729. Conference Board of Discipleship--The annual conference shall organize a Board of Discipleship or equivalent structure that shall provide for the connectional relationship between the General Board of Discipleship and the conference, district, and local Church, and provide for discipleship functions related to the objectives and scope of work of the General Board of Discipleship, as set forth in 1201, 1202. The person or persons serving as member(s) of the General Board of Discipleship shall be member(s) of the conference board of discipleship and may be granted voting privileges.
1. General Responsibilities--a) To lead and assist the congregations and districts in the conference in their efforts to win persons as disciples of Jesus Christ, to build up the Christian community, and to celebrate and communicate the redeeming and reconciling love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ to persons of every age, ethnic background, and social condition.
b) To foster and promote such ministries as Christian education, camping and outdoor activities, evangelism, stewardship, worship, lay development, devotional life, age-level and family life ministries, leadership education, United Methodist Men, and such other areas of work as the annual conference may determine.
c) To foster and promote camping experiences for persons with handicapping conditions including camps specifically designed for persons with handicapping conditions, and the participation of persons with handicapping conditions, when feasible, in camps sponsored by the district and conference.
d) To provide training for clergy and laity in ministries with a population with handicapping conditions, including the areas of the Sunday school, camps and retreats, and faith development.
e) To provide guidance and training for related district leaders and agencies and for local Church administrative boards, officers, and committees, councils on ministries, age-level and family councils, work area chairpersons of evangelism, stewardship, worship, and education, and work area commissions and task groups.
f) To develop a unified and comprehensive program for leadership training to serve all age groups in the home, Church, and community.
g) To provide continued training for pastors in effective ministry with children, child and faith development of children, and interpretation of curriculum resources.
h) To enable and strengthen the ministry with and to youth at all levels of the Church.
i) To determine the necessary directors, coordinators, or designated leaders for discipleship responsibilities at the annual conference level, including the maintenance of linkage with the General Board of Discipleship and related district committees within the annual conference.
2. Responsibilities in the Area of Christian Education and Age-Level Ministries--a) To develop and promote a conference program of Christian education that gives children, youth, young adults, and adults a knowledge of and experience in the Christian faith as motivation for Christian service in the Church, the community, and the world. This may include guidance and training for district leaders responsible for Christian education and for local Church chairpersons of the work area and commissions on education, superintendents of the Church school, Church school division superintendents, Church school teachers, and other leaders in the educational ministry of local Churches.
b) To develop and maintain an organized system for communicating and working with persons responsible for Christian education programs in local Churches, districts, jurisdictions, and the General Board of Discipleship.
c) To encourage the observance of the first Sunday of Christian Education Week, or some other day designated by the annual conference, in each local Church as Christian Education Sunday for the purpose of emphasizing the importance of Christian education and for receiving an offering for the work of Christian education. (See 277.1.)
d) To develop and recommend to the annual conference plans for the acquisition of or disposition of conference camps and/or retreat properties in accordance with standards of camping developed by the General Board of Discipleship (1209.5).
e) To promote church school extension by (1) encouraging the development of new United Methodist church schools; (2) starting new classes; (3) expanding teaching/learning opportunities in the congregation and community.
f) To assist local congregations in initiating programs of teacher recruitment, development, training, and retraining in biblical, theological, and ethical thinking, as well as in the procedures and methods of Christian education.
g) To cooperate in the promotion of knowledge about the support for all schools, colleges, universities, and seminaries related to the conference, the campus Christian movement, and the campus ministry of the conference, region, or area through the establishment and support of such programs as may be approved by the annual conference in harmony with the policies and procedures of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
3. Responsibilities in the Area of Evangelism--a) To plan and promote an effective program of comprehensive evangelism throughout the conference.
b) To create an understanding of, interest in, and commitment to evangelism throughout the conference.
c) To provide for the training of clergy and lay persons in evangelism, the distribution of promotional literature, and the encouragement and enlistment of local Church participation in a year-round program of evangelism.
d) To give guidance to the groups responsible for the work of evangelism in the districts and to the work area chairperson of evangelism in the local Church.
e) To give particular emphasis to the promotion of programs of evangelism in order that all persons living in a community where there is a local United Methodist Church, and who are without a Church affiliation or who make no profession of faith, will be included within the nurturing and caring responsibility of that local Church.
f) To recommend annually, in consultation with the board of ordained ministry, to the conference and to the bishop in charge the appointment of certain effective members of the conference as general evangelists, provided that such persons shall meet the standards set for general evangelists by the General Board of Discipleship. This person shall serve as ex-officio member of the conference board of discipleship area of evangelism. In the event that there is more than one general evangelist in said annual conference, at least one shall be selected by the conference committee on nominations.
g) To recommend and endorse the ministry of said general evangelist to the pastors and leadership of the annual conference.
4. Responsibilities in the Area of Worship--a) To be responsible for the concerns of worship within the annual conference.
b) To foster the use of the best resources for worship at conference meetings and in all the Churches of the conference, promote the use of The United Methodist Hymnal (1989) and The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992) in all the Churches of the conference. Plan and promote seminars and demonstrations on cooperative planning for worship involving pastors and musicians, forms of worship and the use of music and other arts with particular emphasis on congregational singing. This includes cooperating with the resident bishop, who has primary responsibility for planning all worship services at each annual conference.
c) To provide exhibits at the conference sessions, cooperate with the General Board of Discipleship, Section on Worship; the conference council on ministries; and with the conference chapter of the Fellowship of United Methodists in Worship, Music, and Other Arts; and the Order of St. Luke, in promoting seminars and training events in the area of worship, including music and other arts.
d) To assist local congregations in discovering and recruiting persons to serve as musicians (instrumentalists, singers, and song leaders) and developing the skills of those serving in local congregations, in cooperation with the General Board of Discipleship, Section on Worship. This focus shall include persons who work full-time, part-time, and especially as volunteers in church music.
5. Responsibilities in the Area of Stewardship--a) To plan and promote a comprehensive program of stewardship throughout the conference in such areas as stewardship education, proportionate giving and tithing, funding the Church's ministries, planned giving, time and abilities, economics and money management, and life-style.
b) To interpret the biblical and theological basis for stewardship.
c) To promote giving consistent with a Christian life-style.
d) To develop funding concepts within annual conference, district, and local Church consistent with sound stewardship principles and the doctrine of The United Methodist Church.
e) To educate the local Church that tithing is the minimum goal of giving in The United Methodist Church.
f) To design and schedule training events, to distribute promotional material, and to enlist local Church participation in a year-round program of stewardship.
g) To give guidance to the work area of stewardship in the districts and to the work area chairperson of stewardship and the committee on finance in the local Church.
h) To develop a program that will create concern on the part of every local Church for the ecological and environmental problems that confront the world and to motivate them to accept responsibility for aiding in the solution of such problems.
i) To participate in the work of national and jurisdictional organizations related to stewardship, such as the National Association of Stewardship Leaders and the National Association of United Methodist Foundations.
6. Responsibilities in the Area of Devotional Life--a) To promote the development of the devotional life throughout the conference.
b) To conduct seminars and training events in the areas of private and corporate prayer.
c) To encourage and assist with the distribution and use of devotional resources as provided by The Upper Room and the General Board of Discipleship.
d) It shall organize a conference committee on lay speaking which will fulfill the requirements of 278-81 on behalf of the conference. This committee shall set guidelines and criteria to be used by district committees (see 758).
7. Responsibilities in the Area of Ministry of the Laity--a) To develop and promote programs to cultivate an adequate understanding of the theological and biblical basis for ministry of the laity among the members of the Churches of the annual conference; to give special emphasis to programs and services which will enable laity of all ages to serve more effectively as leaders in both Church and community.
b) To provide support and direction for such lay programs as United Methodist Men, lay speaking, the observance of Laity Day, and the work of lay leaders on the local and district levels.
c) To give support and direction to the conference and district program for local Church leadership development, coordinating and developing training experiences that will enable persons of all ages to serve more effectively as members of local church councils on ministries, administrative boards, and of the committees, commissions, and task forces related to these groups.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 729
1996 United Methodist General Conference