2527. Church Local Conference--Duties, Authority and Membership--1. In a pastoral charge consisting of two or more local Churches, a Church Local Conference, constituted and organized under the Discipline of The United Methodist Church in each local Church therein, shall be vested with authority and power in matters relating to the real and personal property of the local Church concerned. Such Church local conference shall elect the board of trustees of such local Church in number and manner described in 2526, and the duties of such trustees, duly elected, shall be the same as and identical with the duties described in 2528. The duties, authority, and power vested in the Church local conference, insofar as they relate to the property, real and personal, of the local Church concerned, are the same as and identical with the authority and power vested in the charge conference of a pastoral charge of one local Church (2529); and the authority, power, and limitations therein set forth shall be applicable to the Church local conference as fully and to the same extent as if incorporated herein. The effect of the provisions for a Church local conference is to give to each local church in a charge of two or more Churches, rather than to the pastoral charge conference, supervision over and control of its own property, subject to the limitations prescribed in the Discipline with regard to local Church property.
2. Whenever required under the Discipline of The United Methodist Church for matters relating to real or personal property of the local Church or to mergers of Churches, a local Church in a pastoral charge consisting of two or more local Churches shall organize a Church local conference. The membership of the Church local conference shall consist of the persons specified for membership of the charge conference (247.2) so far as the officers and relationships exist within the local Church, except that the pastor shall be a member of each Church local conference. The provisions of 247.2-.10 relating to membership qualification and procedures of a charge conference shall be applicable to membership qualifications and procedures of a Church local conference.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 2527
1996 United Methodist General Conference