wfn.org | Native Americans call for salary equity to retain clergy

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Aug. 20, 2002	News media contact: Linda Green7(615)742-54707Nashville,
Tenn.     10-34-71B{371}

By Linda Green*

TULSA, Okla. (UMNS) - A task force advocating for increased Native American
involvement in the United Methodist Church is calling for equitable salary
and parity to retain clergy in Indian congregations.

Within the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference and across the
denomination, Native clergy appointed to Native ministries often work
without adequate compensation, according to the 19-member task force of the
denomination's Native American Comprehensive Plan.  

The lack of an adequate salary produces low morale, hinders progress of
ministries and is "a contributing factor for native clergy seeking
appointment to non-native ministries," plan members said at their Aug. 15-18
semi-annual meeting.  The members were concerned that salary deficiencies
are the cause of low recruitment of native young people for ordained
ministry.

In addition to the task force's 19 voting members, 12 nonvoting members
attend NACP meetings at various times to provide support and guidance.
Congregational development is one of the NACP's components, and the task
force said the salary issue is also critical to the retention of clergy in
Indian churches. 

Ninety Native American churches make up the Oklahoma Indian Missionary
Conference, and they include reservation, urban and rural congregations in
low-income areas. "Therefore the financial capabilities of the local church
is very small," said the Rev. Ken Locklear, staff executive of the church's
Southeastern Jurisdictional Native American Ministries. "They are not strong
congregations in the number of membership or economics."

Created by the 1992 General Conference, the NACP emphasizes Native American
spirituality, congregational and leadership development, and involvement in
the life of the United Methodist Church. The denomination has 19,000 Native
Americans among its 8.4 million U.S. members.

Native people in the United States represent 554 federally recognized tribes
or nations and a significant number of state-recognized tribes, all with
distinct languages, cultures, history, religious traditions and economic
bases. The Census Bureau reports that 1.9 million American Indians live
within the boundaries of the 65 United Methodist annual conferences, and
nearly 63 percent live in urban areas. The denomination has 200 Native
American churches, ministries and fellowships in the country, and 28 are in
urban areas.

The task force intends to communicate with the churchwide General Council on
Finance and Administration, conference treasurers and the national
treasurers' association about implementing Paragraph 623.6 of the 2000
United Methodist Book of Discipline, which mandates that special attention
be given to ethnic pastors serving ethnic ministries with particular
emphasis on Native American pastors serving Native American ministries.  

 "These groups are not addressing it, and they need to be," said the Rev.
Sam Wynn, pastor of St. Mark United Methodist Church in Raleigh, N.C. "These
groups need to address the issue of equity and parity of salary of Native
Americans in light of Paragraph 623.6."

The plan, in cooperation with annual conference equitable salary committees,
seeks to encourage the development of competitive salary packages to retain
native clergy in native congregations.  

Wynn said most Native American pastors who choose not to leave their
communities to do ministry in other places would remain at minimum salary in
the annual conference. "We are asking the equitable salary committees to
look seriously at how to bring parity to salaries if a person chooses to
remain in a Native American ministry in the annual conference."

Native pastors in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference draw a base
salary of $19,500, according to the Rev. David Wilson, NACP chairman and
superintendent of the conference. 

Each annual conference establishes a program of equitable compensation for
clergy. Out of the 65 annual conferences, the Oklahoma Indian Missionary
Conference has the smallest package, at $24,194. The plan and the conference
want salary levels for Native American pastors comparable to the current
denominational average compensation package of $42,930. The denominational
average includes the Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Autonomous conferences.

"If there was a time when we could get our salaries comparable to the entire
United Methodist Church, our pastors will be able to concentrate on ministry
and not worry about how to make ends meet," Wilson said. More importantly,
he said, equal salary will allow the conference to attract more young people
to ministry. "The way it is now, a young person can go work at a convenience
store and make more than our base salary of $19,500," he said.

"We have pastors who cannot keep the telephone on or who cannot afford to
attend meetings because of gas prices. This is a reality for us and is an
important issue not just for us but for Native American congregations across
the church."

"We believe," Wynn said, "that a commitment for ministry in general, and a
commitment to ministry with native people in particular, need not be
hindered by increased financial struggle and debt."

Plan members also will make a request to the churchwide General Council on
Ministries to participate in the annual training of district superintendents
to help new superintendents become sensitive to the issues and concerns of
native people serving within their annual conferences.  

In other action, task force members received the results of a survey that
the plan commissioned from the General Council on Ministries Office of
Research and Planning to determine the training needs of local native
congregations in congregational programs, outreach activities and community
services. The findings will be used for future programming.

Forty-one out of 207 surveys were returned and indicated that Native
Americans congregations desire training in youth/teen activities,
parenting/marriage enrichment; local church officer training, special
programs that attract unchurched or nonmembers of the community, substance
abuse programs, tutoring or literacy programs for children and teens, and
growth or evangelistic campaigns.

According to Ann Saunkeah, executive director of the NACP, the findings from
the "What Can We Do" survey indicate that Native American congregations "are
like other congregations in the United Methodist Church, and they worry
about the growth of their churches and the loss of their youth and young
adults."

Concerns about youth and young adults were at the top of the 19.81 percent
of the survey responses. "This shows that Native Americans are aware that if
their congregations are to be strong and keep going, ministries with young
adults are the key," Saunkeah said.

During their meeting, the plan's members also decided to:
7	Establish a dialogue with the United Methodist Board of Higher
Education and Ministry and the National United Methodist Native American
Center to establish a recruitment and intern program for native people to
become deacons.
7	Communicate with the Board of Higher Education and Ministry to
develop a certification process/course of study for developing native
congregations, ministries and fellowships, and with the United Methodist
agencies to assist in the development of culturally specific resources to
facilitate the training of Native people for ministry;
7	Work with churchwide agencies to determine how the agencies will
implement the plan's goals and objectives.
7	Expand their focus into urban areas.
7	Will train 30 native churches to revitalize ministries of other
native congregations.

The group's next meeting will be Jan. 23-26 in Tulsa, Okla.

# # #

*Green is news director for United Methodist News Service's Nashville,
Tenn., office.

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org