Specific Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of the Council of Bishops shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
1. Upon a two-thirds vote of the members of the council present and voting, to make changes in missional priorities or special programs necessitated by emergencies or by other significant developments between General Conferences which substantially affect the life of the Church, and to make adjustments in budget allocations accordingly; provided that such adjustments are made within the total budget set by the previous General Conference; and provided, further, that such adjustments are made after consultation with the affected boards and agencies and approval by a two-thirds vote of the General Council on Finance and Administration.
2. To take the following actions, in sequence, with respect to recommendations to the General Council on Finance and Administration for the allocation of general church program funds to general program agencies, commissions, and funds:
a) The Council of Bishops shall, in consultation with the General Council on Finance and Administration and the general program agencies, commissions, and funds, develop recommendations to the General Council on Finance and Administration on needs of the general program agencies for the programs, missional priorities, and special programs.
b) The Council of Bishops shall receive the recommendation the General Council on Finance and Administration proposes to make to the General Conference as to the total general program agency, commission, and fund budgets.
c) The Council of Bishops, after reviewing both the program priorities and the total funds available to the general program agencies, commissions, and funds, shall recommend to the General Council on Finance and Administration the amount of the budgets of each of those agencies, commissions, and funds, within the total sum proposed by the General Council on Finance and Administration for distribution among such agencies, commissions, and funds.
d) Only when the Council of Bishops and the General Council on Finance and Administration agree on the allocations to the several general agencies, commissions, and funds shall these budgets be recommended to the General Conference by the General Council on Finance and Administration.
e) Before the beginning of each year the General Council on Finance and Administration shall determine and communicate to the Council of Bishops the sum available at that time from general church program agency contingency funds to meet requests for additional funding from the general program agencies, commissions, and funds. The Council of Bishops shall be authorized to approve allocations to the general program agencies, commissions, and funds for such additional program funding up to the limit so established. No money shall be allocated by the Council of Bishops from this source for general administrative costs, fixed charges, or capital outlay without approval by the General Council on Finance and Administration.
f) The Council of Bishops shall receive from the General Council on Finance and Administration copies of the proposed annual budgets of the general program agencies, commissions, and funds, in order that it may review such budgets in relation to the program proposals made by those agencies, commissions, and funds in their quadrennial budget requests.
3. To designate, in cooperation with the General Council on Finance and Administration, the general agency to undertake a special study ordered by the General Conference when the conference fails to make such a designation.
4. To assign responsibilities for implementation of themes, missional priorities, and/or special programs initiated between sessions of the General Conference to the general program agencies or to special task forces created by the Council of Bishops.
5. To assure the development of a unified and coordinated program for promoting of the connectional ministries of the Church.
6. To recommend to the General Conference the number and timing of special days which are to be observed on a churchwide basis; provided that the General Council on Finance and Administration shall make recommendations to the General Conference as set forth in ¶906.11 regarding the special days to be observed with offering; and provided further, that the Council of Bishops and the General Council on Finance and Administration may authorize a special financial appeal in an emergency.
7. To resolve any overlapping in structure or functions or lack of cooperation among the general program agencies, commissions, and funds.
8. To study the connectional structures of The United Methodist Church and, after consultation with the general agencies, recommend to the General Conference such legislative changes as may be appropriate to effect desirable modifications of existing connectional structures. Any such proposed legislative changes that would affect general fund budget allocations shall be studied in connection with the General Council on Finance and Administration and shall be recommended to the General Conference by these two councils acting in concert.
9. To review and evaluate the effectiveness of the general program agencies, commissions, and funds in fulfilling the ministries assigned to them (see ¶802.3).
10. The general secretary of each general program agency, commission, and fund that is accountable to the Council of Bishops shall be elected annually by ballot of the Council of Bishops upon the nomination of the agency involved. Any general secretary of a general program agency who has not been elected by the Council of Bishops shall not serve in such capacity beyond the end of that calendar year. Each program agency shall elect annually by ballot its deputy and associate general secretary(ies) and may elect or appoint such other staff as may be necessary.
11. To report to the General Conference for its approval a summary of all decisions and recommendations made dealing with program changes and structure overlap.
12. To review, with the program agencies, all valid resolutions and positions adopted by the General Conference, and recommend to the General Conference the removal of time-dated materials.
13. To receive reports from and refer matters to the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns on the participation of The United Methodist Church in the various aspects of ecumenism.
14. To organize the Advance Committee which shall have general oversight of the Advance program.
15. To act in concert with the General Council on Finance and Administration to establish a procedure for making a quadrennial review, initiating proposals, and/or responding to proposals by the general agencies regarding the location of headquarters and staff and report the same to the General Conference. (See ¶907.2.)
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 20692-MN-527-D
1996 United Methodist General Conference