Decision Number 465
SUBJECT TO FINAL EDITING
Whether the Requirement of Disclosure of Remuneration, Discipline Par. 937, Prevails over Institutional Policies which Prohibit such Disclosures.
Digest
Discipline Par. 937 specifically provides that ministerial members of an Annual Conference appointed to any field other than the pastorate or district superintendency shall disclose their salaries and that they shall be published in the journal of the Annual Conference. the Discipline makes no provision for exceptions for employees of institutions whose own policies provide otherwise
Statement of Facts
At its 1978 session, the North Arkansas Annual Conference voted to request a declaratory decision as to whether the requirement of disclosure of remuneration, Discipline Par. 937, prevails over institutional policies which prohibit such disclosure.
Jurisdiction
The Judicial Council has jurisdiction under Par. 2515.
Analysis and Rationale
Par. 937 of the Discipline provides:
Every ministerial member of an Annual Conference appointed to any other field than the pastorate or district superintendency shall furnish annually to the conference secretary, at the time of the conference session, a statement of his remuneration, and the salaries or remuneration of all ministers in special service shall be published in the journal of the Annual Conference.
The question of this provision was brought to the Judicial Council in October 1971. At that time the Council noted that the matter is mandated by the Discipline and that the provision is "clear, mandatory, and controlling." (See Decision No. 345.)
In light of the statement in the Discipline and of the previous ruling by this body, no member of an Annual Conference under appointment may subscribe to an institutional policy which prohibits such disclosure.
The principle of accountability applies to all ministerial members of the Annual Conference. The salaries of pastors and district superintendents are printed in the report tables of the Annual Conference with other information from the charges or districts they serve. Persons under special appointment are also members of the covenant relationship and therefore share in accountability.
Decision
Discipline Par. 937 specifically provides that ministerial members of an Annual Conference appointed to any field other than the pastorate or district superintendency shall disclose their salaries and that they shall be published in the journal of the Annual Conference. The Discipline makes no provision for exceptions for employees of institutions whose own policies provide otherwise.