Information Leaflet

The book and resourcing allowance is to be reimbursed on the basis of receipts supplied to the parish on an expenses claim form. It cannot be paid as a set amount each month and is a non-taxable reimbursement.

The maximum amount of reimbursement is $1,500 for the 2023/2023 financial year for a full time Presbyter. Part time Presbyters are to be reimbursed the Book and Resourcing Allowance on a pro rata basis.

If a Presbyter leaves or retires part way through a year then the Presbyter is entitled to a proportion of the full year’s allowance. That is to say, if the Presbyter retires or leaves ministry in December then he/she is entitled to be reimbursed for six months or 50% of the total year’s reimbursement allowance.

All Presbyters are entitled to the allowance which will be used at the discretion of the Presbyter to ensure access of information which may include newspapers, books (includes written books, eBooks or audio books), magazines and computer software that helps develop ministry. In the event that the book allowance of $1,500 is not used in any year (the “year” commences the 1st July and finishes on 30th June), a sum not exceeding 30% ($450) may be carried forward to the following year and added to that year’s entitlement.

Notes:

1. The allowance may be used to ensure access to information, which may include internet services, computer software, newspapers, books, magazines according to the Presbyter’s discretion. The overriding concept is that the Church needs Presbyters to be kept up to date on theology by the provision of resourcing material that helps achieve this goal.
2. When a Presbyter has a change of appointment any unspent book and resource allowance brought forward from a previous financial year must be spent prior to 31 January. In other words, if the Presbyter moves to a new appointment with unspent Book and Resource Allowances, the unspent Book and Resource Allowance is forfeited.
3. The book and resourcing allowance is to be paid ONLY upon presentation of receipts by the Presbyter. It is NOT to be paid as a set amount each month and Connexional Payroll staff have received instructions for the book allowance not to be paid as a monthly allowance.

For the financial year (30 June) in which a Presbyter changes an appointment, there will be an apportionment of the Book and Resource Allowance based on the number of months which the Presbyter serves in the parish.

For example, when a Presbyter changes parishes at 31 January, the parish which the Presbyter is leaving will be responsible for 7/12ths of the Book and Resource Allowance (currently $875), while the new parish which the Presbyter is stationed to will be responsible for 5/12ths of the book allowance (currently $630). Please refer back to Note 2 above regarding unspent Book and Resource money.

Conference 1997 adopted a recommendation that: “the professional Supervision of all people who give pastoral care in an employment or covenant relationship with the Church is to be compulsory from 1997 …” (page 83-84 minutes 1997).

Conference 2004 minutes, page D-44 (13) state “Conference supports the decision of the Stipends Committee that responsibility for payment for supervision fees, up to an agreed figure, belongs to the entity responsible for the payment of the stipend”.

Supervision is a cost of ministry for full time and part time ministries and is to be reimbursed up to $1,200 per year on production of a receipt from an accredited supervisor. Accreditation may be a formal qualification or CPE. Where a supervisor does not have appropriate formal qualifications permission to use such a person must be obtained from the Synod Superintendent.