The 1992 General Conference adopted Calendar Item 213 on page 237 of the Daily Christian Advocate which directed the General Council on Ministries (GCOM) to implement the following action:
"1. That during the 1993-96 quadrennium the General Council on Ministries lead the church in a time of discernment, reflection, and study of its mission and its structural needs as it moves into the 21st century. The Council will do this by consulting groups across the church, conducting appropriate research, and developing and utilizing resource materials.
2. That the General Council on Ministries continue to fulfill its disciplinary responsibilities in reviewing the church's structures and report its findings and any recommendations to the 1996 General Conference.
3. That in fulfillment of the above responsibilities the General Council on Ministries consult with the Council of Bishops, the General Council on Finance and Administration, the Commission on Central Conference Affairs, central conference agencies and/or leaders, annual conference and local church leaders, general agencies, and other appropriate groups."
In response to this directive the General Council on Ministries developed a comprehensive design called the Connectional Issues Study. The study's purpose was to enter into a collaborative process to discern God's will for United Methodism into the 21st century through an ongoing process of "listening, reflecting/reviewing and recommending," which prompted more listening and developed an ongoing transforming feedback process that involved the whole United Methodist Church. This discernment of the denominations's future needs has involved myriad constituencies across the church, providing opportunities to listen and gather important ideas, insights, and information that have been integrated and tested within the ongoing design of the study. It has been intentional in seeking to hear from the grass roots of United Methodism and to learn where God is leading United Methodists.
The Connectional Issues Study was done in collaboration with the Council of Bishops including its Global Nature of the Church Committee; The General Council on Finance and Administration; the general agencies of the Church; and church leaders from local churches, annual conferences, and central conferences. It included specific involvement with annual conference lay leaders, annual conference council directors, the general secretaries and directors of general agencies. The responsibility for this listening and reflection was assigned to the GCOM Connectional Issues Task Force. It presented regular reports to the Council's Division on Conferences and Connectional Issues and in turn to the full membership of the Council.
Central Components of the Connectional Issues Study
Faithful, Listening Disciples - a Bible Study and video based on the Gospel of Mark providing biblical basis for the envisioning process. Four hundred videos were distributed, and local churches used this study and responded on the survey sheet.
Annual Conference Survey - a grass roots survey of nearly 35,000 members on vision, mission, and structure of The United Methodist Church administered to each lay and clergy member of the annual conferences at their 1994 sessions. Translations were made into Korean and Spanish, as well as several European languages. Results were summarized by Rollins Center for Church Ministries at Candler School of Theology under the direction of Dr. Thomas E. Frank.
Town Meeting of Annual Conferences Council Directors - a setting providing significant linkage with leadership in the annual conferences for input into the design phase of the study and foundational material for understanding the needs of the local, district, and annual conferences to be enabled for vital ministry.
Hearing Vital Congregations - telephone interviews conducted by members of the General Council on Ministries with leaders of three to five churches in each annual conference where mission and ministry are happening.
Consultation with Council of Bishops and General Council on Finance and Administration - major presentations at the fall 1994 meetings of these Councils. Summary of data gathered was shared and ownership of the direction of study was established. Focus was made on potential structure scenes which emerged early in 1995. Further consultations were held at spring and fall 1995 meetings of both Councils.
Consultations with General Agencies - held to ensure input from general agencies. Primary consultations occurred between November 1994 and February 1995 and during the fall of 1995. Members of the General Council on Ministries' General Agency Relationships Division were involved in the consultations, and extensive notes were recorded.
Consultations with Central Conferences - meetings already scheduled for interfacing with people in the annual conferences of the Central Conferences were used: Philippines (January 1994), Africa Church Growth & Development (June 1994), Vienna (September 1994), and World Methodist Council (October 1994), and several European countries (March 1995).
Listening to the Church - opportunities for reflection on present and emerging visions of the annual conferences. The purpose of this component was to hear directly from the leadership of the several annual conferences through the GCOM member of the annual conference. These annual conference leaders reviewed and reflected on the summarized annual conference vision/structure recommendations of all annual conferences coming from Dr. Thomas E. Frank and the Rollins Center.
Forum of Thirty-Two - a group representative of the total church. They met twice and provided significant data and input into the study from their areas of expertise and insights. They also were asked to give ongoing critique of the study to the Task Force.
Collaboration and Consultation with the Duke University Divinity School/Lilly Endowment Study of Methodism and American Culture - A member of the Connectional Issues Task Force was invited to be a leadership participant and an executive staff member of GCOM was invited as an official observer in the Duke/Lilly Study to keep abreast of the findings and input from this significant research project. Members of the Task Force were present for the summary findings presented by the Duke /Lilly Study on August 25 - 28, 1995 at St. Simons Island, Georgia. This data was reviewed and reflected upon in the process of completing the study.
Consultations with United Methodist Related Caucuses and Organizations - scheduled meetings of caucuses and organizations were used to seek input into the study. Meetings were held with annual conference council directors, National Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders, Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group, United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries, United Methodist Congress of the Deaf, United Methodist National Youth Ministry Organization, and National Association of Schools and Colleges of The United Methodist Church.
Annual Conference Vision Statements - annual conferences' vision/identity/structure statements responding to the survey instrument were received and analyzed. Results were initially summarized by the Rollins Center, under direction of Dr. Thomas E. Frank.
United Methodist Structure - a special work team from across the GCOM complemented the Connectional Issues Study Task Force in developing a structural foundation to carry out the church's mission that is consistent with the emerging vision for The United Methodist Church.
Summary of Key Findings for the Connectional Issues Study
During this quadrennium, the Connectional Issues Study process involved intensive listening to various individuals and groups across the church. This effort led to thousands of responses and the collection of essential information, which was analyzed and combined with other information to form various themes and trends. These themes and trends were widely distributed for review and reflection. A series of consultations was also held with various organizational units and caucuses of the denomination to seek input and reaction to the data. In addition, several drafts of the evolving Connectional Issues Study report were distributed across the church inviting responses through specific instruments including voice-mail, fax, and mailings.
From the myriad listenings, reflections, and input from across the church, the Connectional Issues Study processes have provided 15 key findings which are described in detail on pages ____ of the report. The following descriptive words and phrases capture the essence of these findings:
- A United Methodist Church
alive, vital and intensively involved in mission and ministry throughout the world
crying for a clearer vision
seeking a Christ-centered, spiritual foundation
a church inclusive of all persons
committed to connectionalism
- Local Congregations, the primary base for mission and ministry
- Effective communication needed across the church
- Structural flexibility
- Continued vital Episcopal leadership
- General Church Agencies
resourcing and serving congregations
reduced in size appropriately
From these findings the General Council on Ministries concluded that The United Methodist Church must articulate God's vision for the denomination before formal structures are developed or imposed. Further, the focus of the denomination's resourcing processes must be on the actual doing of mission and ministry, empowered and directed at the place where ministry is unfolding. In light of these principles, the granting of some flexibility in annual conference and local church structures, the clear need for servant leadership and the direction for a continued vital United Methodism became clearer and more focused.
Call For Action
Given these principled directions, the study moved to focus on the development of a "call for action" that would refine and bring reformation and self-organization into an ongoing vital denomination that has a crucial place and role as the people of God into the 21st century. The historic mission of Jesus Christ is still our call to action. The church must be in a covenant relationship through our accountability to the historic identity and purpose of the denomination.
Details of this call for action are found below on pages ____ of the report. Here are some key elements of this call.
a vision-driven ministry
doing God's will in ministry
accountability of connectional structures
a collaborative style of interaction
organizational flexibility
regional conferences
global conference
optimum size of general agencies
greater role of laity
decision-making at the place of ministry
servant leadership
What follows in this Connectional Issues Study Report to the 1996 General Conference offers a challenge and opportunity to the church to be vitally engaged in mission and ministry on behalf of Jesus Christ as together God's people move into the 21st century.
The Report of the
Connectional Issues Study
of the General Council on Ministries
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Vision For The United Methodist Church
Findings From Our Study
The Call For Action
The Identity, Purpose and Mission of The United Methodist Church (Core Values and Beliefs)
The Recommendations for Mission and Ministry of The United Methodist Church into the 21st Century
The Interactive Body -- The Connection of Conferences
The Nature of Superintendency
The Conference Settings
The Local Church
The Church Conference
Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries
Leadership Ministries
Administrative and Fiscal Ministries
The Council
The District Conference
The Annual Conference
The Annual Conference Session
Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries
Leadership Ministries
Administrative and Fiscal Ministries
The Council
The Regional Conference
The Regional Conference Session
Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries
Leadership Ministries
Administrative and Fiscal Ministries
The Council
The Global Conference
Conclusion to the Report
Membership of the Connectional Issues Study Task Force
Glossary
Implementing Recommendations of the Report
Appendix
Introduction
The faithful Church remains open to what God is doing in the world. It transforms its institutions and practices in alignment with an understanding of authentic Christian mission. In the spirit of Jesus Christ, disciples - corporately and individually - act boldly and creatively to reflect God's light to the nations, to call persons to learn Christ's servant ways and participate in God's purposes. Throughout history, when the Body of Christ has been open to God's new creation and willing to journey toward God's promise, the Holy Spirit has breathed vitality into its forms and blessed its ministry.
Seeking to be aligned with God's perceived activity in the present day, The United Methodist Church is urged to review its mission, faithfully revise the goals of its shared ministry, and bring its priorities and practices into line with this understanding. Merely adapting portions of the official connection for the sake of institutional survival or in order to entrench old and ineffective authority patterns is insufficient response to Jesus' entreaty that our righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees.
The radical nature of change today calls for thoroughly rethinking both personal practices and connectional patterns. By God's grace we can discover a new way of seeing things, a paradigm shift more appropriate to the needs of our present day. Such a shift in thinking and acting will best be grounded in diligent Bible study, prayerful discernment, and open dialogue with intentional focus on
The ministry of all Christians
The essential role of congregations in ministry and mission
The support functions of connectional units
An open approach to connectional structures and communications
A strategy for placing decision-making as close as possible to the point of ministry
Flexibility, accountability, and broad inclusivity operating throughout the connection
The 1992 General Conference commissioned the General Council on Ministries to
"... lead the church in a period of discernment, reflection, and study of its mission and structure as it moves into the 21st century."
Working through a Connectional Issues Study Task Force and with the cooperation of a wide range of United Methodist colleague groups, the General Council on Ministries brings the following report.
This report
(1) presents a studied synopsis of what is being heard through a broadly-based process of listening and dialogue,
(2) seeks to identify key concerns which will contribute to a shared and motivating vision, and
(3) suggests first steps toward restructuring the church by giving flexibility and guidance to local churches and annual conferences, while calling for accountability and enhanced communication from general church agencies which are called with all others to assume a servant role within a purposeful connection.
Mission and Vision
From the beginning the people of God have been called out, blessed to be a blessing, set apart for mission and given the tasks of being a light to the nations, and making disciples for Jesus Christ. This calling has given the church its identity and formed the basis for an understood purpose.
As we move into a new century, the church is called to live out its identity, purpose and mission and to journey by faith toward God's promise. While the values which shape the body of Christ and the mission which directs the nature of its ministry are foundational, it is imperative that the Church articulate the vision of a preferred future condition. Such a vital vision with prioritized long-range and intermediate goals can energize a covenant people and result in a vibrant church. In the face of present day challenges, it is imperative that The United Methodist Church discover at every point in our lives together how to express appropriate visions and form consistent structures so that the Holy Spirit may more likely move through us and cause our core values and beliefs to be more evident in our dealings with each other and the world.
As in other historic periods of intense social and cultural change, the challenge to existing structures and patterns is real and immediate. Laity and clergy alike are asking:
How can The United Methodist Church stay true to its calling, mission, history, and traditions while adapting to meet the diverse and expanding needs of those whom Christ calls us to serve?
In recent years, this question has taken many forms across the connection.
How can we be focused on a vision and mission in all of our work?
How can we develop a shared vision and leadership that the church needs?
How can the annual conferences improve effectiveness in mission and vision?
How can the local churches better understand and utilize the general agency structures and resources for ministry?
How can the agencies better understand the needs of local churches?
How can we learn to be inclusive in all that we do?
How can our mission and structure reflect the global nature of The United Methodist Church?
Such questions challenge the Church to persevere with ministries of hope in the midst of declining membership, to demonstrate faithful and creative stewardship in the face of reduced funding from some parts of The United Methodist Church, to effect open communication and empowering connections in response to growing anxiety about institutional structures, and to address perceptions of low morale among clergy and laity by refocusing upon the potential for a Christ-formed servant ministry in and to the world where God still actively creates.
Aware of the ferment within The United Methodist Church and seeking to benefit from both the old wine of our tradition and the new wine of the Holy Spirit, members of the General Council on Ministries have sifted the treasures of our tradition and searched for places in which these concerns are being effectively addressed through both traditional and creative ministries and where the church is vibrant and growing.
For more than three years, the members of the GCOM, through the Connectional Issues Study,
have listened to voices from across the global connection and undergirded by Bible study, prayer, and thoughtful discussion have reflected on the collected data.
In the following recommendations, the fruits of this listening to God and to one another are evidenced in
A renewed mission statement
A vision statement for world and church
An identification of shared values to inform our transformation journey
A set of structural principles to provide a framework for an interactive system of shared mission and connected ministries while emphasizing flexibility, broadly-based inclusiveness, and missional accountability
A process to effect organizational transformation through ongoing consensus building that remains focused on servant ministry and seeks self-renewal.
The Vision For The United Methodist Church
We believe that an appropriate vision for The United Methodist Church should be a biblically-grounded, God-given picture of the preferred future for the Body of Christ. Aware that God calls us to live this vision into reality, we understand a forming vision is grounded in The United Methodist Church's identity, purpose and mission as affirmed in the Preamble to the Constitution.
The Church is a community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. It is the redeemed and redeeming fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by persons divinely called, and the Sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church seeks to provide for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the redemption of the world.
The Church of Jesus Christ exists in and for the world, and its very dividedness is a hindrance to its mission in that world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - Preamble to The Constitution, page 21)
In designing the next steps in our shared journey, the Connectional Issues Study Task Force utilized the following working vision and offers it to the church for study and guidance:
Our VISION is of a world transformed into the likeness of Christ where faithful persons actively manifest the love of God and neighbor while fostering true community among all persons.
This VISION is carried out within an interactive system of:
DISCIPLES who live, teach, and model a Christlike service in and to the world;
CONGREGATIONS that invite, nurture, equip, and send faithful disciples into the world as living witnesses to the sovereignty of Christ;
ANNUAL CONFERENCES AND DISTRICTS that connect local churches in mission by providing support and training, leadership personnel, and resources;
REGIONAL AND GLOBAL CONFERENCES that provide this connection with information and resources to enhance faithful discipleship.
The mission of the church as stated in ¶ 69 of The Book of Discipline, 1992 resonates with the findings of the study when it says:
Mission is the action of the God of grace who creates out of love, who calls a covenant people community, who graciously redeems and reconciles a broken and sinful people in Jesus Christ, and who through the Holy Spirit calls the church into being as the instrument of the good news of grace to all people. Mission is also the church's grateful response to what God has done, is doing, and will do. A grace-formed church is one which responsibly participates in God's action in and for the world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 69, p. 85)
Findings From Our Study
This section reports the key findings from our study, gathered from across the church in many settings. These findings indicate several conclusions which are essential to understand the recommendations found later in this report.
During this quadrennium, the Connectional Issues Study was initiated through intensive listening to various individuals and groups across the church. This effort led to thousands of responses and the collection of essential information. The data from each listening was analyzed and combined with other information to form various themes and trends.
These themes and trends were widely distributed for review and reflection. A series of consultations was also held with various organizational units and caucuses of the denomination to seek input and reaction to the initial data. In addition, the first draft of a report was distributed across the church with an invitation for response.
These listenings have provided the following key findings for our study.
We found that:
1. The United Methodist Church is alive, vital, and intensively involved in the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in many places throughout the world. The United Methodist Church has a window of opportunity for significant service to Christ and the world into the 21st century. We find that our church has the will and adequate resources to engage the world with Christ's message of love, peace and hope.
We found that:
2. The church is crying for a clearer vision, focused direction and Christ-led servant leadership throughout our denomination. We found that the most common theme within the data is a cry for a clearer biblically-based vision, led by dedicated lay and ordained/consecrated persons. Effective clergy leadership is seen as critical to the vitality of local churches. Lay and clergy leadership trained for partnership is an equally critical need for the church. The study identifies as critical the recruitment, training, placement, and evaluation of both pastoral and lay leadership for the future. Mission and ministry are understood as the work of the whole people of God.
We found that:
3. Our people are seeking a Christ-centered spiritual foundation. The data shows a desire for increased emphasis on Bible study, prayer and spiritual renewal. The church should address this spiritual hunger within its membership. The center of our preaching is and always will be the message of God's saving grace through Jesus Christ. We should experience and offer the transforming, liberating power of God, living out the redeeming love of Jesus Christ through nurturing communities and serving the needs of others throughout the global community.
We found that:
4. The local congregation is understood as the primary base for mission and ministry and the foundation for everything that happens in the denomination. The data shows widespread affirmation for empowered local congregations as the primary center for relational and outreach mission and ministry, consistent with the centrality of connectionalism. Also identified clearly is the need for adequate resourcing for local congregations to be vital and effective. Those areas cited most often were spiritual development, evangelism, Christian conduct, social justice, and vital and culturally diverse worship.
We found that:
5. Many parts of the church are preoccupied with maintenance of the institution. This finding is the strongest in reference to general agencies, annual conferences, and other leadership groups within the denomination. It is perceived that the transformation of persons and communities, and caring relational ministries become secondary to the status of position, style, and structures that keep the status quo and control. There is great concern that "business as usual" calls for substantial money and energy from local congregations. The data indicates an unwillingness to continue to fund such practices.
We found that:
6. Effective communication is needed throughout the denomination to knit the body together and energize its ministry. The need for more effective communication is a major theme throughout the study. It is seen as the basis of the connection, an opportunity for evangelism, and a healing force within the church. Local church people do not feel resourced and express a significant sense of disconnection. The data indicates that finances are not a major problem, but rather ineffective interpretation and communication limit the response from our people. Our study also indicates that agencies of the church need to listen to local churches and their needs as they plan.
We found that:
7. The church must be inclusive of all persons. The study data affirms the call to openness and inclusivity across the church. The gifts, wisdom and experience of all are genuinely needed as the church moves into the 21st century. The findings call us to celebrate our diversity in Christ at every physical, cultural and social boundary. There is an expressed concern that any change will further disenfranchise, if not totally abandon, persons of color and ethnic groups, and lose their valuable contributions to the body of Christ.
We found that:
8. Structural flexibility at the annual conference, district and local church is needed to allow all to carry out mission and ministry. While acknowledging the importance of the connection, one of the strongest findings is that local churches and annual conferences identify a need to adjust their organizational structures to adapt to their own mission and ministry situations. There is a clear call to provide flexibility in required organization to provide for innovation and response to quickly changing environments. This need for flexibility, however, is tempered with the acknowledgment of the need to preserve sufficient consistency so that the connection will remain viable.
We found that:
9. Our people have a commitment to share the responsibilities and benefits of connectionalism. Data confirms the importance of the connection and indicate its significance in the experience of United Methodists. While connectionalism is seen as central to the theological and historical roots of United Methodism, respondents indicate a concern that its theological understandings are being superseded by its institutional applications.
We found that:
10. Our history of worldwide outreach and ecumenical cooperation will be essential ingredients as we plan for the future. Many persons who contributed data spoke of the ecumenical and global nature of the church as essential qualities. In spite of perceived administrative and financial difficulties, the overwhelming voice spoke for a global church and ecumenical involvements for our future.
We found that:
11. The leadership of bishops in their spiritual and temporal roles is affirmed. The data generally identifies a need for effective leadership and a corporate need for direction-setting and accountability. In conversations with the Council of Bishops, their role as spiritual and temporal leaders was noted and affirmed as essential to our future.
We found that:
12. Many in our church express a lack of satisfaction with the general agencies of The United Methodist Church. The data shows that these perceptions lead to calls for downsizing and more effective resourcing for mission and ministry needs at the annual conferences and local churches. Our study clearly indicates a need for greater efficiency, discipline, and accountability in the use of human, natural, and financial resources to meet well-defined goals. While the study documents these needs, it also identifies appreciation for the ministries and expertise of the general agencies. Our study also finds that the general agencies are often perceived as independent entities that promote their particular interests rather than resource ministries of local churches and annual conferences, and that ministry efforts are not well coordinated.
We found that:
13. General agencies receive some positive evaluations of their resources and services by their constituencies. Consequently, in conversations the general agencies did not generally acknowledge expressions of dissatisfaction voiced toward their specific agency.
We found that:
14. The size of the general church organization needs to be reduced. The data received supports reduction in the size of general agency membership and staff. It also calls for preserving the value of inclusive representation. Several general agencies indicate that a reduction in the number of elected members is feasible.
We found that:
15. A serious disconnection exists between the general program agencies and the annual conference councils on ministries. The data indicate that annual conferences are planning for emphases that they do not believe can be effectively resourced by the general agencies. Corollary to this concern is the finding that the services offered by agencies often do not match the needs or emphases of annual conferences.
The Call For Action
The United Methodist Church has an opportunity to address the issues that face the denomination and prepare ourselves for greater ministry in the coming decades. The historic mission of Jesus Christ is still our call to action.
The Connectional Issues Study has provided extensive listening to all constituencies in our church. Our most faithful response to God's leading, as voiced by our people, is to analyze ourselves carefully as we prepare for the future.
Many voices have offered constructive critique of our current efforts and challenge us to reform our approaches to ministry so that we might be more effective in focusing on the mission and ministry of all Christians to transform the world.
It is clear to us that these voices are in harmony with the leading of God's spirit as we understand it.
The findings in the study prompt concerns. The United Methodist Church is strong and effective in many settings. However, the findings indicate serious disconnection from the highest ideals of our common ministry. It is time to reconnect our valued understanding of shared mission which has provided effective ministry at every context in our denomination.
These recommendations are intended to:
Reflect a vision-driven understanding of ministry that will provide focused mission and resourcing to respond to the concerns and hopes of all our congregations
Focus on doing God's will in ministry,rather than preserving a particular institution or organization.
Call for the accountability of our connectional structures and rebuild the sense of common mission across the denomination through a shared vision. At its best, our connectional style of ministry has provided effective outreach in ways not possible by a single or group of congregations. This need is great in our future and we must regain the confidence of United Methodists that our organization will fulfill their response to God's call for mission and ministry.
Seek to enhance a collaborative style of interaction among all parts of the church organization. We expect that these adjustments, energized by a clear vision from God for our work, can replace independence with interdependence and cooperation across the church.
Respond to the disconnections cited in findings 6, 8, and 12 through 15 of the Connectional Issues Study. Central to this understanding is the interactive process which is presented in principle on pages 18 through 20 of this report. Further, the interactive design is based upon the principles stated as "The Identity, Purpose and Mission of The United Methodist Church" (pages 11-17). The interactive connectional process and its organizational components will require additional study and analysis as the church moves toward its implementation.
Call for the utilization of the local church conference as the visioning and policy-setting body for the mission and ministry of the local congregation.
Call for organizational flexibility for the conferences. This recommendation for flexibility is needed to encourage congregations and conferences to organize for effective mission and ministry while maintaining the connectional linkages that are vital to our heritage.
Call for the creation of regional conferences to provide for ministry within a specified geographical region.
Call for the creation of a global conference to care for all matters distinctively connectional for The United Methodist Church.
Call for the optimum size of general agencies' membership and staff with sensitivity to inclusivity and representativeness. We are convinced that new models for connectional linkage will be developed and can provide greater resourcing for annual conferences, districts and local congregations in the future. The appropriate agency staff size designed to meet the needs of each agency must also be considered as these structural components are finalized.
Call for greater role of laity in the mission and ministry of the church in every context. Lay persons, baptized into ministry, embody the love of Jesus Christ in the church and the world. Lay persons do ministry.
Call for decision-making at the place of ministry in order to empower those in general ministry while holding each other faithful to the God-given vision of the church serving the community and the world.
Call for servant leadership. We recognize the gifts and talents of all believers who are instruments of God within the body of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to lead and serve each other as we live out the vision of a world transformed into the likeness of Christ.
We urge you to give serious consideration to "The Recommendations for Mission and Ministry of The United Methodist Church into the 21st Century" in this report. It is our prayer that they will give greater vision, collaboration and support as we seek to be faithful to our Identity, Purpose and Mission as God's people.
The Identity, Purpose and Mission of The United Methodist Church
(Core Values and Beliefs)
The identity, purpose and mission of The United Methodist Church are grounded in historical core values and beliefs which provide the foundation for mission and ministry in the Church. The Connectional Issues Study process, through listening to the church and gathering data, has identified core values and beliefs in language that reflects the traditions of the church as it emerges in today's social and missional contexts. These core values and beliefs are listed in alphabetical order:
Annual conference
Connectionalism
Doctrinal heritage
Ecumenism
Education
Evangelism
Global character
Inclusiveness of the church
Local church
Ministry of all Christians
Mission
Mutual accountability
Scriptural holiness
Social justice
Stewardship
Vital worship
These historical core values and beliefs are consistent with The Book of Discipline, 1992 which states:
... all Christians share a common history. Within that history, Christian tradition precedes Scripture, and yet Scripture comes to be the focal expression of the tradition. As United Methodists, we pursue our theological task in openness to the richness of both the form and power of tradition. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 68, p. 79)
The Book of Discipline, 1992 delineates each of these core values and beliefs of United Methodists in various paragraphs which the GCOM has identified as the foundation for recommendations of the study.
Annual Conference
As declared in the Constitution we believe "the Annual Conference is the basic body in the Church... ". (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - The Constitution, ¶ 36, Article II, p. 31)
The purpose of the Annual Conference is to make disciples for Jesus Christ by equipping its local churches for ministry and by providing a connection for ministry beyond the local church all to the glory of God. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 701, p. 328) (See also The Constitution ¶ 10, p. 23)
The Annual Conference shall provide for the connectional relationship between the general boards and commissions and the conference, district, and local church. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 707, p. 338)
Connectionalism
We are connectional in witness and community.
The United Methodist connectional principle, born out of our historical tradition, many biblical roots, and accepted theological ideas, is the basic form of our polity, the way in which we carry out God's mission as a people.
It is in essence a network of interdependent relationships among persons and groups throughout the life of the whole denomination.
It declares that our identity is in our wholeness together in Christ that each part is vital to the whole, that our mission is more effectively carried out by a connectional life which incorporates Wesleyan zeal into the life of the people. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 112.3, p. 112)
Our Doctrinal Heritage
We have faith in Jesus Christ and uphold basic Christian affirmations. We also affirm distinctive Wesleyan emphases.
United Methodists profess the historic Christian faith in God, incarnate in Jesus Christ for our salvation and ever at work in human history in the Holy Spirit. Living in a covenant of grace under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we participate in the first fruits of God's coming reign and pray in hope for its full realization on earth as in heaven.
Our heritage in doctrine and our present theological task focus upon a renewed grasp of the sovereignty of God and of God's love in Christ amid the continuing crises of human existence. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 65, p. 40)
The outreach of the Church springs from the working of the Spirit. As United Methodists, we respond to that working through a connectional polity based upon mutual responsiveness and accountability. Connectional ties bind us together in faith and service in our global witness, enabling faith to become active in love and intensifying our desire for peace and justice in the world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 65, p. 47)
Ecumenism
We are committed to ecumenical life and witness.
The United Methodist Church is a part of the Church Universal, which is one Body in Christ. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - The Constitution, ¶ 4, Article IV, p. 22)
The Church of Jesus Christ exists in and for the world, and its very dividedness is a hindrance to its mission in that world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - Preamble, The Constitution, p. 21)
Christian unity is founded on the theological understanding that through faith in Jesus Christ we are made members-in-common of the one Body of Christ. Christian unity is not an option; it is a gift to be received and expressed.
United Methodists respond to the theological, biblical, and practical mandates for Christian unity by firmly committing ourselves to the cause of Christian unity at local, national, and world levels. We invest ourselves in many ways by which mutual recognition of churches, of members, and of ministries may lead us to sharing in Holy Communion with all of God's people. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 68, pp. 83-84)
Education
We are committed to the uniting of knowledge and vital piety. Christian education is understood to be the process which enables United Methodist Christians
... 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. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 1201, p. 486)
We affirm that higher education is a vital part of our historic mission.
Higher education is a significant part of our Wesleyan heritage, our present task, and our future responsibility. The Church continues its historic mission of uniting knowledge and vital piety by maintaining educational institutions and a campus ministry, and through them an intellectual, spiritual, and material ministry to all persons within the academic community without respect to sex, race, creed, or national origin.. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 1513.1)
Evangelism
We believe evangelism is foundational.
The people of God are the Church made visible in the world. It is they who must convince the world of the reality of the gospel or leave it unconvinced. There can be no evasion or delegation of this responsibility; the Church is either faithful as a witnessing and serving community, or it loses its vitality and its impact on an unbelieving world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 107, p. 110)
2. Evangelism. To proclaim the Gospel is fundamental; to invite persons to personal decision for and commitment to Jesus Christ and his being is equally fundamental. The Gospel calls forth response. The invitation to respond to the Gospel is evangelism. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 69, p. 86)
Global Character
We believe that the church is global in its nature and ministry.
A rich quality of our Church, especially as it has developed in the last century, is its global character. We are a church with a distinctive theological heritage, but that heritage is lived out in a global community, resulting in understandings of our faith enriched by indigenous experiences and manners of expression. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 68, p. 83)
Inclusiveness of The Church
We believe in the inclusiveness of all persons with openness, acceptance, and support. The Constitution of The United Methodist Church reads:
Inclusiveness of the Church.- The United Methodist Church is a part of the Church Universal, which is one Body in Christ. Therefore all persons, without regard to race, color, national origin, or economic condition, shall be eligible to attend its worship services, to participate in its programs, and, when they take the appropriate vows, to be admitted into its membership in any local church in the connection. In The United Methodist Church no conference or other organizational unit of the Church shall be structured so as to exclude any member or any constituent body of the Church because of race, color, national origin, or economic condition. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - The Constitution, ¶ 4, Article IV, p. 22) (See also The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 113, p. 114)
Local Church
The Church of Jesus Christ exists in and for the world. We believe that it is primarily at the local church that the Church encounters the world.
A local church is a community of true believers under the Lordship of Christ. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by persons divinely called, and the Sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the redemption of the world.
The Church of Jesus Christ exists in and for the world. It is primarily at the level of the local church that the Church encounters the world. The local church is a strategic base from which Christians move out to the structures of society.
Each local church shall have a definite evangelistic, nurture, and witness responsibility for its members and the surrounding area, and a missional outreach responsibility to the local and global community. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 201, 202, 204, selected, pages 116-117)
The Ministry of All Christians
We believe all Christian believers are involved in mission and ministry to the world.
The heart of Christian ministry is Christ's ministry of outreaching love. Christian ministry is the expression of the mind and mission of Christ by a community of Christians that demonstrates a common life of gratitude and devotion, witness and service, celebration and discipleship. All Christians are called to this ministry of servanthood in the world to the glory of God and for human fulfillment. The forms of this ministry are diverse in locale, in interest, and in denominational accent, yet always catholic in spirit and outreach. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 104, p. 109)
Ministry is understood as a call for all to serve and witness. Within this ministry some are called to representative ministry - ordained and diaconal.
Mission
We believe that United Methodist mission and witness involves four essential dimensions: proclamation, evangelism, incorporation, and servanthood.
Mission is the action of the God of grace who creates out of love, who calls a covenant people community, who graciously redeems and reconciles a broken and sinful people in Jesus Christ, and who through the Holy Spirit calls the church into being as the instrument of the good news of grace to all people. Mission is also the church's grateful response to what God has done, is doing, and will do. A grace-formed church is one which responsibly participates in God's action in and for the world ...
Mission is witness to the God of grace. Witness has four essential dimensions:
1.Proclamation. We proclaim the Gospel. We tell the story of God's gracious initiative to redeem the world. The imperative for proclamation is found in the Gospel itself. Good news cannot be withheld.
2.Evangelism. To proclaim the Gospel is fundamental; to invite persons to personal decision for and commitment to Jesus Christ and his being is equally fundamental. The Gospel calls forth response. The invitation to respond to the gospel is evangelism.
3.Incorporation. We call persons to be incorporated into the Body of Christ. All who are in
Christ share in the mission of Christ.
4.Servanthood. We serve as agents of God's liberating and reconciling grace among the nations. Witness is to whole persons and their social contexts. The wholeness of grace entails justice, mercy, and forgiveness. Our aim is, therefore, transformed people in a transformed world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 69, selected, pages 85-86)
Mutual Accountability
We are mutually accountable in the efficient use of human, natural, and financial resources.
The outreach of the church springs from the working of the Spirit. As United Methodists, we respond to that working through a connectional polity based upon mutual responsiveness and accountability. Connectional ties bind us together in faith and service in our global witness, enabling faith to become active in love and intensifying our desire for peace and justice in the world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 65, p. 47)
c) Community. The principle provides for relationships of Holy Spirit-empowered community wherein support, supervision, healing, accountability, and growth can take place for persons and groups across the denomination. Our life together, with its mutual accountability and relationships, keeps us ever alert to being faithful to the gospel in all our efforts. Through it the whole system may be fueled with life-giving Spirit energy. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 112.3 c, p. 113)
Scriptural Holiness
We believe in the scripture as witness to faith. It is the revelation of God's grace and salvation through Jesus Christ.
Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.
Scripture is primary, revealing the Word of God "so far as it is necessary for our salvation." Therefore, our theological task, in both its critical and constructive aspects, focuses on disciplined study of the Bible. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 68, p. 76)
Social Justice
We are committed to social justice.
For Wesley there is no religion but social religion, no holiness but social holiness. The communal forms of faith in the Wesleyan tradition not only promote personal growth; they also equip and mobilize us for mission and service to the world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 65, p. 47)
... The Social Principles are a prayerful and thoughtful effort on the part of the General Conference to speak to the human issues in the contemporary world from a sound biblical and theological foundation as historically demonstrated in United Methodist traditions. They are intended to be instructive and persuasive in the best of the prophetic spirit. The Social Principles are a call to all members of The United Methodist Church to a prayerful, studied dialogue of faith and practice. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - Preface to Social Principles, p. 87) (See also "Our Social Creed," The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 76, p. 106-107)
Stewardship
We believe all baptized persons in the body of Christ become co-workers with God in all of life and creation. The work of stewardship shall:
... encourage both individual and corporate stewardship, informing them that tithing is the minimum goal of giving in The United Methodist Church. Using as a basis Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience, stewardship shall have five components: (1) the use of God-given talents, (2) personal financial management and life commitments, (3) personal giving through the church, (4) local church management of resources, and (5) the Christian steward's responsibility in God's world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 262.10 (a), p. 157)
Vital Worship
We believe in vital and culturally diverse worship experiences.
We believe divine worship is the duty and privilege of all persons who, in the presence of God, bow in adoration, humility and dedication. We believe divine worship is essential to the life of the Church, and that the assembling of the people of God for such worship is necessary to Christian fellowship and spiritual growth.We believe the order of public worship need not be the same in all places but may be modified by the Church according to circumstances and the needs of all. It should be in a language and form understood by the people, consistent with the Holy Scriptures to the edification of all, and in accordance with the order and Discipline of the Church. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 67, Article XIII, p. 69)
The Recommendations for Mission and Ministry of The United Methodist Church into the 21st Century
As the writer of I Corinthians taught the early church:
As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." (I Corinthians 12:20-26)
We believe that an interactive organizational process is the best way for The United Methodist Church to live toward this vision. By interactive, we mean a body that encourages interdependence among the parts. Such a living entity would encourage individuals to present their different perspectives, concerns, and ideas. It would allow each member of the body to grow and learn in interaction with all other members of the body. "For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another." (Romans 12:4-5) Through such interaction, we hope to live out the vision of what God calls us to become: A joyful and loving community transformed by grace and transforming the world.
"Our VISION is of a world transformed into the likeness of Christ where faithful persons actively manifest the love of God and neighbor while fostering true community among all persons."
We believe that the design for mission and ministry recommended in this document helps us toward this vision in many ways.
Focus on the local congregation's mission to the world provides the opportunity for effective resourcing from all other parts of the body consistent with the vision.
Repetition of essential functions (Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries; Leadership Ministries; Administrative and Fiscal Ministries; Council) provides consistency to draw all into the community of the whole.
Flexibility in essential and additional functions provides for local congregations to adapt to local needs and focus outreach in ministry beyond the congregation.
Shared dialogue among all parts of the body in interactive ministry settings will allow for the development of a singular focus on the vision to guide the ministry of The United Methodist Church.
Interactive decision-making provides for mutual ministry resource development and accountability among the various parts of the body as the whole denomination focuses its resources on our vision and mission.
Simplicity of the design provides an opportunity for each ministry setting to understand and participate within the connection.
A focus on leadership ministries provides a setting to develop resources and styles of ministry that support individuals in their faith journeys and complement training for a particular leadership task.
The interactive style for all of the ministries provides a way for the whole denomination and all of its parts to act together in mission throughout the world.
Simplified structures minimize redundancy, provide for greater cost effectiveness, and encourage other efficiencies to free resources to be allocated for greater mission.
As you read the descriptions of the following design, we encourage you to experience the synergy of how this dynamic will move us toward our vision of a preferred future.
Provisions of The Book of Discipline, 1992 shall remain in force unless specifically noted in this document. We assume that organizational ministry units such as the United Methodist Women, United Methodist Youth Fellowship, United Methodist Men, local church lay leaders, district lay leaders, annual conference lay leaders, etc., will remain in place. Also district and annual conference groupings such as these named above shall continue.
The Interactive Body - The Connection of Conferences
We believe that the interactive body is the way Christ would have us live as Christ's Church in the world. In the interactive body, we meet together with a common vision and purpose. When we are involved in an interactive body, we listen, talk, and work to understand each other, no matter how different we may be. As we share, we learn and are transformed. Together, led by the Holy Spirit through this interactive process, we are able to create something new - something that is greater than we could have done alone - to perform focused, Christ-led ministry in the world. When many individuals led by the Holy Spirit are working together in this way, they create a community. We believe that such a community:
Lives by participation.
Learns and grows through diversity.
Asks for mutual understanding.
Builds ever-increasing energy and joy through interdependence.
Serves as the body of Christ in the world.
This concept is not new to United Methodists. Our ideal has always been to work together in conference, conciliar, and connectional ways to serve God's church. Our reality, however, frequently falls short of this ideal. The interactive body that we describe supports a connection that does more than merely hold us together. It helps us all teach and learn from each other. Practicing these interactive skills in our Church lives, we learn how to interact in the world through evangelism and social justice, looking always toward our vision of a world transformed in the likeness of Christ.
During the Connectional Issues Study, we heard voices from across the connection asking the Church to engender this kind of community. The recommendations in this document encourage interaction at many points across the Church. We interact with other persons in ministry, not to ask permission but to share insights, learn new perspectives, and share the glory of God. Areas of ministry interact not to compete for power and control, but to build solutions that move the church toward its vision. The connection of conferences (church, district, annual, regional, and global conference sessions) brings persons together in constructive interaction to make the decisions that build the future of the community in the world. The conference bodies interact to bring together local and global needs and resources for mission. The general superintendency provides interactions that bring forth the spiritual and temporal welfare of the Church as a whole. Clergy and lay persons interact to strengthen and teach one another and to build leadership that is empowering and servant-centered.
This section describes the various parts of the interconnected body that we identify as the connectional design for The United Methodist Church. It describes an interrelated, interdependent organization that will help us all stay true to our identity, purpose and mission. It will keep us focused on our vision and mission as a denomination. This section includes the following parts:
The Connection of Conferences
The Local Church (Church Conference)
The District Conference (Optional)
The Annual Conference
The Regional Conference
The Global Conference
"The United Methodist Church is a connectional structure maintained through its chain of conferences." (The Book of Discipline, 1992 p. 292). Data collected from across the church continues to affirm our connectional traditions. Our recommended design seeks to simplify the organizational components and improve local church, district and annual conference relationships in the following ways:
Utilize the local church and its church conference as a body where local congregations develop a vision for mission and ministry for their community and the world, consistent with the connectional traditions of our church. In a multiple-church pastoral charge this may be convened as a joint church conference. Also, this would be a setting for planning, evaluating and celebrating the ministry of Christian disciples in that place and around the globe.
Utilize the district conference (optional) - The Book of Discipline, 1992 ¶ 749-762, pp. 410-423, allows the annual conference to provide for district conferences and other organizations.
Affirm the annual conference as the basic body of the connection to support the ministries of local congregations. It will also provide for the mission and ministry of the annual conference.
Establish regional conferences around the world that will resource the outreach, nurture, and witness ministries for local congregations through resourcing the annual conferences in their defined geographical areas. They will also provide other resources for mission and ministry of their region and the world.
Create a global conference that will represent the worldwide nature of The United Methodist Church and provide constitutional, doctrinal and theological foundations for mission and ministry.
The Nature of Superintendency
Integral to the Connection of Conferences is the cohesion provided by the superintendency of The United Methodist Church: the bishops and district superintendents. The Constitution grants the Council of Bishops responsibility for the "general oversight and promotion of the temporal and spiritual interests of the entire Church . . . ." (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - The Constitution, ¶ 50, p. 35). Accordingly, through the general superintendency, the district superintendents share these responsibilities with the bishops in the communities of the district in which they serve. (The Book of Discipline, 1992, ¶ 519, pp. 282-283)
In order to exercise meaningful leadership, the Cabinet is to meet at stated intervals. The Cabinet is charged with the oversight of the spiritual and temporal affairs of a conference, to be executed in regularized consultation and cooperation with other councils and service agencies of the conference. (The Book of Discipline, 1992, ¶ 529.4, p. 287)
The superintendents serve a crucial role in the connectional structure in maintaining the interactive process within the connection of conferences. Any future design shall recognize and preserve the responsibilities of the Church's superintendents for linking the mandate of the Church to the world:
It is their task ... to see that all matters, temporal and spiritual, are administered in a manner which acknowledges the ways and the insights of the world critically and with understanding while remaining cognizant of and faithful to the mandate of the Church. The formal leadership in The United Methodist Church, located in these superintending offices, is an integral part of the system of an itinerant ministry. (The Book of Discipline, 1992, ¶ 501, p. 269)
In order to exercise meaningful leadership, the Council of Bishops is to meet at stated intervals. The Council of Bishops is charged with the oversight of the spiritual and temporal affairs of the whole Church, to be executed in regularized consultation and cooperation with other councils and service agencies of the Church. (The Book of Discipline, 1992, ¶ 527.3, p. 287)
Bishops, as general superintendents, carry the responsibility corporately and individually to uphold the apostolic faith and the theological traditions of The United Methodist Church (The Book of Discipline, 1992, ¶ 514, p. 280). They bear the task of proclamation of Christian unity which is a gift of the Holy Spirit. They also promote the evangelistic witness of The United Methodist Church. Ecumenical and interfaith work within the Church is done in close consultation with the superintendents of the Church.
The superintendents, along with ordained and diaconal ministers, are charged with the equipping of the whole membership of the Church in the ministry of Jesus Christ. These persons "exist to intensify and make more effective the self-understanding of the whole People of God as servants in Christ's name" (The Book of Discipline, 1992, ¶ 301, p. 189). In the interactive process the superintendents provide interconnection and inter-relationship within the connection of conferences.
As far as is possible, the interactions between and among the conferences and superintendents will be established through covenantal relationships, rather than regulations. Each conference will be accountable to the vision through this covenantal relationship. Through these relationships, the mission and ministry of conferences will be held accountable to:
The core value of an inclusive United Methodist Church, where each "conference" membership shall reflect a cross-section of the membership, including ethnicity, gender, youth, young adults, older adults, lay/clergy, and persons with disabilities.
The Identity, Purpose and Mission of The United Methodist Church, as identified in this document and stated fully in The Book of Discipline, 1992.
The Vision, as developed and stated within each conference, consistent with the vision for the entire denomination.
Detailed structural components beyond those essential for mission (Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries; Leadership Ministries; Administrative and Fiscal Ministries; The Council) will not be determined by one conference for another. Rather, each conference will be responsible for structuring itself in ways consistent with its mission.
We believe that an interactive relationship among the conferences will meet the needs for our historic connectional relationships across the denomination. It will also provide the flexibility to respond to identified needs for effective mission and ministry.
The Conference Settings
The following sections describe in more detail how the interactive organization will function within each setting for mission.
The Local Church
Paragraphs 247 and 249 of The Book of Discipline, 1992 state the purpose of the Charge Conference and the Church Conference respectively.
In keeping with the interactive and participatory nature of the recommendations within this report, we recommend that local churches hold Church Conferences rather than Charge Conferences. This would be in keeping with ¶ 249 of The Book of Discipline, 1992 which reads:
To encourage broader participation by members of the church, the Charge Conference may be convened as the Church Conference, extending the vote to all local church members present at such meetings. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 249, p. 140)
The Book of Discipline, 1992 in ¶ 201 through ¶ 204, describes the purpose of the local church:
Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 201, p. 116)
Therefore, the local church is to minister to persons in the community where the church is located, to provide appropriate training and nurture to all, to cooperate in ministry with other local churches, to defend God's creation and live as an ecologically responsible community, and to participate in the worldwide mission of the Church, as minimal expectations of an authentic church. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 202, p. 116)
Further, the local congregation must embody inclusiveness:
Inclusiveness of the Church. - The United Methodist Church is a part of the Church Universal, which is one Body in Christ. Therefore all persons, without regard to race, color, national origin, or economic condition, shall be eligible to attend its worship services, to participate in its programs, and, when they take the appropriate vows, to be admitted into its membership in any local church in the connection. In The United Methodist Church no conference or other organizational unit of the Church shall be structured so as to exclude any member or any constituent body of the Church because of race, color, national origin, or economic condition. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - The Constitution, ¶ 4, p. 22)
Given our historic identity, purpose and mission, the local church must be free to organize itself to meet the missional challenges of its community and the world. Also it must keep its covenant of connection with all other parts of the church body.
The need for organizational accountability within the current covenantal connection for the local church has often created difficulties for our congregations, especially those with small membership. The proposed interactive organization seeks to transform this tension between accountability and flexibility into a creative force.
Toward this end, we recommend that each local church utilize this interactive organization which contains these essential elements:
The Church Conference
Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries
Leadership Ministries
Administrative and Fiscal Ministries
The Council
These essential elements are based on two fundamental assumptions.
First, according to our belief in the general ministry of all Christian believers, the mission and ministry of the church are the responsibility of each and every member. The organization within the congregation exists to provide support and resources for its mission in the world. The organizational structures, themselves, are not intended to be the source of ministry in the community.
Second, each local church will need to determine the organizational details needed for its mission. Within the simple four-part body identified above, and the Church Conference, each local congregation could establish the additional task forces, committees, or commissions it deems necessary.
The functions of these essential ministries for the local church are described below.
The Church Conference
Membership: All local church members.
It will:
Determine the number of members of the Council and ministry areas.
Receive nominations and elect members for the three ministries areas and at-large members of the Council.
Form a Vision Team to develop a vision for the local church. The Vision Team, in consultation with the Council, will recommend a vision to the Church Conference for adoption and referral to the Council for implementation.
Approve compensation for paid staff.
Elect member(s) to the Annual Conference.
Evaluate the work of the Council in light of vision, core values and beliefs, and traditions of The United Methodist Church.
Fulfill the functions and responsibilities as presently stated in ¶ 247-252 of The Book of Discipline, 1992.
Meet at least annually.
Monitor to assure racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the congregation and for inclusion of persons with disability.
Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries. Opportunities for mission and ministry will be initiated and developed through this group for the congregation. This unit will focus all of the human, spiritual, and financial resources of the congregation on the primary roles of outreach, nurture, and witness. Though the detailed organizational structures may vary from one local church to another, we anticipate that the essential functions of this body will include:
Vital worship
Bible study and faith development
Evangelism, witnessing, and faith sharing
Nurturing persons in Christian living and values (education, stewardship)
Missional and outreach ministries in the local community and around the world (care, compassion, advocacy)
Social justice and advocacy
Support for groups such as UMYF, UMYA, UMW, UMM
Self-monitoring for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the congregation and for inclusion of persons with disability
Leadership Ministries. Opportunities for educational and leadership ministries of the congregation will be initiated and implemented through this group. This will include calling forth and preparing the membership for direct mission and ministry to the community(ies). This unit will provide resourcing that is needed for effective servant leadership of the laity throughout the local church. Though the detailed organizational structures may be different for each local church, we anticipate that the essential functions will include:
Biblical, theological, and spiritual formation for teachers and leaders
Education in the traditions of United Methodism
Training to support mission and ministry
Training to support administrative and fiscal management
Leader recruitment, development, training and deployment for lay ministry
Organizational development and management improvement skills
Resource development and distribution
Development of a process for nomination of leadership to be used by the Church Conference
Ministry to students on college campuses
Self-monitoring for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the congregation and for inclusion of persons with disability
Staff/parish relations
Support of candidates for representative ministry
Administrative and Fiscal Ministries. It is through this part of the body that the legal, financial, and administrative management will be developed to carry out outreach, nurture, and witness ministries of the local church. Though the detailed structures may differ from one local church to another, we anticipate that the essential functions of this body will include:
Budgeting, fiscal review and financial resourcing
Communications within the congregation and beyond
Interpretation of the connectional stories of outreach, nurture, and witness ministries
Ongoing attention to improvement, cost effectiveness, and efficiency
Data management
Financial policies and procedures
Property and legal management
Recording and preserving the memory and tradition of the church
Self-monitoring to assure racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the congregation and for inclusion of persons with disability
The Council
Membership: Representatives of the three ministries areas (Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries; Leadership Ministries; and Administrative and Fiscal Ministries) elected by them, and at-large members elected by the Church Conference from the congregation. The Council will provide communication and interaction among the three ministries areas. Membership of the three Ministries and the Council will be selected to represent a cross-section of the congregation, including ethnicity, gender, youth, young adults, older adults, and persons with disabilities. This diversity will enrich the interactive approach to and carrying out of mission and ministry.
It will:
Be accountable to the Church Conference.
Be the policy-setting and decision-making body for the congregation between the sessions of the Church Conference.
Implement the vision established by the Church Conference, core values and beliefs, purpose, and mission to support the three ministry units in coordinating and focusing all spiritual, human and fiscal resources to meet identified needs for outreach, nurture, and witness. Evaluate the work of the congregation in light of the vision, core values and beliefs, and traditions of The United Methodist Church.
Help define and resolve issues and other differences that may naturally arise within and among the ministry units.
Foster and ensure vital ecumenical and interfaith relationships within the life of the church and all its ministry.
Listen and respond to the spiritual and physical needs of the congregation and the larger community.
Monitor all units for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the congregation and for inclusion of persons with disability.
The ministry units will be empowered to make decisions consistent with policies set by the Council.
The three ministry units, the Council, and the Church Conference will comprise the essential interactive organizational design for the local congregation. This proposal has many similarities with the structures for the local church as they are currently described in The Book of Discipline, 1992. Some significant differences are apparent, however.
Missional, administrative, and educational perspectives are brought together into a co-equal relationship within the Council for the purpose of making decisions collaboratively.
The Council focuses the spiritual, human and fiscal resources of the congregation on the vision and core values and beliefs, so that each decision can be made within the purpose and traditions of our church.
All parts of the body are held in mutual responsiveness and accountability throughout the decision-making processes.
Leadership within the congregation and its organizational life will be shared between clergy and laity.
Subcommittees, commissions, and task forces are determined by the congregation. They can be created and dissolved as needs change.
The coordinating functions of the interactive organization are drawn from, not imposed upon, the coordinated functional units.
The number of members needed to serve within each essential element is determined by the needs and available resources within the local congregation.
The decision of the ministries and Council are informed by the vision stated by the Church Conference.
Flexibility allows local churches to organize for their own missional needs.
The Leadership Ministries can focus attention on productive servant leadership skills for clergy and laity.
The Council would be expected to evaluate the ministries of the congregation regularly and to encourage refinements to enable the congregation to meet its ministry potential.
The General Council on Ministries believes that this interactive design will provide the continuity for local churches to participate effectively in the United Methodist connection, while allowing flexibility for the congregation to be in mission in its local environment. To implement this, descriptive and interpretive materials will be provided to assist local congregations in organizing.
This interactive organizational design will be flexible enough to meet the needs of congregations of all sizes. The organizational design may be transformed as needed to respond to the call of the Spirit and actively manifest the love of God and neighbor.
The District Conference (Optional)
Annual conferences choosing this option can provide a closer connection to local churches for the purpose of supporting and resourcing their ministries. Within this new interactive model, it is anticipated that this option for districts, sub-districts, clusters and the like would continue. Lay and clergy leadership, with the district superintendent, would design the necessary structures in each district.
The Annual Conference
In ¶ 701 of The Book of Discipline, 1992 the purpose of the annual conference is stated clearly.
The purpose of the Annual Conference is to make disciples for Jesus Christ by equipping its local churches for ministry and by providing a connection for ministry beyond the local church; all to the glory of God. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 701, p. 328)
In fulfilling this purpose, as the basic organizational body of The United Methodist Church, the annual conference supports and resources the ministries of the local church in its mission and provides its own outreach, nurture, and witness in ways that cannot reasonably be accomplished by its local churches. This design assumes the continuation of the annual conference session.
We understand that many annual conferences have already restructured their agencies, or are in the process of doing so, to be more effective in mission. We hope that our recommendation will provide guidance for continuity in structural patterns across the connection.
We believe the interactive structure provides an essential unity while still allowing for the flexibility necessary for the annual conference to meet its calling.
Membership on all organizational units within the annual conference will be selected to represent a cross-section of the annual conference membership, including ethnicity, gender, youth, young adults, older adults, lay/clergy, and persons with disabilities.
Toward this end, we recommend the following essential elements for annual conference organization across the connection:
Annual Conference Session
Outreach, Nurture and Witness Ministries
Leadership Ministries
Administrative and Fiscal Ministries
The Council
As noted above, each annual conference will identify the additional components to meet its unique ministry needs and resources.
The Annual Conference Session
Membership: Appropriate lay and clergy members as provided for in The Book of Discipline, 1992 - The Constitution, ¶ 35, pp. 30-31.
It will:
Meet at least annually.
Evaluate the work of the Council in light of vision, core values and beliefs and traditions of The United Methodist Church.
Determine the number of members of the Council and three ministry areas.
Receive nominations and elect members for the three ministries areas and at-large members of the Council.
Approve budget for financial support of the annual conference.
Elect member(s) to the regional and global conferences.
Form a Vision Team to develop a vision for the annual conference. The Vision Team, in consultation with the three ministries, the Council and local churches, will recommend a vision to the annual conference for adoption and referral to the Council for implementation.
Fulfill the functions and responsibilities of the annual conference as presently stated in ¶ 701-749 of The Book of Discipline, 1992.
Monitor to assure racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the annual conference and for inclusion of persons with disability.
Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries. The purpose of this unit is the same as it is for the local churches: to focus all of the human, spiritual, and financial resources available on mission and ministry to the world. Each annual conference will determine a detailed organizational design to support the outreach, nurture, and witness functions necessary for ministry. We anticipate that essential functions will include:
Providing resources and support for outreach, nurture, and witness ministries of local churches.
Missional activities within the annual conference that cannot reasonably be accomplished by local churches.
Social justice and advocacy activities that cannot be accomplished by an individual or group of local churches.
Advocate for all issues of inclusiveness within the annual conference.
Support for connectional ministries of the denomination and the interaction between the local church and the connection.
Communications among local churches for interpretation of connectional ministries.
New church development.
Revitalization of local congregations.
Self-monitoring for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the annual conference and for inclusion of persons with disability.
Leadership Ministries. Opportunities for education and leadership ministries for clergy, laity, and diaconal ministers, will be initiated and implemented through this group. It will identify, provide and evaluate continuing education for ordained and diaconal ministers. This part of the body will provide resources needed for effective servant leadership within the annual conference and its local churches. Each annual conference will determine the necessary organization for leadership ministries. We anticipate these essential functions will be included:
Support for leadership ministries of local churches (see list under "local church")
Leader development and training for clergy and laity that cannot be accomplished by individual or groups of local churches
Organizational development and management improvement skills acquired by leaders across the annual conference
Development of a process for nomination of leadership to be used by the annual conference
Resource development and distribution of resources that are most appropriately designed by the annual conference
Support for persons in appointments beyond the local church, such as chaplains and campus ministers
Self-monitoring for racial, gender and age inclusiveness within the annual conference and for inclusion of persons with disability
Implementation of the functions of ordained and consecrated ministry in cooperation with the Cabinet
Administrative and Fiscal Ministries. The purpose of this unit is similar to that for local churches. It is to provide the legal, financial, and administrative management services to carry out outreach, nurture, witness, and leadership of the annual conference. Each annual conference will determine the detailed organizational design necessary for administrative and fiscal functions. We anticipate that the functions of this body will include:
Support for administrative and fiscal ministries of the local churches
Providing budgeting and financial resourcing for the annual conference
Ongoing attention to improvement, cost effectiveness, and efficiency of annual conference ministries
Data management for annual conference ministries
Financial policies and procedures for the annual conference
Interpretation outside the connection for outreach, nurture, and witness
Responsibility for property and legal management
Recording and preserving the memory and tradition of the church in the Annual conference
Management of investments, insurance and pensions
Self-monitoring for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the annual conference and for inclusion of persons with disability
The Council
Membership: Representative members of the three ministries areas (Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries; Leadership Ministries; and Administrative and Fiscal Ministries), elected by them, and at-large members elected by the annual conference. The Council will provide communication and interaction among the three ministries areas. Membership will be selected to represent a cross-section of the Annual Conference, including ethnicity, gender, youth, young adults, older adults, lay/clergy, and persons with disabilities. This diversity will enrich the interactive approach to and carrying out of mission and ministry.
It will:
Be accountable to the annual conference session.
Utilize the vision established by the annual conference session, core values and beliefs, purpose, and mission to support the three ministry units in coordinating and focusing all spiritual, human and fiscal resources to meet identified needs for outreach, nurture, and witness.
Help define and resolve issues and other differences that may naturally arise within and among the ministry units.
Be the policy-setting and decision-making body for the annual conference between the sessions within limits set by the annual conference.
Foster and ensure vital ecumenical and interfaith relationships within the life of the annual conference in consultation with the annual conference cabinet.
Implement the vision for the annual conference.
Evaluate the work of the annual conference in light of the vision, core values and beliefs, and traditions of The United Methodist Church.
Hold leaders accountable to the vision, core values and beliefs, and traditions, of The United Methodist Church.
Confer with local churches (Church Conferences) regarding their accountability to the vision, core values and beliefs, and traditions of The United Methodist Church.
Listen and respond to the spiritual and physical needs of the local congregations, the annual conference and the global community.
Provide for communications among local churches for interpretation of connectional ministries.
Monitor all units for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the annual conference and for inclusion of persons with disability.
The ministries units will be empowered to make decisions consistent with policies set by the Council.
The three ministry units, the Council, and the annual conference session will comprise the essential interactive organizational design for the Annual Conference. The functions envisioned for the annual conference in the interactive organization are not strikingly different from those currently fulfilled by the annual conference. In fulfilling these functions, the annual conference will, however, support our doctrinal heritage that declares:
The outreach of the Church springs from the working of the Spirit. As United Methodists, we respond to that working through a connectional polity based upon mutual responsiveness and accountability. Connectional ties bind us together in faith and service in our global witness, enabling faith to become active in love and intensifying our desire for peace and justice in the world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992 - ¶ 65, p. 47)
Further, the interactive body supports the following innovations in the ministries of the annual conferences:
Interactive processes for decision-making in the annual conference council will generate a cooperative, rather than independent, and coordinated process .
Repeated ministry units make it easier for a member of the local church to understand and appreciate the organization of the annual conference.
The Council, by implementing the Annual Conference Vision, focuses its spiritual, human and fiscal resources so that each decision is made in the context of the purpose and traditions of the church.
All parts of the body are held in mutual accountability throughout the decision-making processes.
Leadership will be shared by clergy and laity.
Needed subcommittees, commissions, and task forces are determined as they emerge from perceived needs. Each can be created and dissolved as needs change.
The number of persons needed to serve within each essential organizational element is determined by the needs and available resources of the Annual Conference.
The covenant connection with local churches is facilitated through relationship and dialogue, rather than rigid regulations.
A conscious effort is made to deal only with issues that relate to the annual conference, while issues of wider scope are dealt with in the regional context and local issues in the local churches.
Given the global nature of our church these recommendations would apply equally to all Annual conferences in the church, including annual conferences in the central conferences.
The annual conference council would be expected to evaluate the effectiveness of the ministries of the conference regularly and to help develop responses to enable the conference more effectively to meet its unique calling.
The General Council on Ministries believes this interactive body for annual conferences will provide the support needed by local churches while allowing the annual conference to provide for its leadership and administrative roles within the annual conference. The interactive design has this flexibility.
The Regional Conference
The regional conference is a new body, so it is not currently described in The Book of Discipline, 1992. This concept envisions several regional conferences around the globe. The number is not determined at this time. The regional conference will have responsibility and accountability for some current functions of the General Conference, the central conferences, and the jurisdictional conferences such as annual conference boundaries, the respective regional manuals for ordering the life and ministry of the church, consistent with The Book of Discipline, 1992 regional budgets, structures for mission and ministry. Many details concerning the regional conferences have yet to be worked out. The General Council on Ministries acknowledges that major work on the concept of regional conferences for the Church is being developed by the Council of Bishops. It has been in consultation with the Bishops' Committee on the Global Nature of the Church. The General Council on Ministries will continue to collaborate with the Council of Bishops in the development of this concept.
At present the General Council on Ministries envisions the regional conference would perform six complementary functions:
Discern and articulate God's vision for the Region
Provide support to annual conferences for outreach, nurture, and witness ministries; administrative and fiscal ministries; and leadership ministries
Perform outreach, nurture, and witness ministries; administrative and fiscal ministries; and leadership development ministries in the regional context as determined by the regional conference or requested by one or more of the member annual conferences or the global conference
Support the connection between and among the annual conferences in the regional and global conference
Elect bishops
Monitor all units for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the region and for inclusion of persons with disability
The interactive design within the Regional Conference would be similar to that of the annual conference. The detailed organization to perform these functions in the region will be determined by each regional conference.
The Regional Conference Session
A regional conference session will be held to develop a vision for the region's mission and ministry and to care for the ministry concerns of the region.
Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries. The purpose of this unit is to focus all of the human, spiritual, and financial resources available in the region on mission and ministry to the world. Each regional conference will determine the detailed organizational design to support these ministries. We anticipate that essential functions will include:
Support for outreach, nurture, and witness ministries of the annual conferences within the region.
Cooperative missional activities within the region and the world.
Social justice and advocacy activities within the region in partnership with the annual conferences.
Advocacy for inclusiveness and accountability for monitoring issues of inclusivity.
Support and interpretation for connectional ministries of the denomination and the interaction between the annual conferences and the broader connection.
Self-monitoring for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the region and for inclusion of persons with disability.
Leadership Ministries. Opportunities for education and leadership ministries for clergy and laity will be supported through this body. This part of the body will provide support for effective lay and clergy servant leadership within the region. Each regional conference will determine the necessary organization for leadership ministries. We anticipate that some of the essential functions will include:
Leader development and training for clergy and laity that cannot be accomplished by the annual conferences, or are not determined by the global conference.
Support for ministries of theological education, higher education, and campus ministries which cannot be provided by the annual conferences or are not determined by the global conference.
Resource development and the distribution of resources within the region.
Self-monitoring for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the region and for inclusion of persons with disability.
Administrative and Fiscal Ministries. The purpose of this part of the body is to provide the legal, financial, and administrative management services that are necessary for the execution of the outreach, nurture, and witness ministries and the leadership ministries of the Region. Each regional conference will determine the detailed organizational design necessary for the administrative and fiscal function. We anticipate that the functions of this unit will include:
Budgeting and financial resourcing for the regional conference.
Support for administrative and fiscal ministries for the annual conferences.
Continuous improvement, cost effectiveness, and efficiency for the regional conference ministries.
Data management for the regional conference ministries.
Financial policies and procedures for the regional conference.
Legal management for the regional conference.
Management of investment, property, and insurance for the regional conference.
Coordination and management of pension and health-care benefits for professional servant leaders in the Church within the Region where such management is appropriate.
Self-monitoring for racial, gender and age inclusiveness of the Region and for inclusion of persons with disability.
The Council
Membership: Representatives of the three ministries areas (Outreach, Nurture, and Witness Ministries; Leadership Ministries; and Administrative and Fiscal Ministries) and at-large members selected by the regional conference. Membership will be selected to represent a cross-section of the regional conference, including ethnicity, gender, youth, young adults, older adults, lay/clergy, and persons with disabilities. This diversity will enrich the interactive approach to and carrying out of mission and ministry.
This body would provide communication and interaction among the three ministry groups. It is anticipated that the regional conference council will perform the following functions:
Be accountable to the regional conference
Be the policy-setting and decision-making body for the region between the sessions of the regional conference
Evaluate the work of the regional conference in light of the vision, core values and beliefs, and traditions of The United Methodist Church
Foster and ensure vital ecumenical and interfaith relationships within the region in consultation with the bishops
Help define and resolve issues and other differences that may naturally arise within and among the ministry units
Listen and respond to the spiritual and physical needs of the annual conferences of the region and the global community
Monitor all units for racial, gender and age inclusiveness in the region and for inclusion of persons with disability
Implement the vision established by the regional conference, core values and beliefs, purpose, and mission to support the three ministry units in coordinating and focusing all spiritual, human and fiscal resources to meet identified needs for outreach, nurture, and witness
Each regional conference may have the option of establishing sub-regions to strengthen the effectiveness of mission and ministry and may delegate such responsibilities as are appropriate to the sub-regions.
It is anticipated that the regional conferences may covenant with each other to allow for shared ministries across regional boundaries.
The regional conferences will fulfill those responsibilities currently exercised by jurisdictional conferences and central conferences.
The General Council of Ministries believes this interactive body for the regional conferences will provide the support needed by the annual conferences while allowing the regional conference to provide for its leadership and administrative roles within the region. The interactive design has this flexibility.
The Global Conference
In the interactive organizational design, the purpose of the global conference will be to care for all matters distinctively connectional for The United Methodist Church, specifically, matters of faith, doctrine, polity, purpose, order and vision for the global connection. The global conference will have responsibility and accountability for the global design for mission. The design of the global conference is still being developed.
As the General Council on Ministries consults and develops this plan in collaboration with the Council of Bishops, the relationship with autonomous Methodist churches will need to be cared for in appropriate ways.
Conclusion to the Report
This report describes an interactive process. We have used on-going interaction of listening, reflecting, and recommending throughout the study process. We believe that the recommendations presented in this study will help the church move into the 21st century with a renewed vision, new energy and focus on mission and ministry.
On behalf of the General Council on Ministries we thank all who have participated with us in this journey of discernment--for their responses, prayers and commitment. We are confident that as we continue to discern and focus on God's vision, the Church can be used for effective outreach, nurture and witness to the world.
The members of the Connectional Issues Study Task Force of the General Council on Ministries are:
Bette T. Trumble, Chair Donald J. Hand
Reginald W. Ponder, Vice Chair William S. Hatcher
Anne D. Nicholson, Secretary James R. King, Jr.
W. E. "Buddy" Arnold Heinrich Meinhardt
Grayson L. Atha Jody P. Moxley
Trina Bose Pauline Niles
Della C. Escareño Conrad M. Page, Jr.
James E. Gentry Bruce W. Robbins
Ex Officio Members:
Gordon C. Goodgame, Chair, Division on Conferences and Connectional Issues
Kathi Austin Mahle, Vice Chair, Division on Conferences and Connectional Issues
Anita L. Hancock, Secretary, Division on Conferences and Connectional Issues
William W. Dew, Jr., GCOM President
GCOM Staff:
C. David Lundquist, General Secretary
Harold E. Wright, Associate General Secretary
Glossary
1. IDENTITY, PURPOSE, AND MISSION: This is the guiding philosophy, the ultimate reason for being that is non-negotiable. It is the fundamental reason The United Methodist Church exists. It is the essence of The United Methodist Church stated in its Constitution, ("Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task") as stated in The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 1992. These are the "core values and beliefs" of The United Methodist Church. These guiding principles should permeate United Methodist ministry and give focus to the style and form of ministry appropriate to a particular context of ministry. This is the basis for "mutual accountability and responsiveness" as The United Methodist Church lives out its being.
2. VISION: A God-given picture of the preferred future for God's people. It is a shared and self-authenticating picture that energizes the whole body and gives unity and focus to the ministry of the whole United Methodist Church. A clear and compelling vision is essential for United Methodist people to see that the direction and importance of their ministry is allied with God's will.
The Identity, Purpose, and Mission of The United Methodist Church are essential elements of vision for United Methodism. The vision for United Methodism is grounded in this self-understanding. God reveals to God's people a picture of the preferred future for the whole world. God calls and empowers, through the Holy Spirit, the United Methodist people of God to live this picture into reality. The vision is always the outgrowth of the Identity, Purpose, and Mission that permeates The United Methodist Church and informs its policies, actions, and beliefs.
An effective vision for United Methodism must have a compelling overall goal that serves as a focal point of effort or ministry direction of The United Methodist Church. This overall goal should be achievable within a specific time frame. In contrast, Purpose and Mission calls The United Methodist Church toward the fullness of God's coming Kingdom which is never fully achievable.
An interesting definition of vision is given from the GRACE UPON GRACE[1] document:
"There is a unifying vision: Jesus Christ. The vision of God's mission comes to us; it is neither engendered by the church nor is it projected from the church. The vision is God-given. We are people called by God, 'recipients of grace, we become witnesses to grace.' "
3. INTERACTIVE ORGANIZATION: The community of United Methodism responds to the working of the Holy Spirit, intentionally working through a connectional polity based upon mutual responsiveness and accountability. Connectional ties bind us together in faith and service in our global witness. Any action, or decision making, generates a cooperative and focused direction that is based upon the announced/accepted vision that rings true within United Methodism's Identity, Purpose and Mission. The focus would be ministry action per se, not forms or groups preparing for ministry. Further, the energy of the organization is collaboratively directed toward the achievement of the overall goal of the organization or the goal of the local church, district or cluster of churches, annual conference, regional or global conference.
An interactive organization seeks to hold the parts of the body in mutual accountability through interactive discussion and dialogue as vision is clarified, "Identity, Purpose and Mission" is reflected upon, and decisions are made.
Accountability, supervision, oversight of the organization is primarily done within the organization as parts of the body reflect upon its alignment with the whole body's commitment to the vision and verification that its programs, resources, and goals are expressive of and consistent with The United Methodist Church's "Identity, Purpose and Mission" and overall goal.
The decisions and directions for resourcing are made at the place nearest to the hands- on ministry being implemented and not from some outside source or body.
Decisions are made on the basis of need and creativity to accomplish the stated goal by the most inclusive and diverse grouping within the organization. Given the identity and purpose of United Methodism, this interactive decision making would involve both laity and clergy and would conform to the stated goals of inclusivity and diversity.
4.FLEXIBILITY: Much data has been collected and archived through the Connectional Issues Study that calls for some freedom within the annual conference and local church structures for practical ministry that does not comply with all the "shalls" of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 1992. Flexibility in this report refers to potential ways that could allow for limited freedom that strictly conforms to the Identity, Purpose and Mission of United Methodism. Flexibility does not mean freedom to act in any way a part of the organization chooses. All parts of the organization must remain faithful to the spirit of the whole organization of The United Methodist Church. The matters listed in this Report under the heading of The Identity, Purpose, and Mission of The United Methodist Church are seen as non-negotiable and could not be disregarded in principle or spirit as parts of The United Methodist Church organize to do ministry. Yet, in some churches, each ministries area might include just several persons, and the Council might include these persons and the pastor. Or, each ministries might incorporate several standing and ad- hoc committees to meet the ministry needs in its locale. Some congregations may find the need to focus on extensive leadership education, so its Leadership Ministries might be large. Another might expand its Outreach, Nurture, and Witness ministries for a short time to respond to a specific missional need.
5. CORE VALUES AND BELIEFS: These are familiar words used within organizational development language. We have chosen to use the words Identity, Purpose, and Mission as appropriate for identifying the bedrock of United Methodism. This Identify, Purpose, and Mission are set out and identified primarily through statements from The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 1992. The Identity, Purpose and Mission of The United Methodist Church are the "core values and beliefs" of The United Methodist Church and are stated in the Interim Report under the following headings:
a. Annual Conference i. Local Church
b. Connectionalism j. Ministry of All Christians
c. Doctrinal Heritage k. Mission
d. Ecumenism l. Mutual Accountability
e. Education m. Scriptural Holiness
f. Evangelism n. Social Justice
g. Global Character o. Stewardship
h. Inclusiveness of the Church p. Vital Worship
6. CONNECTIONAL: The network of interdependent relationships among persons and groups on local, regional, national and international levels of The United Methodist Church.[2] CONNECTIONALISM: The principle, basic to The United Methodist Church, that all leaders and congregations are connected in a network of loyalties and commitments that support yet supersede local concerns.[3]
The outreach of the Church springs from the working of the Spirit. As United Methodists, we respond to that working through a connectional polity based upon mutual responsiveness and accountability. Connectional ties bind us together in faith and service in our global witness, enabling faith to become active in love and intensifying our desire for peace and justice in the world. (The Book of Discipline, 1992, ¶ 65, p. 47)
7.CONFERENCE: The organizational structure of The United Methodist Church including annual conference, central conference, charge conference, church conference, district conference, general conference, jurisdictional conference, missionary conference, provisional conference.[4] The principal form of governing structure within The United Methodist Church, in the charge, district, annual, jurisdictional, and General Conference; deriving from Wesley's conferences ("conversations") with his preachers and developed in America into a legislative body with lay and clergy participation at every level (compare conciliar).[5]
8. CONCILIAR: A form of church governance by representative councils with authority, under their leaders, to determine doctrine and discipline; exercised in United Methodism through the connection of conferences.[6]
Implementing Recommendations of The Connectional Issues Study Report For The 1997-2000 Transition Quadrennium
The General Council on Ministries respectfully requests that the 1996 General Conference adopt the following recommendations for the 1997-2000 quadrennium:
Recommendation I
It is recommended that the General Conference authorize the establishment of a Connectional Process Team (hereafter the CPT) which will manage, guide, and promote this transformational direction for The United Methodist Church during the 1997 - 2000 quadrennium. The CPT will continue the work begun in the Connectional Issues Study of the General Council on Ministries and the Global Nature Study of the Council of Bishops. The purpose of the CPT is to facilitate the ongoing process of self-renewing within local churches, conferences, institutions and the general agencies.
a. The membership of the CPT shall consist of 30 persons:
1. 16 persons across the church to be nominated by a Nominating Committee composed of two representatives from GCOM and two representatives of The Council of Bishops and elected by the Council of Bishops.
2. Three persons elected by and representing GCOM.
3. One person elected by and representing GCFA.
4. Six bishops selected by the Council of Bishops (three from the Central Conferences and three from the United States).
5. Four persons at large, elected by the CPT to ensure inclusive membership on the CPT.
Of the 30 members, the CPT shall reflect the ethnic, gender, and geographical diversity of The United Methodist Church. It is further recommended that there be at least one person from each of the five ethnic groups: Asian American, African American, Native American, Hispanic American and Pacific Islanders. It is recommended that the membership incorporate one-third clergy, one-third laywomen, and one-third laymen, including 3 or more youth and/or young adults and 3 or more persons over 60 years of age.
Three persons from the Affiliated and Autonomous Churches be invited to participate in the work of the CPT.
b. The purpose of the CPT shall be to:
Review the summarized data collected by the General Council on Ministries' Connectional Issues Study to assess the missional and structural needs of The United Methodist Church.
Consider recommendations approved by the General Conference in principle and other findings of the GCOM's Connectional Issues Study.
Encourage all local churches and annual conferences to utilize the interactive organizational design. The proposed organizational design is found on page __.
Establish processes to receive feedback from local churches and annual conferences using the interactive design for evaluation and refinement of the interactive organizational design.
Consider holding periodic hearings across the Church. The purpose of the hearings will be to identify the crucial functions for mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church into the 21st century and develop a viable organizational form to resource those functions for the mission and ministry of United Methodism.
Encourage general agencies to utilize the proposed interactive organizational design.
Utilize the interactive-connectional design for mission and ministry of the Church as approved by the General Conference in principle to guide the UMC in self-renewal during the transition quadrennium and recommend an organizational design to the 2000 General Conference.
Define the roles of directors, staff, and representatives of the general bodies of the church.
Clarify consistent procedures and guidelines for nominations in the Regional and Global Conferences.
Develop recommendations to the 2000 General Conference.
c. The CPT shall collaborate with the COB, the GCOM, and the GCFA, as its work is developed and report twice each year to these three councils on the progress of its work. The CPT shall engage in dialogue with other general agencies of the Church to facilitate general agencies' concerns and responses into the work of the CPT.
d. The GCORR and GCSRW shall monitor the implementation of the CPT to insure there is racial and ethnic minority participation and participation of women and to insure that the work of the CPT shall move the denomination forward in building a community that represents the multi-culturalism of our world.
e. Staffing for the CPT will be provided by GCOM; and funding for the CPT will be determined by GCFA.
Recommendation II
It is recommended that the 1996 General Conference approve in principle the interactive-connectional model proposed in this report. This interactive design will be considered as a method for reorganizing The United Methodist Church for mission and ministry in every aspect of the Connection.
It is recommended that the General Conference authorize considerable flexibility in organizational forms in the local, district, and annual conference. This is to allow greater focus on resourcing and empowering their members, congregations and districts for hands-on mission and ministry during the 1997 - 2000 quadrennium. Specific legislation for accomplishing the flexibility has been submitted by GCOM and appears in various sections of the ADCA.
This is especially true in matters defined by annual conferences as their "primary task." While this "flexibility" is specified by legislation in the Connectional Issues Study Report; the processes, linkages, and mandates related to the "monitoring " and "advocacy" roles for racial and gender inclusivity shall be fulfilled by every organizational part of The United Methodist Church, with guidance and resourcing from the GCORR and GCSRW. Inclusivity of race, gender, age, and class, a richness of community implicit in the Old and New Testaments and of the essence for God's people called United Methodists, must be assured.
Recommendation III
It is recommended that during the 1997-2000 quadrennium the present 13 general agencies seek to refine and reshape themselves best to carry out their responsibilities to enable the ministries of churches, conferences and institutions of the connection. The GCOM has determined that more time is needed for a clearer discernment of a God-given vision for the people called United Methodists. As God's vision is articulated it should guide the reforming of the general agencies during this time of transition.
It is further recommended that the total membership size of the 13 general agencies during the 1997-2000 quadrennium be reduced in accordance with specific legislation it has submitted to the General Conference.
The General Council on Ministries is recommending amended legislation to comply with changes approved by adoption of the CIS Report in regard to the reduction of the membership size being proposed by: General Council on Finance and Administration, General Board of Global Ministries, General Commission on Communication, General Board of Publications, General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, and General Commission on Archives and History.
It is further recommending approval of legislation submitted by GCOM for reduction in membership for the General Council on Ministries, General Board of Discipleship, General Board of Church and Society, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, General Commission on Religion and Race, and General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.
Recommendation IV
Vision and leadership for the church will be critical in the future, especially during this time of discernment and transition. Relying upon the leadership of the Council of Bishops, we recommend that the church focus attention on working together to discern and articulate God's vision for us as individuals and a church that works toward a world transformed into the likeness of Christ.
As the Council of Bishops discerns and articulates God's vision for the whole United Methodist Church, it is hoped that United Methodists, wherever gathered, will seek to discern God's vision for ministry as guided by the Holy Spirit. The vision for each part of The United Methodist Church should be consistent with God's vision for the whole United Methodist Church.
Appendix
1. Copies of "Grace Upon Grace" may be obtained from the Graded Press, The United Methodist Publishing House, 201 Eighth Avenue, South, P.O. Box 801, Nashville, Tennessee 37202.
2. Process of Sharing Information - Transforming Feedback Loop.
3. Flowchart for Interactive Reflection and Review Process for Connectional Issues Study.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21676-GJ-NonDis-O$
1996 United Methodist General Conference