Section V. General Board of Discipleship
1201. Purpose--1. There shall be a General Board of Discipleship, the purpose of which is found within the expression of the total mission of the Church outlined in the objectives of mission. Its primary purpose shall be to assist annual conferences, districts, and local Churches of all membership sizes in their efforts to win persons to Jesus Christ as his disciples and to help these persons to grow in their understanding of God that they may respond in faith and love, to the end that they may know who they are and what their human situation means, increasingly identifying themselves as children of God and members of the Christian community, to live in the Spirit of God in every relationship, to fulfill their common discipleship in the world, and to abide in the Christian hope.
2. The board shall use its resources to enhance the meaning of membership as defined in 211-215 which emphasizes the importance of the identification of church membership with discipleship to Jesus Christ. The board shall work with persons and through structures, such as districts and annual conferences, to lead and assist local Churches in becoming communities of growing Christians, celebrating and communicating the redeeming and reconciling love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ to persons of every age, racial and ethnic background, and social condition, and to advocate and encourage the development of new congregations.
3. The board members and staff shall seek to fulfill this purpose in theory and practice by: a) coordinating and harmonizing the work of its units so as to provide its services to the Church in a unified manner; b) reviewing and acting upon reports of the units, the committees, and their offices and staffs; and c) assigning to one or several of its units any programs adopted by the General Conference or the General Council of Ministries and assigned to the board.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 1201
1996 United Methodist General Conference