310. Service Appointment of Diaconal Ministers--1. Diaconal ministers may serve:
a) Within a local congregation, charge, or cooperative parish,
b) Through United Methodist Church-related agencies, ecumenical agencies, or
c) Through other ministries which extend the witness and service of Christ's love and justice in the world through equipping persons to fulfill their own calls to Christian service.
2. This service shall be in a setting which allows one to fulfill the call to specialized ministry and provides supervision with goals, evaluation, and accountability acceptable to the board of diaconal ministry, cabinet, and the bishop.
3. Service shall mean that the majority of the person's vocational time is devoted to the work of ministry in the field of service approved by the bishop.
4. Diaconal ministers serve in a nonitinerating ministry. A district superintendent or bishop may initiate or recommend an appointment, but they have no responsibility to do so.
5. The service appointment of the diaconal minister shall be:
a) Initiated by the individual diaconal minister or agency seeking his/her service;
b) Clarified by a written statement of intentionality of diakonia in order to establish a clear distinction between the work to which all Christians are called and the work for which diaconal ministers are appropriately prepared and authorized;
c) Recommended by the conference board of diaconal ministry;
d) Reviewed by the Cabinet and approved by the bishop of the annual conference.
6. A diaconal minister may serve less than full-time. This shall mean that a specified amount of time, agreed upon by the bishop and the cabinet, the diaconal minister, and the annual conference board of diaconal ministry, is devoted to the work of ministry in the field of service to which the person is appointed by the bishop. At his/her own initiative, a diaconal minister may request, and the bishop may approve, a service appointment to less than full-time service; provided that the following conditions are met:
a) The diaconal minister shall present a written request to the bishop and the conference board of diaconal ministry, giving rationale for the request at least six months prior to the annual conference at which the service appointment is to be made.
b) Reappointment to less than full-time service shall be requested of the bishop by the diaconal minister annually and shall be approved annually by the conference board of diaconal ministry.
c) The bishop may make an ad-interim service appointment of less than full-time service upon request of a diaconal minister with the recommendation of the executive committee of the conference board of diaconal ministry. Action by the entire board shall be taken on the appointment prior to the next annual conference.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 310
1996 United Methodist General Conference