Pastoral Charge Payroll Service

Originating with the Compensation Project Report to the 39th General Council 2006, this service responds to requests at the presbytery and Conference level to provide consistency in employment practices across all pastoral charges. The implementation of the payroll service was approved by the Executive of the General Council in November 2006. Since that time, Connex, the newsletter of the Human Resources Unit, has provided information on the Pastoral Charge Payroll Service.

ADP was chosen as the payroll services provider. This decision was made after a thorough review of our needs as a church, and an examination of the ability of various companies to meet those needs at an appropriate price. ADP is a national company with offices throughout Canada.

Frequency of pay (e.g., monthly, bi-weekly) is determined by the pastoral charge, as are the methods of reporting (internet or post). ADP performs all year end processing (T4s) and provides Records of Employment for changes in employment.

The cost to the pastoral charge is dependent on options such as frequency of pay, number of people paid and the reporting options chosen by the pastoral charge.

The Pastoral Charge Payroll Service is not intended to supplant or diminish the financial autonomy or responsibility of the pastoral charge. ADP's role is to ensure all ministry personnel and other staff are paid on time and in the correct amount. Pastoral charges will continue, as always, to control their payroll and their financial affairs.

This service has been the responsibility of volunteers within the United Church pastoral charges. However, increasingly complex processes and regulations have made this one of the hardest volunteer roles to fill. Treasurers will now be able to use their talents to manage the larger financial issues of the pastoral charge once the time-consuming task of processing payroll through the year and the attendant responsibilities of yearly filings with the government for employees and the pastoral charge are shifted to the service provider.