406. Authority and Duties--1. A local pastor is approved annually by the district committee on ordained ministry and licensed by the bishop to perform all the duties of a pastor (439) including the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion as well as the service of marriage (where state laws allow), burial, confirmation, and membership reception, while assigned to a particular charge.
2. Such authorization granted by the license may be renewed annually by the district committee on ordained ministry and extends only within the charge to which the local pastor is appointed.
3. The license shall remain valid only so long as the appointment continues and must be recertified by the bishop when assignments change between sessions of the annual conference.5
4. A local pastor shall be under the supervision of a district superintendent and a counseling elder who shall supervise the local pastor's work in the course of study for ordained ministry and give counsel on matters of pastoral responsibility (411).
5. Local pastors shall be amenable to the annual conference in the performance of their pastoral duties and shall attend the sessions of the annual conference.
6. The membership of local pastors under full-time appointment is in the annual conference where they shall have the right to vote on all matters except constitutional amendments, election of delegates to General, jurisdictional, or central conferences, and matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy.
7. The Church membership of part-time local pastors (408.2) shall be in the charge to which they are appointed, and they shall be members of the charge conference subject to the annual authorization of the annual conference.
8. Student local pastors (408.3) may retain their membership in their home church and charge conference, but in the discharge of their ministerial functions they shall be amenable to the district superintendent under whom they serve.
9. All local pastors shall receive written communication about decisions made regarding their relationship with the annual conference.
5See Judicial Council Decision 112.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 406
1996 United Methodist General Conference