in the neighborhood and donating them to Denver Urban Ministries. Congregations in the Mile High Pikes Peak District are taking seriously the call to be thoughtful stewards of God s creation. The Rev. Pete Sawtell, director of Eco Justice Ministries was the keynote speaker at our District Conference, reminding us how an intentional web of relationship is built into the very structure of the universe created by God. First UMC Fountain has a community garden, which supports their local farmers market and soup kitchen which feeds between people each week. Good Shepherd in Colorado Springs has solar panels which reduce their energy costs, and there are even song birds nesting in them. Grace UMC in Denver also installed solar panels, low flow toilets, and has very low electricity use. J - 4 Reports 2015

5 Sunrise in Colorado Springs has participated in erosion prevention projects after the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires. At least 3 days a week one of our District pastors rides his bike to work, and it is one hour each way. Thank you Executive Pastor at St. Andrew, Rev. Andy Dunning you inspire us all. In Wyoming, the people are intertwined daily with the land, water, animals, birds, fish, trees, plants and air around us. To raise environmental consciousness, First UMC of Casper put together a Green Team. Their mission statement reads: To raise the level of environmental consciousness in our congregation, staff and families. We will become stewards of the earth as God instructs us to be. The pictures you see are their work in action. Video education. Projects for children and youth. Intentional recycling. Building green in the new church addition. Recycling bricks, concrete and steel beams from the part which was demolished. Collecting used batteries and bulbs for safe disposal. Holding a bike, hike or carpool to church Sunday. In Utah/Western District, Bob Nohavec, a member of Mountain Vista UMC in West Jordan Utah, spearheaded a campaign to rid the congregation of the habit of accepting plastic bags while shopping. He wrote and hand delivered a letter describing this project to local merchants. The results were beyond all expectations; they donated more than 600 cloth bags, which were distributed church members. Each reusable bag replaces 2 plastic bags in carrying capacity. Mountain Vista may now be declared a plastic bag-free zone and are proud of their commitment to preserve the beautiful world that God has given us. In the Sunshine District the Beaver Creek camp & Retreat Center in the Rio Grande National Forest received a $5000 grant for the creation of an interactive and educational nature trail for hiking in and learning about the National Forest ecosystem, scheduled to be open this summer. The San Louis Valley church leaders, clergy and laity, join in cooperative parish ministry along with other RMC churches and other partnering non-methodist churches in the area, to serve on the Beaver Creek Board and support its camping and retreat ministries and operations. They encourage all of us to make the time to leave the concrete jungles and head for the forest; to not just stop and smell the roses, but to recognize that self-care is creation care, and creation care is self-care, and to join us in the Spirit's ministry of reconciliation. It is imperative that we make the time, now, and regularly, and teach our children, how to "be still and know God" everywhere, especially in the wilderness and natural places of beauty still left in our fragile world. In the Peaks and North East Colorado sub districts many people depend upon water, sun and other natural resources for their livelihoods. Every week Jason and Kelly Burghart of Windsor UMC collect a variety of metals to be recycled with the money received going to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene program of United Methodist Committee on Relief. Over $ has been raised. This amount of money can supply water for a village for life. Pierce UMC bought a large commercial freezer and two commercial refrigerators to help supply food to over 185 individuals every week. This is a way they are reaching out to and meeting the needs of their neighbors. We know many other churches are helping to heal and preserve God s creation while connecting in deep ways with their neighbors and communities. Thank you! St. Luke is another church who is doing great work. Sallie/Renae, tell us your story! Voice from St. Luke s UMC, Highlands Ranch CO Sallie Suby-Long or Renae Parra St. Luke s Center for Spiritual Engagement was created to promote healing and wholeness through innovative opportunities for connection and by providing experiences that inspire and transform. A vibrant part of the Center is our Outdoor Adventure Ministry! Our hope is to do our part in caring for the earth by inviting people to become immersed in nature and inspired by 2015 Reports J - 5

6 creation. We intend to honor our partnership in caring for the world while we connect with and care for one another. This mutual care begins internally. When we hike in the beauty of the mountains, or go canoeing on the clear water of a lake, or snowshoe on a winter day when the sky is crystal blue, spiritual transformation happens! We experience the healing work of creation, and we connect with ourselves, others and God in a new way. Our gratitude expands and changes us from within. It opens our souls to be in partnership with God s work in the world and to see our responsibility to care for creation. Here is a video collage of some of our outdoor adventures along with a few stories & thoughts from participants: (Video: St. Luke s 1:57 minutes) Sallie: The result of our engagement in nature is a renewed relationship with all of Creation - Our spirits are restored and refreshed and we grow in our passion to care for all of life and to be who we are called to be! Now, let us join in Litany Response. Litany Response: May we renew creation, getting our hands dirty, as co-creators of God s new kingdom Song: For the Beauty of the Earth Verse 2: For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. Finance Story Noreen Keleshian & Kirsten Barlow Kirsten: Finance & Administration Ministry is privileged to discuss how our connection supports and strengthens the renewal of creation. Our ability to support Mission & Ministries of Rocky Mountain Conference and global Church depends on the generosity of our churches and members. We thank all of you. You supported renewal and stewardship throughout God s world in A portion of your tithe plus mission giving last year went to pay our Apportionments in full for the first time ever. Truly an accomplishment to celebrate! 122 of our churches achieved full 13% tithe plus mission giving approved by the AC. A special thank you to them, they are listed in the program book. Fortunate to have an operating budget surplus in Surpluses are a blessing that help us maintain ministry programs in years when there are shortfalls in Conference budget. As noted in the program book, the 2014 surplus was transferred to designated funds to further our Conference ministries. CF&A is encouraging the use of designated funds in conjunction with budgeted funds to manage all our resources and be responsible stewards of our Conference ministries. Noreen: Our connectional system means stronger together than on our own. This is also evident in our shared benefits and risk management tools. We work with the GBOPHB to offer excellent benefit plans for our active and retired clergy and families. Several positive things are happening with our Conference benefit plans. The amount we bill churches for clergy pension will go down next year by half a percent. Health insurance rates for active clergy were reduced in January. We are pleased to tell you the increase next year will be only $10/month. J - 6 Reports 2015

7 Over past three years funding from Conference budget for retiree healthcare has gone down more than $300,000. We continue to focus on managing the cost of healthcare for retirees, and responsibly combine budget money and investment account earnings to subsidize this cost and benefit both retirees and the Conference. We received a $1 million dividend from GBOPHB last year, thanks to excellent claims experience of active and retired clergy on our health insurance plan. A portion of that dividend will subsidize healthcare for retired clergy. Another portion of the dividend will help active clergy cover future medical expenses provided the clergy and spouses on HealthFlex participate in the BFW this year, either here at Annual Conference or at a local medical facility. Conference Trustees responsible for property issues and risk management. During 2014 the Conference sold two properties, former Merino UMC and Bethel UMC, Boulder. Proceeds from these sales are available through the Legacy Fund for ministries that enhance vital congregations or assist churches to engage in mission outreach. The Legacy Fund has a report on the annual conference website we encourage you to read. Trustees manage our property and liability insurance plan, which presents another opportunity to leverage our connection. Everyone knows affordable coverage for wind and hail damage is a concern for our Conference. Risk management and effective stewardship continues to be a focus for us. Kirsten: Property, pension, health are necessary costs to achieve our ministries and retain effective spiritual leaders. AC has approved billing churches and Conference entities for these costs. Pleased to report the amounts past due to the Conference at the end of 2014 were at the lowest level since Thank you for staying current and catching up with these commitments, which benefits all of us. Rocky Mountain Conference churches and members generous, RMC is financially stable. Through April you gave more than $2 million tithe plus mission giving; we believe our $5.6 million budget is achievable. Members of Conference Council on Finance and Administration, Board of Pension & Health, and Trustees listed in the nominations report; please talk with any of us if you have questions about financial and administrative ministries of the Rocky Mountain Conference. Your contributions and commitment undergird and support our ministries to renew creation and steward God s world, thank you. Kirsten: Mary Beth, tell your Mountain View story. Voice from Mountain View UMC, Boulder CO Mary Beth Downing I am Mary Beth Downing, and I m here to tell you about our Solar Panel project. Many Factors made this project successful: First, VISION: Few people can look at the A frame architecture of our church and not envision solar panels on its south facing roof. INCENTIVES: In late January 2010, an came to our minister, Rev. Bill Moore, who forwarded it on to me. Xcel was offering financial support for non-profits to build solar projects. Any extra energy, not used by the projects, would be bought back by Xcel. This was a limited time offer. SKILLS: This project was brought forward to the trustees, and eventually the Church Council and exploration was approved. A core group started meeting weekly to figure out whether we could make this happen. RESOURCES: If you ask and you are open, churches have incredible expertise and energy sitting in their pews. You do need at least one extrovert (thank you Arthur!) to invite them in. The next three months were a series of miracles as people who knew about something that needed to happen, stepped forward and the project s energy grew. We had involvement from the Trustees, the Lay leadership, Finance, Church Council, Church staff and outreach/missions. ACTION PLAN: 1.) Regular meetings, 2.) the LIGHTING PROJECT (where church volunteers changed out all light fixtures to energy efficient ones allowing us to meet our electricity needs with the number of panels proposed.) 3.) 2015 Reports J - 7

8 Question and answer tables in our lobby to address questions like Will this make our roof leak? and 4.) Funding provided by the Foundation all kept us moving. RESULTS: We set a goal of 60 panels to make the project cost neutral. We sold solar panel units (part for whole) for $400 apiece. 100 panels were pledged quickly. An All Church Council was held and construction began March CHANGE: Our energy conservation plus the solar panel electricity have taken us from buying 75 MWH a year to SELLING 6 MWH a year. This is the simplified version of factors but our project has also eliminated the annual release of roughly 47 tons of CO2 and consumption of 39,000 gallons of water. After paying for all the components, the projected savings over the expected 30 year lifetime of the system is approximately $500,000. Our solar panel project was celebrated on May 1, A FINAL NOTE: I loved the question that Youngsook suggested we think about as we ponder the change needed for our future world and our future world as Christians. Hands down, the word that immediately came to my mind was GRATITUDE. The attitude of Gratitude creates openness, reduces fear, and allows the Holy Spirit a chance to work through us. God s hand guided us. Too often we give up because we lack faith in the power of our God. God s power is all we need to guide us to the positive changes that must happen next. Thank you. Mary Beth: Let us join in Litany Response. Litany Response: May we renew creation, getting our hands dirty, as co-creators of God s new kingdom Song: For the Beauty of the Earth Verse 5 For thy church, that evermore lifteth holy hands above, offering up on every shore her pure sacrifice of love; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. Mission and Ministry Story Youngsook Kang & Chris Frasier Youngsook: Truly, for the church that lifts holy hands above, we raise this song to God. Our movement of Caring for God s creation is in line with the holiness movement of the Methodist Church. The Rocky Mountain Conference Food & Justice Ministries is a good example of practicing such a holiness movement. Chris: The Food and Justice Initiative of the Rocky Mountain Conference partnered with the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union in exploring alternative models of justice when organizing their local food ministries. Identifying that traditional models of charity can often put a strain on congregations to meet the needs of so many while unintentionally alienating the people it works so hard to serve, Reuben Gregory and Rev. Stephanie Price provided coaching and education to congregations and individuals exploring alternative models of organizing both new and existing food ministries. This initiative is to seek an Alternative Toward an Ecological Civilization. Youngsook: Such ecological civilization is achieved when we seek assurance that the resources we enjoy will be available for the next generation. The Frasier Farm is one of the places that attempts to bring sustainability to resource use through sustainable agriculture. Chris: Our family has ranched on the high plains for five generations, and we ve seen many trends sweep through our farming communities. Some of these trends prove to be short-lived. But along with our neighbors, we count on healthy soils that will yield a harvest every year. We ve learned how to build sustainable food production systems that will be still intact when our grandchildren are ready to ranch. Youngsook: I learned so much about cattle grazing when my husband JinHo and I visited Chris at his Frasier Farm last month. For almost thirty years, Frasier Farm employed an ancient approach to cattle grazing that takes advantage of modern technologies. This practice, known as Holistic Management, makes use of large herds of cattle that move frequently among dozens of pastures so that individual grass plants can regrow without threat of overgrazing. It s modeled after the native grazing herds, like buffalo, that roamed the plains for thousands of years and helped form our short-grass landscape. J - 8 Reports 2015

9 Chris: It works like this: yearling cattle are procured from sale barns and brought to the ranch in semi lots of about 80 head. For the first few days, we acclimate them to electric fence and being handled by people. Gradually they are added to herds with our own breeding stock. The mature cows act as matrons of each herd, leading the group to feed and water, and holding the top of the pecking order as is necessary in any herd. Once the cattle are broke to electric fence, we can move throughout the ranch with one-wire fences separating them from previously grazed areas. Here is a short video about my cattle and grazing. (Video: Chris Frasier 50 seconds) Chris- As you have seen in the video, two of us manage the grazing herds. We do it either on horseback, or with fourwheeled Honda ATV s. We like the working from the saddle, and it s satisfying to move cattle quietly on horseback, but the distances and number of cattle require us to use ATV s most of the time. The cattle quickly adapt to our handling methods. It s critical that they are comfortable being moved every two or three days, so we strive to leave them in a calm, contented state. They soon learn that each move rewards them with fresh pasture, and so one person can drive a thousand head of cattle through a twenty-foot wide gate without adding stress to the cattle or their handler. Well, so much about our cattle and grazing. Now, Randy, what is Arvada church doing for greening? Voice from Arvada UMC, Arvada CO Randy Moorman The Arvada United Methodist Church Green Team began in 2010 when Rebekah Simon-Peter led the congregation on a Care of Creation retreat. The Green Team was formed with members who were dedicated to making AMUC green. The three main goals were to make the church more energy efficient; more environmentally responsible, and teach members to learn to live a greener life. Starting in 2010 the Green Team worked with the building operations staff to caulk the windows and convert bulbs to CFLs, LED s and T8 lights. On Earth Day 2011, new worship banners were dedicated that exhibited biblical references to our call to care for God s creation. All restrooms were installed with bathroom light sensors that automatically turn off the lights. We began recycling by adding recycling containers to each room, reducing the amount of waste we sent to the landfill by 30%. In 2012 AUMC joined the Colorado Interfaith Power and Light, a faith based organization dedicated to advocating for policies that move the world toward healthier, more sustainable ways of producing and using energy. To lead by example, in 2014 AUMC added (290) solar panels to its roof. After making our energy efficiency upgrades and adding the solar panels AUMC has made a big dent in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels. Now we are looking at what we can do to reduce the greenhouse gases that come for our consumption. This year, we conducted a waste assessment and determined that we can prevent more greenhouse gas production by become better at recycling, adding composting and reducing our use of paper. This summer we will kick off our effort to become Zero Waste with our summer picnic. We ll eliminate disposable tableware and begin composting. We will also look at making our monthly newsletter all electronic (with the option to receive mailed paper newsletters by request), eliminate junk mail and purchase only 100% post-consumer paper. We continue to look at ways to better care for God s creation. Now, let us join in litany response. Litany Response: May we renew creation, getting our hands dirty, as co-creators of God s new kingdom Song: For the Beauty of the Earth Verse 6 For thyself, best Gift Divine, to the world so freely given, for that great, great love of thine, peace on earth, and joy in heaven: Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise Reports J - 9

10 Invitation to be Stewards of God s Creation Youngsook Kang & Chris Frasier Youngsook: So far, we have heard stories about our local congregations and communities who are doing great work caring for God s creation in various ways. Now, what is it that we can do when we go home? What responsibilities do we carry with us? What possibilities do we see? Chris: We hope that working under the theme of renewal of God s creation will help take us closer to our missional front. We hope leaders of Annual Conference are inspired to return home and help their churches/people to face environmental issues and continue to be responsible stewards of God s creation. We also hope that we develop an awareness of how our faith tradition teaches us to think about and engage in issues of our day such as climate change, food and agriculture. Environmental justice work is part of discipleship ministries. Youngsook: So, today, our invitation is to see connection between discipleship and our actions to care for the earth. The invitation is when we return home we develop a deeper level of our discipleship and understand what is going on in the world and take action and live as responsible stewards of God s creation. Thank you. J - 10 Reports 2015

11 FINANCIAL COMMENTARY TO THE 2015 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Financial Highlights for the Year Ended December 31, 2014 The 2014 operating budget for revenue and expenses was $5.6 million. Actual revenue was approximately $5.7 million and expenses were approximately $5.3 million. This resulted in a surplus for the year of $414,815. We are pleased to report that the Rocky Mountain Conference paid its 2014 General Church and Jurisdictional Apportionments at 100%. This is an important commitment that we intend to continue. The operating surplus allowed us to carryforward funding to address opportunities to provide future ministry. We invested amounts in designated funds to support: Leadership Development ($30,000); Hispanic/Latino Ministries Missionary ($20,000/year for three years); Whole Church Initiative ($65,000); temporary position of Transitional Ministry Developer ($120,000); and Communications Technology ($50,000). In addition, $20,000 was designated to support our participation in General and Jurisdictional Conferences, $25,000 to pay for Annual Conference expenses, and $40,000 to cover the costs of a church trial conducted in our Conference. Surpluses are an important component of financial management as they generate funds to maintain and grow ministry in years when there is a shortfall. The Conference Council on Finance and Administration is working to use restricted and designated funds in conjunction with the annual budgeted funds to maximize our ability to do ministry. The most significant expense items under budget in 2014 were: Actual expenses to subsidize healthcare for retired clergy and clergy on disability were approximately $102,000 below budget. Since we began offering healthcare to our retirees through One Exchange, our subsidy has gone down from $713,559 in 2012 to $447,859 in Cabinet and Clergy Support expenses were approximately $75,000 below budget. Expenses such as Interim Clergy Support, Equitable Compensation and Sustentation Fund are not needed at the same level year-toyear, and they were $50,000 under budget in The costs to move active and retired clergy are also not consistently incurred each year, and this item was $11,000 over budget. District Superintendent expenses were below budget because Yellowstone Annual Conference continued to reimburse us for 1/3 of the expenses of one District Superintendent. We experienced some savings by closing the District office located in Greeley. Conference Office expenses were approximately $98,000 below budget in We experienced lower expenses due to staffing transitions. Expenses for utilities and building maintenance and repair were also below budget. The past due amount that churches and other entities owed the Rocky Mountain Conference for property and liability insurance, clergy pension, and health insurance was $273,700 at December 31, 2014, down $78,000 from The Conference has no debt, and all restricted and designated funds are fully funded. Highlights for the Year 2015 The 2015 budgeted revenue approved by the Annual Conference remained at $5.6 million and through April 30, 2015 we had received approximately 37% of that in tithe plus mission giving. (We had received 40% through April 30 th in 2014.) Our revenue budget of $5.6 million for 2015 appears achievable. Our 2015 budget reflects paying our General Church and Jurisdictional Apportionments at 96%. However, we committed to pay them at 100% and intend to do that. If the apportionment payments cannot be met with actual revenue, we will draw on a Conference designated fund to meet that commitment. Prior to 2015, the Conference charged health and pension related expenses for staff compensation, workshops, and health screening to the separate Health and Pension Funds. Beginning in 2015, the Council on Finance and Administration moved these expenses into the general operating budget. We adjusted some budgeted line items in 2015 to accommodate the additional $110,000 in expenses. Key Assumptions for the Budget Year 2016 The 2016 budget is presented by the Conference Council on Finance and Administration for approval by the Annual Conference Reports J - 11

12 Revenue The Council on Finance and Administration has approved a tithe plus mission giving budget of $5.6 million in This is the same amount that was budgeted in 2014 and Expenses The budget is based on the Rocky Mountain Conference paying its General and Jurisdictional apportionments at 100% in We will maintain our commitment to connectional giving while nurturing the roots of our faith and growing our vital ministries. The responsibilities and number of full-time equivalent Conference staff is budgeted per the Personnel Policies and Practices Committee to meet the ministry and administrative needs of the Conference and its members. Conference personnel costs in 2016 will be covered through a combination of the general operating budget and designated funds as appropriate. The Transitional Ministry Developer is a shared Mountain Sky Area position, and 75% of this position will be funded by the Rocky Mountain Conference through a designated fund. The remaining 25% of this position will be funded by the Yellowstone Conference. Designated funds will also be used to cover a portion of staff time spent working on the Annual Conference session, and to supplement the costs of the Hispanic/Latino Ministries Missionary from the General Board of Global Ministries. As mentioned above, the Conference Council on Finance and Administration is encouraging the use of restricted and designated funds in conjunction with annual budgeted funds to maximize our ability to do ministry. We intend to adjust our annual budgets as appropriate based on a consideration of the financial resources available to meet Conference priorities. Benevolence and Program Ministry The Board of Stewards has combined complementary ministries to more effectively manage and use funding for benevolence and program ministries. These combinations are reflected in the 2016 budget presentation. The budgets for New Church Development and Congregational Vitality have increased. The budgets for Young People s Ministry, Leadership Development and Communications were reduced because we have designated or restricted funds we can use to supplement the budgets for these activities in Spiritual Leadership Ministry Our 2016 budget for District Superintendents assumes that we continue to share a District Superintendent for Wyoming with the Yellowstone Conference. The Rocky Mountain Conference pays for 2/3 of the expenses and the Yellowstone Conference supports 1/3 of the expenses for the Wyoming District Superintendent. Historically we have experienced a larger number of clergy moves in a quadrennium year, and we have budgeted to accommodate a greater volume of moves and some adjustments to the policy regarding payment of clergy moves. Financial and Administrative Ministry Conference Office budget includes compensation and related expenses of staff that work with health and pension matters. Prior to 2015, these expenses were charged to the Health and Pension Funds rather than the general operating budget. Conference utility expenses are budgeted to increase due to necessary communications and technology upgrades. We anticipate the amount needed for the Retiree Health Subsidy will be lower in Funds will be drawn from investments with the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits if additional subsidy is needed. The Conference has supported the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation for many years, and the Foundation has grown so that a Conference subsidy is no longer needed. Summary Revenue from Tithe plus Mission Giving is budgeted at $5.6 million for 2016, and expenses for General and Jurisdictional Apportionments, Benevolence and Program Ministries, Spiritual Leadership Ministries, and Financial and Administrative Ministries total $5.6 million. This total budget is recommended by the Conference Council on Finance and Administration for approval by the Annual Conference. Comprehensive Benefit Funding Plan J - 12 Reports 2015

13 In 2014 the RMC developed its first Comprehensive Benefit Funding Plan. Our Annual Conference is required to approve it annually. Our 2016 Comprehensive Benefit Funding Plan outlines the benefits provided to the clergy and laity of the Rocky Mountain Conference, and our resources and plans to fund these benefits. The Plan addresses pension and retirement benefits, health benefits, long-term disability, life insurance, and other benefits as applicable for eligible clergy and lay staff. The 2016 Comprehensive Benefit Funding Plan Summary document can be found online at The Rocky Mountain Conference Comprehensive Benefit Funding Plan received a favorable written opinion from the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits. It was signed and submitted by Kimal James, Chairperson, Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits; Kirsten Barlow, President, Conference Council on Finance and Administration; and Noreen Keleshian, Conference Treasurer and Benefits Officer; and is recommended for approval by the Annual Conference Reports J - 13

14 BUDGET 2014 Budget 2014 Actual 2015 Budget 2016 Budget REVENUE Church Tithe plus Mission Giving 5,600,000 5,715,935 5,600,000 5,600,000 Other Income - 6, TOTAL REVENUE 5,600,000 5,722,087 5,600,000 5,600,000 EXPENDITURES Black College Fund 122, , , ,896 Interdenominational Cooperation Fund 24,026 25,290 23,874 24,106 World Service Fund 895, , , ,357 Africa University Fund 27,434 28,878 27,234 27,511 Ministerial Education Fund 307, , , ,081 Episcopal Fund 261, , , ,273 General Administration Fund 108, , , ,342 Western Jurisdiction Program & Administration 47,934 50,457 48,439 50,457 TOTAL General and Jurisdictional Apportionments 1,794,043 1,888,367 1,788,884 1,828,023 Board of Stewards 2,850 2,116 2,825 2,825 Justice Ministries 13,810 10,684 17,880 16,500 Racial-Ethnic Ministries 18,397 19,843 21,000 18,000 Acts of Repentance (Sand Creek) 10,000 10,937 10,000 5,000 Ecumenical Ministries 14,000 12,000 14,000 12,000 Disability Connections Committee Status and Role of Women Religion and Race 3,400 3,500 3,400 3,500 Intercultural Ministry 1, ,500 1,500 Board of Discipleship 500-1, Young People's Ministry 21,500 27,082 23,175 11,000 Board of Higher Education & Campus Ministry 92,800 92,649 97,685 95,000 New Church Development 305, , , ,500 Turn Around Churches 45,550 27,162 30,550 27,245 Congregational Vitality ,000 27,500 Leadership Development 31,000 19,867 31,000 20,000 Visioning ,000 Camp & Retreat Ministries 28,100 28,862 29,500 27,000 Compassion Ministries 23,810 23,351 25,055 24,500 Communications 18,200 7,638 14,600 11,000 Conference Programming Staff 565, , , ,462 TOTAL Benevolence & Program Ministry 1,197,366 1,127,977 1,266,785 1,298,782 Nominations Committee Board of Lay Ministry AC 6,900 4,011 8,440 7,870 Board of Lay Ministry 6,800 5,023 6,150 7,880 Lay Leader Support 4,850 1,597 4,320 5,000 Lay Servant 3,600 1,772 4,450 4,600 J - 14 Reports 2015

15 2014 Budget 2014 Actual 2015 Budget 2016 Budget Board of Ordained Ministry 32,400 35,151 24,300 27,700 District Superintendent 990, , , ,415 District Superintendent Staff 123, , , ,690 Cabinet Fund 29,950 33,720 35,000 35,000 Interim Clergy Support 15, ,000 5,000 District Meetings 3,600 1,348 5,000 1,800 Clergy Moving Expense 90, , , ,000 Clergy Maternity/Paternity Leave 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Equitable/Minimum Compensation 33,970 13,112 35,970 20,000 Sustentation Fund 14, ,000 5,000 Clergy Introduction Fund 5,250 9,437 6,000 10,000 Response Team 2,500-3,200 2,650 Episcopal Office Support 22,000 22,000 21,000 21,000 Episcopacy Committee 1, , TOTAL Spiritual Leadership Ministry 1,387,770 1,300,361 1,365,265 1,360,755 Council on Finance & Administration 4,000 3,899 5,000 3,000 Conference Office 435, , , ,611 Retiree Health Subsidy 550, , , ,000 Computer Expense 70,050 61,637 66,340 57,220 Board of Trustees 5,000 2,432 5,000 2,500 Property Administration 53,000 58,689 50,000 58,200 Camping Administration 18,000 18,000 20,000 5,000 Archives and History 1, ,905 1,909 Conference Board of Pension & Health Benefits ,000 Personnel Committee 2,250-2,000 1,000 Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation 10,000 10,000 10,000 - Legal 35,000 25,783 30,000 25,000 Audit 20,000 24,000 32,000 24,000 General and Jurisdictional Training 16, ,750 17,000 TOTAL Financial & Administrative Ministry 1,220, ,567 1,179,066 1,112,440 TOTAL EXPENDITURES 5,600,000 5,307,272 5,600,000 5,600,000 TOTAL REVENUE OVER EXPENDITURES BEFORE ALLOCATIONS - 414, Allocation for Leadership Development 30,000 Allocation for Hispanic/Latino Ministries Missionary 60,000 Allocation for Whole Church Initiative 65,000 Allocation for Transitional Ministries Developer 120,000 Allocation for Communications Technology 50,000 Allocation for General & Jurisdictional Conferences 20,000 Allocation for Annual Conference 25,000 Allocation for Church Trial Expenses 40,000 TOTAL REVENUE OVER EXPENDITURES AFTER ALLOCATIONS - 4, Reports J - 15

16 HISTORICAL ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE SUPPORT OF GENERAL CHURCH APPORTIONMENTS Year Percentage Paid % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % Goal % Goal % J - 16 Reports 2015

17 GCFA Number TITHE AND MISSION GIVING REPORT For the Church Year January 2014 to December 2014 Church Name Metropolitian District Tithe Plus Mission Giving Connectional Giving Certificate Awarded? After Hours Denver $ 11,863 Yes Alameda Heights UMC $ 4,864 Yes Arvada UMC $ 109,148 Yes Berkeley UMC $ 1, Bethany UMC $ 19,472 Yes Brentwood UMC $ 15, Burns Memorial UMC $ 23,561 Yes Cameron UMC $ 2, Christ Central UMC, Aurora $ Christ UMC, Denver $ 23,672 Yes Edgewater UMC $ Epworth UMC $ First UMC, Aurora $ 6,506 Yes First UMC, Golden $ 20, Ghana Wesley UM Fellowship $ Good Shepherd UMC, Thornton $ 19, Goode Centennial UMC $ 2,449 Yes Grant Avenue UMC $ 2, Highlands UMC $ 12, Jefferson Avenue UMC $ John Collins UMC $ Journey of Faith $ 1, Korean Emmanuel UMC $ Lakewood UMC $ 37, Merritt Memorial UMC $ Montclair UMC $ Mountain View United Church, Aurora $ Northglenn Asian UM Fellowship $ Northglenn UMC $ 33, Park Hill UMC $ 27, Phillips UMC $ 34,371 Yes Scott UMC $ 27,236 Yes Simpson UMC $ 22, Spirit of Hope UMC $ 16,174 Yes St Paul's UMC, Denver $ Tongan Fellowship, Aurora $ Trinity UMC, Denver $ 217,092 Yes United Church of Montbello $ University Park UMC $ 88,878 Yes Warren UMC $ 4,124 Yes Washington Park UMC $ 47,762 Yes Westminster UMC $ Wheat Ridge UMC $ 7,500 Metropolitan District Total $ 846, Reports J - 17

18 GCFA Number Mile High/Pikes Peak District Church Name Tithe Plus Mission Giving Connectional Giving Certificate Awarded? Applewood Valley UMC $ 28, Asbury Korean UMC $ 8, Calhan UMC $ 4, Calvary UMC $ 61,818 Yes Central UMC $ 26, Columbine United Church $ 12, Deer Park UMC, Bailey $ 3, East UMC, Colorado Springs $ 10, Elizabeth UMC $ 1,837 Yes Ellicott UMC $ Evergreen UMC $ 33,220 Yes Father Dyer UMC $ 48,042 Yes First UMC, Castle Rock $ 56,973 Yes First UMC, Colorado Springs $ 316,322 Yes First UMC, Fountain $ 26,933 Yes Good Shepherd UMC, Colorado Springs $ 25, Grace UMC, Denver $ 31, Green Mountain UMC $ 15, Heritage UMC $ 24, Hope UMC $ 67, Korean American UMC $ 36,479 Yes Littleton UMC $ 104, Mountain View UMC, Woodland Park $ 10, Parker UMC $ 145,549 Yes Peoples UMC $ 11, Pikes Peak UMC $ 2, Rush UMC $ Simla UMC $ Smoky Hill UMC $ 57, St Andrew UMC, Highlands Ranch $ 237, St James UMC, Central City $ 9,205 Yes St Luke's UMC, Highlands Ranch $ 130, St Paul's UMC, Colorado Springs $ 29, Stratmoor Hills UMC $ 8, Sunrise UMC $ 128, Tri-Lakes UMC $ 95,619 Yes Trinity UMC, Colorado Springs $ 3, United Church of Idaho Springs $ Wilson UMC $ 41,931 Yes Zion UM Fellowship $ - Mile High/Pikes Peak District Totals $ 1,857,594 J - 18 Reports 2015

19 GCFA Number Peaks & Plains District District Church Name Tithe Plus Mission Giving Connectional Giving Certificate Awarded? Alger Memorial UMC $ 4, Blue Cliff UMC $ 3,673 Yes Brighton UMC $ 37,324 Yes Broomfield UMC $ 206,518 Yes Burlington UMC $ 21,428 Yes Cheyenne Wells UMC $ 5,684 Yes Christ UMC, Fort Collins $ 46,825 Yes Community UMC, Keenesburg $ 8,549 Yes Erie UMC $ 22,100 Yes Estes Park UMC $ 24,987 Yes Evans UMC $ 1,967 Yes First UMC, Berthoud $ 13, First UMC, Boulder $ 73,190 Yes First UMC, Fort Collins $ 63, First UMC, Fort Lupton $ 28,988 Yes First UMC, Greeley $ 15, First UMC, Lafayette $ 27,821 Yes First UMC, Limon $ 12, First UMC, Longmont $ 58,686 Yes First UMC, Loveland $ 69, First UMC, Pierce $ 6,610 Yes First UMC, Platteville $ 8,139 Yes First UMC, Windsor $ 13, Genoa UMC $ 6,822 Yes Howard UMC, Woodrow $ 8,705 Yes Hugo UMC $ 9,852 Yes James Memorial UMC $ 4,097 Yes Kirk UMC $ 2,664 Yes Kit Carson UMC $ Longs Peak UMC $ 56,391 Yes Louisville UMC $ 13, Lyons UMC $ 8,967 Yes Mead UMC $ 6, Mountain View UMC, Boulder $ 58,629 Yes Niwot UMC $ 20,643 Yes Rinn UMC $ 8, St. Paul's UMC, Boulder $ 12, Stratton UMC $ 2, Trinity UMC, Loveland $ 13, UMC of Hygiene $ 10,356 Yes UMC of Johnstown $ 20, Wellington UM Fellowship $ - Peaks & Plains District Totals $ 1,040, Reports J - 19