B4 Stipendiary Ministers

Aid to Drafting the Terms of Settlement 

Draft Terms of Settlement should be considered by the Synod prior to declaring a vacant post, and then later discussed with any prospective minister. Agreed Terms of Settlement can also assist the process of monitoring during a ministry, and form the basis of any agreed changes. Terms of Settlement are a local expression of the Plan for Partnership, which is the basis on which ministers act as office holders within the Church. The latest edition of the Plan for Partnership for Ministerial Remuneration can be found on the URC websitewww.urc.org.uk. Go to ‘Our work’, then ‘Ministries’ and a link to it will be found in the Resources Section on the left. 

Pastorate name:  

Scoping

Is the post fully scoped (i.e. 100%) or part time? If part time, specify what proportion it is. 

Stipend

TheGeneral Assemblyof 1993 passed the following resolution:

Assembly believes that the payment of special stipendsupplementsby churches is no longer justified and calls upon ministers and churches to bring an end to this payment as soon as possible. Is it proposed to pay any supplement to the basic stipend? £…………. p.a. 

(NB The pastorate is responsible for corresponding additional NI payments.) 

Is any additional paid work agreed (by Synod and pastorate)? (see Plan for Partnership Section £………..p.a. 

Housing (see Plan for Partnership) 

(NB In some areas responsibility for manses lies with Area Pastoral Committee or Synod.)

Is a manse provided? If so indicate what sort of house it is.

What accommodation has it, e.g. number of rooms – downstairs /study / bedrooms / type of heating / garage, garden etc.? (see Plan for Partnership Appendix D National Manse Guidelines and Assembly Guidelines for Manses Assembly Record 2003).

Give the address?

Indicate how it is situated in relation to the church(es), shops, schools etc.

What public transport is available?

Is the pastorate willing to consider changing the manse if asked?

If there is no manse at present, is the pastorate in a position to provide one?

Is the pastorate willing to consider payment of ahousingallowance in lieu of provision of a manse?

If YES will the pastorate follow the full guideline given in the Plan for Partnership Appendix B? 

Travelling (see Plan for Partnership)

Is the regular use of a car considered necessary? Where a minister does not provide a car but the regular use of a car is considered necessary, it is the responsibility of the local church to provide a suitable vehicle. The costs of private motoring shall be borne by the minister under locally agreed arrangements (paragraph 6.3.4.3 Plan for Partnership). Will such a vehicle be provided?  If so, complete Section A.               If the minister wishes to provide his/her own vehicle, complete Section B. 

A. If a vehicle is to be provided, state make & type of car, size and year.

What annual figure is budgeted for: depreciation,maintenanceand running costs?

What arrangement is proposed for private mileage by the minister?

Will there be any limitations on private mileage? 

B. If the minister provides the vehicle; will the agreed national rate be paid?

Will these arrangements be reviewed annually? If NO, what basis of review is proposed?

Administration (see Plan for Partnership) 

Office Expenses

• Office expenses, includingpostage,telephone(including mobile phones and internet), computerequipment,stationeryand any other expenses necessarily incurred on church business shall be reimbursed in full to the minister.
• On what basis will these sundry expenses be met?
• Is the minister is expected to pay for privatetelephonecalls? (There is a Tax and NationalInsurancecharge if this is not the case.) What will be the arrangements for doing this? 

Education for Ministry 

The pastorate must clearly understand that all URC Ministers of Word and Sacraments are expected to undertake annual study as part of their continuing education. In the first three years of ministry, it is compulsory for ministers to take part in Education for Ministry 2. (Report toGeneral Assembly1998 p.124) This comprises two residential weekends a year as part of a 14 day study leave programme and as well as time with a Pastoral adviser and a Synod programme of study for new ministers. During the rest of their ministry, Ministers are strongly urged to devote two weeks per year to Education for Ministry 3 (Page 126 General Assembly 1998). Ministers attending a weeklong course should not be expected to lead worship on the following Sunday (a study Sunday). For non-stipendiary ministers, a ‘week’ means two weekends each lasting from Friday evening until Sunday tea-time.)

Every ten years, Ministers are encouraged to undertake up to three months sabbatical leave in negotiation with the Synod re timing and pastoral cover.

 Is it proposed, or would the pastorate be willing, to offer the minister a book allowance in regard to education for ministry, say within the range of £150 – £250, and help towards the cost of ministers’ summer schools etc.? 

Other

The pastorate shall honour the holiday entitlement in the Plan for Partnership. ‘Ministers are entitled to 5 weeks holiday in each calendar year and one further Sunday away from the pastorate. When a minister only serves for part of a year the holiday provision is pro rata. One week of holiday may be carried forward to the following year. Holiday entitlement is not affected by sick leave, in-servicetrainingcourses or sabbatical leave. Such periods of leave/absence may result in more than 1 week’s holiday being carried forward into the following year.’ (paragraph 7.1 Plan for Partnership) The pastorate should state it will be responsible for its share of removal expenses as in the Plan for Partnership (Appendix C – The receiving local church is responsible for paying the costs of removal. Where the removal is within the United Kingdom reimbursement of up to 50% of the cost incurred (subject to a maximum reimbursement of £1,000) is available from the Ministry andMissionFund and application should be made via the MoM Office.) 

General

The pastorate accepts the UnitedReformed Church policy to grant maternity pay and parental/adoption leave. 

The pastorate accepts the declaration of Equal Opportunities contained in the URC Employment Practice report accepted byGeneral Assembly1990 and notes the provision for a grievance procedure (see Appendix 8). 

The pastorate will review these terms every two years and is willing to renegotiate these terms during a particular ministry, providing the minister and the Synod agree to changes. 

Agreed at the Elders’ Meeting on………………………………………………………. 

Signed ……………………………………………..Church Secretary 

Signed …………………………………………….Synod

Signed …………………………………………….Minister 

Appendix 5    Sample Terms of Settlement

THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH 

……………………… SYNOD 

Settlement Agreement – [Stipendiary]

 This Settlement Agreement is made between 

——————————————————— (the Pastorate) 

and the Revd_________________________(the Minister) 

1     Scope 

The pastorate has been declared to be (full time/part-time) scope by the ………….. Synod.

It is agreed that the basic pattern for the minister’s time and conduct of worship will be: …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 

2     Stipend 

The minister will receive the stipend appropriate for a pastorate of this scope from the nationalMaintenanceof the Ministry pay roll office. 

3     Housing 

The minister will live in the manse provided at …………………

The pastorate will pay the Council Tax water rates and any other tax[es] on the manse in full; will insure the building and accepts responsibility for themaintenanceand decoration of the manse.

[Or The minister will live in a house within the pastorate area towards which the pastorate will pay ahousingallowance according to the Plan for Partnership.] 

4     Travel 

The pastorate will reimburse the minister for using his/her own car in accordance with the recommendations of the URC central committee, and for costs of public transport, upon submissionof a written claim (as agreed), and subject to annual review in the light of recommendations from URC Synod and/orfinance department. The pastorate will also pay a fixed car allowance of £1,200 per annum. 

5     Administration, telephones and Computer

The pastorate will reimburse the minister for all administrative expenses, includingstationeryandpostage, upon submissionof a written claim.Telephone(s) will be provided by the pastorate.  The minister will be expected to reimburse the pastorate for private telephone calls. A computer will also be provided with access via broadband to the internet. A specification for the computer and details of telephones and broadband will be negotiated and agreed prior to induction. 

6     Education for Ministry   

The pastorate will support the minister in undertaking Education for Ministry (EM), bothEM2(Report toGeneral Assembly1998 p.124) andEM3(Page 126 General Assembly 1998).   The Pastorate will encourage the minister to take Sabbatical leave as recommended in the Plan for Partnership and to attend one annual Synod School, for which the pastorate will pay.  The pastorate will also support the ministers in the accompanied self-appraisal scheme.  For any Sundays involved in these provisions the pastorate will be responsible for arranging and paying for pulpit supply.

The Pastorate will offer a book allowance of £…… (150-250) to be offset against thepurchaseof books,computer software etc. 

7     Holidays and regular days off 

The pastorate will honour recommendations for regular weekly days off, and will follow recommendations regarding holidays in the ‘Plan for Partnership’ (note iii) – viz.  five full weeks holiday per year (including five Sundays) plus one additional holiday Sunday. 

8     Removal costs 

The pastorate will accept its share of removal expenses as recommended in the ‘Plan for Partnership’ (note 3). 

9     General 

The pastorate accepts the UnitedReformed Church policy to grant maternity pay and parental/adoption leave and will honour the declaration of Equal Opportunities contained in the URC Employment Practice report accepted byGeneral Assembly1990. 

10     Re-negotiation and Review 

The Pastorate and minister are willing to re-negotiate these terms of settlement during the course of a ministry at the request of the Synod.  Any suggested changes from the pastorate or the ministers will be subject to the agreement of the Synod.

The terms of this agreement will be reviewed every two years and when changes are made to synod andGeneral Assembly guidelines.

 11     The wider United Reformed Church 

The pastorate acknowledges that ministers are ministers of the whole UnitedReformed Church and have a responsibility to serve the wider church as well as their own local pastorate. Requests for specific pieces of wider service will be discussed between the Elders’ Meetings and the minister. 

12      Local Mission and Ministry Review

The minister and pastorate will participate in the Local Missionand Ministry Review agreed by Mission Councilin December 2008, previously introduced at General Assembly2006, when it is active in the …… Synod / National Synod of ….. 

13     Generally

Both minister and pastorate will be bound by the Plan for Partnership and the provisions of the Basis of Union, and be aware of the Guidelines on Conduct and Behaviour for ministers and elders.

Signed ____________________________    Minister

           _____________________________   ……………………………. [for the Pastorate]

           _____________________________    ………………………………[for the Synod]

Date   _______________________