Clergy Moves & Church Staff Relocation
The clergy have very particular and unique concerns and needs when it comes to relocation. Moving clergy, therefore, has to be done with some sensitivity. Additionally, when the church becomes involved in moving employees, one of their main concerns is that the move should be affordable. After all, any money the church has is intended for God's work and not for expensive house moves. This is seen across all types of religions who place clergy members in different locations, including Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist, Baptist, UUA, Presbyterian, Catholic and so on.
Relocation Coordinators
Regardless of which religion the clergy belongs to, they tend to have similar processes in place. The first is that they offer a clergy relocation service, generally through relocation coordinators. Generally speaking, this involves receiving a list of approved moving companies which will then have to be contacted by the person who is moving for price quotations.
"The clergy chooses a moving company from the preferred list and sets up an appointment with the moving company for an estimate. This should be done within 7 days of receiving the e-mail from the Clergy Excellence office. If desired, the clergy can obtain two or more estimates and chose the one that seems best."
Once the person who is moving has chosen a moving company, they will work together with the church or institution to ensure everything is authorized. Additionally, this is an opportunity to discuss issues such as personal requirements. For instance, the member of the clergy may have highly breakable items, historical items of value or other items that need additional protection.
Finding Discounts
It is also very important to find a moving company that is sensitive to the financial needs of the church. Generally speaking, clergy relocation services will offer specific discounts. It is not uncommon to see similar discounts for military personnel. Both the military and the clergy deliver a service to the country, after all, and it is every person's duty to give something back for that. On the other hand, the clergy generally also have access to special financial resources.
"Job-related moves can cost a lot, but some expenses can be deducted when figuring your federal income tax. Moving household goods is still deductible, as is travel and lodging on the way to the new home. But any side trips while en route are not deductible."
There are many different things that can and cannot be deducted from a personal allowance. In most cases, members of the clergy will receive a certain allowance from the church, but they will have to pay for a part of it themselves as well. This part is usually deductible. In most cases, moving companies will look at the non-deductible part of the cost that the member of the clergy will have to pay for themselves, and find ways to give discounts on that element.
Understanding Clergy Moves in Virginia Beach & Hampton Roads
In many cases, a priest or member of a particular church is allocated a particular area - a parish in the case of Catholicism. Most of the time, so long as the work done is considered to be fulfilling and it is performed properly, such members of the clergy will stay in that same parish until they retire. However, the initial allocation of a parish is actually a long and complicated process.
"It's at this point the bishop assigns them to a parish. This is sort of a "last chance" period to change one's mind and to start helping with the Liturgy in a real-world setting."
Understanding these and the emotional difficulties that most new members of the clergy are experiencing is very important for a good moving company.
Call Southside Moving & Storage Today to assist with your Clergy Staff relocation 757-234-7080