Board of Administration
I don’t think it is a matter of being better or worse, it’s just a different way of doing things that we must get used to. This was the first Conference in my memory that involved robust discussion on the Statistics Report. I found it interesting, and helpful. It pointed to ways we can use that information more proactively in Te Haahi. As I often say, “When we know better, we can do better.”
The work of Board of Administration continues to grow in complexity year by year. We saw this manifest in the amount of work that the Methodist Connexional Property Committee (MCPC) did that was in front of Conference. The future impact of our Property Strategy cannot be underestimated. What is key here is that Property Strategy MUST follow from, and not lead to Mission Strategy at any level of our Church. We need a clear mission at all levels, then and only then can we develop a Property Strategy that can facilitate these desired outcomes. The work this committee does for the wider church cannot be underestimated – and it will continue to grow in significance because it impacts on all facets of our Church life.
Much work of the BOA is not readily seen by the Church. Compliance with the Charities Commission, for example. A huge amount of work is done in the Connexional Office on this, from day to day compliance to submissions to Government on the shape of the new act. The same is true for IRD on all manner of financial matters that we manage in the office. Our team is well respected and is often sought for opinion on matters because we are considered experts. This business ticks along with little or no notice from outside the office, but the work is essential to keeping us compliant with the laws of the land.
The issues of property and insurance will continue to be front of mind for us, and they intersect with the work being undertaken in the Climate Management space. Wendy Anderson’s work on keeping our Insurance premiums as low as possible has been invaluable. The property matters coming through now are far more complex and expensive each year. MCPC do an outstanding job of managing these property requests.
Much of our BOA work is going to continue to be underpinned by the work being done under the banner of “Rekindle the Vā of Papatūānuku.” We have largely started already, we just didn’t have a guiding document. For example, we now have MTA reporting on the climate impact of our major investments. We no longer print board papers, and we have reduced the number of face-to-face meetings, resulting in less travel for the Board Members. These are things that can easily go by unnoticed but are key steps on our part to walk our talk and do our part.
The work on the Royal Commission was significant this year. The General Secretary did an outstanding job representing the wider church, and continues to manage the cases we have in front of us. When the Independent Commission comes into existence (likely to be in 2025) our redress system will shut down, and we will become signatories to the Independent Commission. This is still an unknown for us with respect to the financial magnitude on the Church, but we will be legally bound to the outcomes. Work on this area is likely to continue for many years. We are grateful that Conference approved our request for more funds. It is unclear what the future financial impact will be on our scheme, and the Independent Review Committee. We will address these issues as they come to hand.
Overall, I think that the way Conference received the BOA report, and the discussions that ensued show that the wider church is gaining a greater understanding of the power of work that happens in the Connexional Office on behalf of the whole Church. Whether that is Health and Safety advice from Trudy, Downes or having payroll done, MTA results, or financial advice from Peter van Hout and his team. The Connexional office team is an amazing group of hard-working people who keep the back of the house functions ticking along, and they make it look easy. I am immensely proud of that team.
Board of Administration is a large umbrella that reports to Conference about many wonderful parts of the life of Te Haahi. From the Wesley Historical Society, Robert Gibson Trust, Professional Development Grants Committee (with the cameo from Felix), through to MTA, Archives, the Connexional Office, and all the others – I left Conference feeling confident and proud of all the work done.