Church Council: Overview

1. Serves as the primary administrative body of the charge conference and oversees the management and programming of the local church.
2. Plans and carries out programs that fulfill the congregation's nurturing, outreaching, and witnessing ministries.
3. Leads the visioning and strategic planning process within the church.
4. Fills vacancies in lay leadership positions that occur between meetings of the charge conference.
5. Approves the church budget and ensures that the financial needs of the church are met.
6. Makes recommendations for the compensation, benefits, and housing for the pastor(s) and other church staff.

Organization and relationships

Committee Membership

• the chairperson of the church council;
• the lay leader;
• the chairperson and/or a representative of the pastor-parish relations committee;
• the chairperson and/or a representative of the committee on finance;
• chairperson and/or a representative of the board of trustees;
• the church treasurer;
• a lay member to annual conference;
• the president and/or a representative of the United Methodist Men;
• the president and/or a representative of the United Methodist Women;
• a representative of the United Methodist Youth;
• the pastor(s).

Relationship to other committees

The church council works cooperatively with the other committees of the church. The council works particularly closely with the four main church committees that are required by the Book of Discipline.
-- Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations, Trustees, Finance, and Lay Leadership.
- Adapted from The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church--2004, ¶252. Copyright © 2004 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.
Read more from the Book of Discipline

The material above gives only a basic description the purpose and responsibilities of the Church Council. The booklet, Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Church Council, will provide practical and concrete suggestions and resources for helping you carry out these important ministry responsibilities. For example, you will find a detailed discussion of how the council helps identify and implement a vision for the ministry of your local congregation. The tasks and responsibilities of the chairperson are outlined and practical recommendations are given for how to conduct meetings and guide the work of the committee.

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Pastor Parish Relations Committee: Overview

Introduction
The Staff-Parish Relations Committee is the administrative unit in a local church where staff and congregational interests are integrated to focus on the mission of the church.

The "Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (PPRC)" is truly a Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) because the committee relates to all staff, both bishop-appointed staff and employed staff....The S/PPRC has some of the same functions of a personnel office or Human Resources department in other organizations.

The S/PPRC has primary responsibility to work with staff so that the mission of the church is realized. The S/PPRC should have a clear understanding of your local church's mission and vision, built upon the mission of the wider Church. Clear understanding of your church and prayerful listening to God's direction will guide both the development of job descriptions and the assessment of staff.

The S/PPRC works with individuals and groups, including:

• the lead pastor
• all ordained leaders-both elders and deacons-appointed by the bishop
• the lay staff
• the congregation (individually and corporately)
• the community outside the walls of your building
• the district superintendent
• the United Methodist conference and general church staff.

Remember that The United Methodist Church has an appointive system rather than a call system for clergy leadership. The S/PPRC consults with its district superintendent about congregational needs. The S/PPRC members must be attuned to the movement of God's Spirit so that they serve as guides, teachers, mentors, managers of conflict, and interpreters of ministry both to staff and the congregation.

- From Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Pastor-Parish Relations, pp. 6-7. Copyright © 2004 by Cokesbury. Used by permission

Primary Tasks of the Committee

Specific tasks for the S/PPRC include:

• explaining the nature and function of ministry to the staff and the congregation
• conferring with the congregation and the staff/pastor about ministry direction
• assessing the ministry of the congregation and the staff/pastor at least annually
• conferring and consulting with the district superintendent
• supporting lifelong learning for all staff (continuing education)
• identifying and supporting individuals from the congregation whom God seems to be calling for ordained ministry
• making recommendations regarding compensation, travel, benefits and housing to the church council
• recommending needed staff positions and develop written job descriptions and titles for associate pastors and staff

Read more from The Book of Discipline, ¶ 259.2 Pastor-Parish Relations Committee

- Adapted from Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Pastor-Parish Relations, (Cokesbury, 2004), p 7; and Job Descriptions & Leadership Training for Leaders in Local Church Congregations, 2005-2008 (Discipleship Resources, 2004).

Organization and Relationships

The committee has between 5 and 9 members who are representative of the congregation or charge. Members include a young adult and may also include a youth. The lay leader and a lay member of the annual conference area also required to be members of this committee. In cases where a charge includes multiple churches, the committee should have at least one representative from each of the local churches.

The committee must not include an immediate family member of the pastor or staff or more than one person from the same household.

The committee membership should be divided into three groups or classes that rotate. With the exception of the lay member of the annual conference and the lay leader, members are elected to three-year terms. At the end of the three year term, a committee member cannot immediately serve again.

- Adapted from The Book of Discipline 2004 Copyright © 2004 by The United Methodist Publishing House.

Read more from The Book of Discipline, ¶ 259.2 Pastor-Parish Relations Committee

The material above gives only a basic description the purpose and responsibilities of the Pastor-Parish Relations committee. The booklet, Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Pastor-Parish Relations, will provide practical and concrete suggestions and resources for helping you carry out these important ministry responsibilities. For example, you will find a planning overview that will help guide the work of the committee throughout the year. You will also find helpful information about how to plan and conduct effective meetings; how to better communicate and to mediate conflicts; how to assess the effectiveness of the ministry of the staff; and how to encourage, develop and improve the skills of the staff so they can more effectively carry out the ministry of the church.
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Trustee: Overview

Introduction / Background:
The board of trustees supervises and maintains all property belonging to your congregation so that the ministries of the congregation can be effective. The committee is entrusted to see to the proper keeping of God's house as a way to honor God and to facilitate the ministry of the local church.

The primary purpose of the church building and facilities is to enable the vision and ministry of the congregation. Good stewardship, common sense, and prudence dictate that the church, parsonage, facilities, property, equipment, furnishings, and other physical property be well maintained. A physical plant that is "well groomed" and attractive is much more welcoming, safe, and hospitable than one that shows signs of benign neglect. We honor God when we care for what has been entrusted to us...

- From Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: Trustees, 2005-2008, p. 6-7. Copyright © 2004 by Cokesbury. Used by permission.
Read more from the Book of Discipline

Tasks and Responsibilities

The trustees together have several legal and administrative functions. They are to:

• Oversee, maintain, and supervise all local church property. This would include conducting an annual inspection and inventory of all church property, including the parsonage.
• Report annually to the charge conference on the state of the church's property, equipment, investments, and resources.
• Receive and administer all gifts made to the congregation; make certain that all trust funds of the congregation are invested properly. Develop guidelines for receiving and managing wills, trusts, bequests, and other investments given to the church.
• Ensure that the articles of incorporation of the congregation are kept up-to-date, if applicable.
• Be responsible, in conjunction with the pastor, for all use of the church buildings and grounds.
• Maintain adequate insurance coverage on all church property and develop appropriate risk management policies.
• Submit to the committee on finance the annual budget requests for insurance, property maintenance and improvement, and new property purchases.
• Be accountable to charge conference and to the church council.

- Adapted from Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: Trustees, 2005-2008, p. 6, 13. Copyright © 2004 by Cokesbury. Used by permission.

Relationships

The board of trustees is composed of not more than nine nor fewer than three members. Members of the committee are elected by the charge conference to serve a term of up to three years. At least one-third of the trustees shall be laywomen, one-third laymen, and two-thirds must be members of The United Methodist Church. A provision in the Book of Discipline allows for up to one-third of the trustees to be nonmembers of your church. There may be a person who is involved in your congregation, not yet a member, who would make a good trustee.
- Adapted from Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: Trustees, 2005-2008, p. 11 and The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church--2004, 2524-2525.
Read more from the Book of Discipline

The material above gives only a basic description the purpose and responsibilities of the Trustees committee. The booklet, Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Trustees, will provide practical and concrete suggestions and resources for helping you carry out these important ministry responsibilities. For example, you will find a planning overview that will help guide the work of the committee throughout the year. You will also find crucial information about managing bequests, legacies and trusts; obtaining adequate insurance coverage; preparing policies for facility use; implementing a plan for annual inspection and maintenance of your facilities; and acquiring, selling or transferring property. You will also find valuable guidance about beginning and managing a building program for your church.


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Finance Member: Overview

Introduction/Background
The job of the committee on finance is to identify, perfect, and manage the finance system for the congregation. The finance system is the processes of raising, managing, and dispersing the finances so that the mission and vision of the congregation can be achieved (Guidelines, p. 6).

The Bible speaks frequently about money and wealth and emphasizes the importance of generous giving (see Proverbs 22:16; 2 Corinthians 8-9), wise investment (see Luke 16:10-13); debt management (see Proverbs 21:20; 22:7), prudent fiscal oversight (see Luke 12:13-21; Acts 4:32-35); and appropriate attitude (see 1 Timothy 6:10)....Whatever income and expense is generated by the church is ultimately for the work of ministry (Guidelines, p. 8).

A critical component of this ministry is recognition of the historic differences between Christian stewardship and funding ministry. Funding ministry, often called "fundraising," consists of the varied tasks associated with gathering funds to enable ministry to take place. Underlying and supporting these tasks, however, is the conceptual discipline of stewardship. In our tradition, we understand ourselves as stewards who respond to our giftedness. It is this balance between the "what" (fundraising) and the "why" (stewardship) that is the genius of Wesleyan financial leadership (Guidelines, p. 8).

- From Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Finance, (p. 6-8). Copyright © 2004 by Cokesbury. Used by permission.
Read more from the Book of Discipline

Main tasks of the committee

• Provides financial direction for the congregation and regularly reports to the church council and to individual members.
• Recommends an annual budget to support the mission and ministry of the church.
• Develops plans for the annual funding program to ensure that the financial needs of the church are met.
• Arranges for the annual audit of church financial records.

- Adapted from Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Finance, (p. 9-14) and Job Descriptions and Leadership Training for Leaders in Local Congregations, 2005-2008, "Chairperson for the Committee on Finance" (Discipleship Resources, 2004).

Organization and relationships

The Book of Discipline provides for the committee on finance to be made up of persons who, by virtue of other leadership responsibilities, link the committee to other areas of congregational life, as well as several persons who are nominated in recognition of their commitment to and witness of personal stewardship.
The Discipline calls for the following members of the committee:

• chairperson
• pastor(s)
• lay member of the annual conference (one)
• chairperson of the church council or board
• chairperson or representative of staff/pastor-parish relations committee
• representative of the trustees (selected by the trustees)
• chairperson of the ministry group on stewardship
• lay leader
• financial secretary
• treasurer
• church business administrator
• others as determined by the charge conference.

With the exception of the pastor, when paid employees serve on the committee on finance, such as financial secretary, treasurer, or business administrator, they serve without vote.
(Guidelines, p 8)
- From Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Finance. Copyright © 2004 by Cokesbury. Used by permission.

The material above gives only a basic description the purpose and responsibilities of the Finance committee. The booklet, Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Finance, will provide practical and concrete suggestions and resources for helping you carry out these important ministry responsibilities. For example, you will find a planning overview that will help guide the work of the committee throughout the year. You will also find valuable information about how to plan the annual budget, how to conduct a stewardship campaign, how to communicate with the congregation regarding the church's financial health, how to track financial contributions and donations and how to encourage planned giving. The Guideline also provides helpful descriptions of the role of the financial secretary, the treasurer and the church business administrator. Click here to purchase this book


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