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CLT gathers for prayerful leadership and strategic actions
September 8, 2025 / By Shelby Winchell, Director of Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Conference Leadership Team (CLT) of United Methodists of Upper New York convened on Friday evening, September 5, 2025, at the United Methodist Center in Liverpool. As the executive body of the Annual Conference, the CLT gathered for a focused time of prayerful conversation, strategic decision-making, and updates on vital areas of ministry and administration.
2026 Conference Benefit Funding Plan Approved
During the two-hour meeting, the CLT reviewed and approved the 2026 Conference Benefit Funding Plan (CBFP). Typically included in the Pre-Conference Workbook as part of the Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits’ report, the CBFP was not finalized in time for the 2025 Annual Conference session. Wespath approval, required to ensure compliance with Pre-82 funding standards and favorable opinion requirements, has now been secured. With this approval in place, the 2026 CBFP will be published in the 2025 edition of the Upper New York Conference Journal.
“We apologize that our Conference Comprehensive Benefit Funding Plan (CBFP) was not ready for approval for this year’s annual conference session. The CBFP is not available to work on from Wespath before the end of March of every year. The 2026 projections required more work than usual as our denomination is moving away from a pension plan and moving to a defined contribution plan as of January 1, 2026 (Compass). In addition, our Conference has a new Benefits Officer (Julie Valeski) and the two of us worked diligently to work through the CBFP, generating the appropriate estimates for our 2026 cost expectations for all benefits managed by the Board of Pension and Health. I am grateful to our CLT who was able to review the final 2026 plan and approve it on behalf of our Conference. I am very hopeful that future CBFPs will be completed on time for inclusion in future Board of Pension and Health Annual Conference reports,” explained Bob Flask, Conference Treasurer.
2024 Audit Nearing Completion
The CLT received an update on the 2024 Upper New York Conference audit, which is nearing completion and will be posted to the conference website later this fall. In accordance with The Book of Discipline, the audit, conducted by Dermody, Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC, provides independent verification of the Conference’s financial reporting. Previous audits are available online for review here.
Casowasco Update: Discernment in a Sabbath Season
The team also received a report on Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center, which is currently in a sabbath season. A discernment team composed of Upper New York United Methodists is working in partnership with Ministry Incubators, a consulting group specializing in missional innovation. Together, they are exploring future possibilities for Casowasco, considering declining participation and significant financial and structural challenges. Learn more about the Discern & Design Summit, held in July, here.
Strategic Visioning and Nominations
The CLT began its engagement with the Strategic Visioning Process, which was approved at the 2025 Annual Conference session. This process will guide the Conference in aligning its mission, resources, and leadership with emerging realities and opportunities. Additional details will be shared in the coming weeks.
In closing, the CLT approved a revised nominations report. The updated report will be posted to the conference website here and included in the 2025 Upper New York Conference Journal.