Annual Conference Council on Ministries
726. In each annual conference of The United Methodist Church there shall be a conference Council on Ministries; provided that such council or any component thereof may be organized on an area basis.
1. Purpose--The purpose of the annual conference council on ministries, as part of the total mission of the church, is to facilitate the Church's program life in the annual conference. The council's task is to be responsible for the development, administration, and evaluation of the program of the annual conference and to encourage, coordinate, and support the conference agencies, districts, and local Churches in their ministry and various programs in accordance with the mission of The United Methodist Church.
2. Membership--The membership of the annual conference council on ministries shall consist of the presiding bishop; the district superintendents; representatives of conference agencies and commissions described in 739-741; representatives of other conference agencies as determined by the annual conference; the conference secretary; the area or conference superintendent or director of parish development; two representatives of the conference youth organization; two representatives of the conference United Methodist Women, one of whom shall be the president; two representatives of the conference United Methodist Men, one of whom shall be the president; two young adults; the conference lay leader; one lay person from each district; chairpersons of age-level and family departments; and such additional members as the annual conference may determine. Consideration shall be given to inclusiveness (103; 113).
The person or persons serving as members of the General Council on Ministries shall be member(s) of the annual conference council on ministries as full voting member(s).
The following shall be members of the council without vote: salaried and volunteer annual conference staff, the conference treasurer, and one or more members of the council on finance and administration.
3. Officers--The officers of the council shall be a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary, and such other officers as the council shall determine. They shall be elected by the council.
4. Executive Committee--There may be an executive committee consisting of the officers, the bishop, at least one district superintendent chosen by the Cabinet, the conference lay leader, the conference council director, the elected representative of the General Council on Ministries, and other members as the council may determine. Approximately one-half of the members of the executive committee shall be lay persons. Consideration shall be given to inclusiveness (103, 113).
The executive committee may also serve as the Personnel Committee of the conference council on ministries.
5. Committees, Task Forces, and Consultations--The council shall appoint a Committee on Ethnic Local Church Concerns. In addition, the council may appoint a Committee on Communication, a Committee on Planning and Research, a Committee on Leadership Development, and a Committee on Evaluation. It may appoint such other committees, task forces, and consultations as may be deemed essential to effective discharging of its responsibilities.
a) Committee on Ethnic Local Church Concerns--There shall be organized in each annual conference a Committee on Ethnic Local Church Concerns. It shall relate to all conference agencies to enable the incorporation of the work and concerns of the ethnic local Church in the agencies' agenda, programs, budgets, and assist in the implementation of the conference's comprehensive plan for the continued development and strengthening of the ethnic local Church. The committee shall have representation on the conference council on ministries. It shall develop criteria for use in evaluating racial/ethnic projects and programs within the conference and in reporting on its work to the council on ministries. It is recommended that the committee be comprised of one-third laywomen, one-third laymen, and one-third clergy. It is further recommended that two youth be included and at least one-half of this committee shall be racial/ethnic, where feasible. Consideration should be given to representation from each district. It shall also include a cabinet representative. The committee's findings will be referred to the conference commission on religion and race. It will cooperate with the commission on religion and race in its efforts to monitor the implementation of the comprehensive plan and the racial inclusiveness of the conference as it develops and supports the various ministries.
b) Committee on Communication--In each annual conference council on ministries, chosen by it and amenable to it, there may be a Committee on Communication. It may assist the council in the performance of the responsibilities listed in 726.10g-i, and may perform such other functions as are assigned to it by the council. A full-time conference or area staff person may be employed as director of communications to assist the committee in carrying out its functions. In the absence of a full-time staff person, responsibilities in communication shall be assigned as a part of the work of a member of the conference staff.
c) Committee on Planning and Research--It should not be deemed necessary for all members of the Committee on Planning and Research to be members of the conference council. Due consideration should be given to the inclusion in the membership of the committee persons with expertise in planning and research. Its function shall be:
(1) To engage in planning and research on behalf of the council in the continuing ministry of The United Methodist Church within the conference.
(2) To serve as an advisory group in planning and research for the annual conference and its agencies.
(3) To serve as the clearinghouse for all planning and research projects under the sponsorship of the annual conference and its agencies.
(4) To relate to and cooperate with the planning and research projects of the General Council on Ministries.
d) Committee on Evaluation--It should not be deemed necessary for all members of the Committee on Evaluation to be members of the conference council. Due consideration should be given to the inclusion in the membership of committee persons with expertise in program review and evaluation. Its function shall be:
(1) To review program criteria and goals for every conference program board and agency;
(2) To evaluate recommendations for the continued funding of these programs.
e) Committee on Publishing House Liaison--There may be organized in each annual conference a Committee on Publishing House Liaison. The committee shall consist of three members nominated and elected by the annual conference. The committee shall have lay and clergy members. Members of the General Board of Publication shall be members ex-officio. The committee chairperson shall be a member of the conference council on ministries. The committee shall provide liaison contact with The United Methodist Publishing House to relate the work of the house to the work of the conference.
6. Age-Level and Family Ministries--The council may establish councils for and coordinators of children, young adult, adult, older adult, single adults, and family ministries as it deems necessary to the performance of its duties. (See 745 concerning the establishment of a council on youth ministry.)
7. a) Director--The council shall elect, upon nomination by the personnel committee of the council or its equivalent, in consultation with the Cabinet, an executive officer to be known as the conference Council Director. The director shall be present when the Cabinet considers matters relating to coordination, implementation, and administration of the conference program, and other matters as the Cabinet and director may determine. The director shall not be present during the Cabinet discussions on matters related to the making of appointments and clergy conference relations. A limit to the term of service for the director may be set by the annual conference.
b) Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of the conference council director shall be but are not limited to the following:
(1) To serve as the executive officer of the annual conference council on ministries.
(2) To be a communication link between the annual conference program agencies and the jurisdictional (where they exist) and General Conference program agencies.
(3) To facilitate communication among the annual conference program agencies and the local Churches.
(4) To serve as a resource person for district programs and the annual conference council on ministries agencies in their planning, implementation, and evaluation process.
(5) To supervise the annual conference council on ministries staff members.
(6) To serve on other annual conference agencies as determined by the annual conference, and/or by the conference council on ministries.
(7) To serve as a consultant to the conference committee on nominations.
8. Staff--All annual conference council staff may be employed by, directed by, and amenable to the annual conference council on ministries. Insofar as possible, employees of the conference shall include women, racial and ethnic persons, lay and clergy, at every level (103, 113). Ordained ministers on the staff are subject to being appointed by the presiding bishop in consultation with the personnel committee of the council or its equivalent. A limit to the term of service for the council staff may be set by the annual conference.
9. Relationships--The council shall have the following relationships, including the amenabilities indicated:
a) Between sessions of the annual conference, all annual conference program agencies shall cooperate with and be amenable to the council on ministries of the annual conference in matters relating to the development, implementation, and administration of the program.66
b) All annual conference agencies shall submit the elements of program which are to be promoted in, supported by, or implemented by the local churches of the conference to the council for consideration, coordinating, and calendaring prior to presentation to the local churches. The council may request district or annual conference agencies to implement a program for the entire conference.
c) The council staff shall be responsible, in cooperation with the district superintendents, for the implementation of the conference program.
d) The council may develop and carry out a program of conference Advance special giving (see 727.1, 1007.5).
10. Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of the annual conference council on ministries are:
a) To describe, coordinate, and organize opportunities to respond to the missional priority, should any be adopted by the General Conference.
b) To assist the annual conference and local Churches in discovering their mission and to determine program emphases which will enable them to fulfill their mission.
c) To receive program recommendations from the local Churches, the district and annual conference agencies, and the jurisdictional and General Council on Ministries; to evaluate these recommendations; and to formulate a coordinated conference program to be presented to the annual conference for consideration.
d) To provide staff personnel and necessary resources for the implementation and administration of the program adopted by the conference.
e) To receive and coordinate the budget askings of all conference program agencies and to determine priorities to make budget recommendations to the conference council on finance and administration.
f) To cooperate in ecumenical projects and events which have been approved by the annual conference.
g) To interpret the programs of the general Church, the jurisdictional or central conference, and the annual conference to the local Churches; and to promote all General and annual conference benevolences.
h) To provide two-way channels of communication among annual conference agencies, district councils on ministries, and local Churches.
i) To provide for relationships with all news media within the conference; to lead the conference in making creative use of television and telecommunication ministries; to provide training in communication; and to perform public relations functions for the conference.
j) To give leadership in research and planning for the annual conference.
k) To provide guidance and training for district and/or local-Church leaders.
l) To provide linkage with general program agencies and provide names of annual conference agencies and persons who carry program responsibilities related to each general program agency.
m)To receive a report of the annual conference member to the General Council on Ministries.
66See Judicial Council Decision 400.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 726
1996 United Methodist General Conference