Methodists to close Wichita, Nebraska offices, consolidate in Topeka

Three offices will become one after a vote by the Great Plains United Methodist Church.

The consolidation will close offices in Wichita and Lincoln, Neb., maintaining an office in Topeka.

“We want to create a culture that is the Great Plains Conference,” the Rev. Craig Hauschild, personnel committee chairman, said in a news release. “Currently we are tethered to three respective areas. It is time for us to not have those tethers.”

There isn’t an exact timetable for closing the Wichita and Lincoln offices, except that it may happen in 2018.

The decision was made last week during the 2017 annual conference of the Great Plains United Methodist Church.

A staffing study conducted earlier this year recommended moving to a single office.

“The consultant advises that one office be given strong consideration because it will allow staff team building, innovation, and cross-fertilization of ideas to begin in new and exciting ways,” read part of the report.

The new conference office will not be at the current Topeka location on Southwest 15th Street, according to a release from the denomination. Rather, a new location could be renovated, leased, purchased or built.

Topeka was chosen as the location for a centralized office because of a low cost of living, available office space and proximity to an airport.

Staff members who don’t move to the new office in Topeka will be offered severance packages.

This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Methodists to close Wichita, Nebraska offices, consolidate in Topeka."