Responsibilities of the Committee

• The leadership team is accountable to the charge conference and serves as the executive agency of the charge conference between meetings to oversee the administration and ministry of the congregation.

• The team determines God’s call to the congregation for ministry that is transformative.

• The team initiates planning, establishes goals, implements action plans, and evaluates effectiveness for congregational ministries of nurture, outreach, witness, and administration.

• The team strategizes so that the congregation makes disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

• The team works with the committee on staff/pastor-parish relations and the committee on nominations and leader development for effective pastoral, staff, and lay leadership.

• The team recommends to the charge conference the compensation, housing needs, and benefits for the pastor(s) and other staff after receiving recommendations from the committee on staff/pastor-parish relations.

• The team fills leadership vacancies between meetings of the charge conference upon the recommendation of the committee on nominations and leader development.

• The team provides for financial support, physical facilities, and the legal obligations of its local congregation.

• The team maintains the congregation’s connection with appropriate district and annual conference programs and structures.

Responsibilities of the Committee

• Members of this committee are to be attentive to their own Christian spiritual lives and engaged in biblical and theological reflection about God’s call and the mission of the church. This committee helps members of the church identify their calls from God, their leadership gifts, and places for Christian service.

• This committee leads the congregation to understand that God gives gifts, skills, and experiences to every individual within the body of Christ for ministry for the transformation of the world. Individual ministry may be lived out within personal relationships, in work or school settings, and in the congregation.

• This committee develops a system for becoming familiar with people in the congregation. It helps people discover their spiritual gifts, name their skills, interests, knowledge, and life experiences in addition to developing a system for tracking this information.

• This committee works cooperatively with other groups or individuals to prepare job descriptions that are adapted to the needs and organizational style of the church.

• This committee becomes familiar with the responsibilities for each leadership position and matches potential leaders with particular opportunities for spiritual leadership.

• This committee invites people to positions of spiritual leadership, receives their responses, and provides training and support for these individuals.

• This committee presents a nomination list to the charge conference for a church council chair, a committee on pastor (staff) parish relations and its chair, a board of trustees, a committee on finance (to include chair, financial secretary, and treasurer), a lay member to annual conference, and a lay leader. The committee works with the church council (or other leadership group) throughout the year to name other leaders for the ministry that fulfills the mission of the congregation.

Responsibilities of the Committee

• The finance committee annually compiles a budget for supporting the mission and vision of the local church and submits the budget to the church leadership team for review and adoption. During the year, the finance team recommends any changes to the approved annual budget to the church leadership team.

• This team is responsible for developing and carrying out plans to raise enough income to support the budget that has been approved.

• Both the finance team and individual members need to engage in spiritual practices that attend to God’s will and direction. Team members need to hold one another accountable to decisions and actions that fulfill the mission and vision of the church.

• The finance team (or committee) recommends to the church leadership team proper depositories for church funds and carries out the church leadership team’s directions about administration and disbursement of funds and about procedures for the church treasurer and the financial secretary.

• There are three tasks not specifically assigned to the treasurer, financial secretary, or the chairperson of the committee on finance by the Discipline. Keeping these responsibilities separate is essential in maintaining segregation of duties. These tasks are: (1) approving payments for expenditures; (2) signing checks; (3) reconciling bank accounts. While the treasurer, financial secretary, or finance chairperson may be authorized to do any one of these tasks, no person should be authorized to do more than one. No persons related to one another should perform any two or more of these three tasks.

• This team arranges for an annual audit of financial records and makes a report of this audit to the charge conference.

• In congregations in which there is no stewardship team or committee, the finance committee has responsibility for teaching disciples a biblical understanding of abundance and generosity and stewardship of all resources.

• The finance leaders of the church are accountable to the charge conference through the church council.

• New language was added to the 2016 Book of Discipline that expands/clarifies the responsibilities of the pastor in regard to giving. Paragraph 340.2.c.(2)(c) now reads: “To provide leadership for the funding ministry of the congregation. To ensure membership care including compliance with charitable giving documentation requirements and to provide appropriate pastoral care, the pastor, in cooperation with the financial secretary, shall have access to and responsibility for professional stewardship of congregational giving records.”

Responsibilities of the Position

• The treasurer will disburse all money contributed to the local church budget, keeping accurate records of how money is spent.

• This leader works with finances according to the guidelines established by the committee on finance for total fiduciary responsibility. This includes maintaining compliance with all applicable governmental tax guidelines.

• The treasurer will send all world service and conference benevolence funds on hand to the conference treasurer each month.

• The treasurer works with the financial secretary to maintain records of all funds received. Designated gifts and bequests are managed by the trustees in accordance with The Book of Discipline.

• This leader works with the financial secretary and chair of the committee on finance to make regular financial reports to the committee on finance, church council, the charge conference and, in some cases, the trustees.

• There are three tasks not specifically assigned to the treasurer, financial secretary, or the chairperson of the committee on finance by the Discipline. Keeping these responsibilities separate is essential in maintaining segregation of duties. These tasks are: (1) approving payments for expenditures; (2) signing checks; (3) reconciling bank accounts. While the treasurer, financial secretary, or finance chairperson may be authorized to do any one of these tasks, no person should be authorized to do more than one. No persons related to one another should perform any two or more of these three tasks.

• This leader is accountable to the charge conference through the church council.

Responsibilities of These Teams

• Each team is familiar with the overall goals of the congregation and understands how its ministry contributes to those goals. Short-term teams may form and disband throughout the year to implement specific ministries. Ministry projects shape the congregation and beyond into the community, building networks with existing organizations, other congregations, people, and resources to fulfill the mission of the church.

• The nurture team coordinates, plans, carries out, and evaluates the congregation’s ministry in the areas of member care, worship, and educational experiences, including the church school, small groups, regular and special worship services, stewardship formation, and member visitation.

• The outreach team coordinates, plans, carries out, and evaluates the congregation’s outreach ministries, including missions, health and welfare, Christian unity and interreligious concerns, church and society issues, religion and race, and status and role of women.

• The witness team coordinates, plans, carries out, and evaluates the congregation’s witness ministries, helping all know and respond to the love of God in Christ. This includes planning evangelistic outreach and setting goals for congregational growth, visitation, and membership care.

• If the local congregation is located in a transitional community as described in Paragraph 212 of The Book of Discipline, the chair – in conjunction with the council chairperson – shall connect with the pastor to develop a community study as detailed in Paragraph 213.

Responsibilities of the Committee

• This team, subject to the direction of the charge conference, has oversight and care of all local church property, buildings, and equipment to further the mission of the church. This work is done in consultation with the pastor.

• This team and individual trustees need to engage in spiritual practices that build attentiveness to God’s will and direction. Church administration and attentiveness to daily affairs can distract the team from the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Trustees need to hold one another accountable to the mission and vision of the church.

• Trustees receive and administer all gifts made to the congregation and make certain that trust funds of the congregation are invested properly.

• Trustees ensure that the Articles of Incorporation of the congregation are kept up-to-date.

• Trustees annually review property, liability, and crime insurance coverage on church-owned property, buildings, and equipment. They also review personnel insurance for protection against risk and consult with the pastor-parish relations team about other personnel insurance.

• Trustees conduct an annual accessibility audit of buildings and grounds to discover and then work toward eliminating barriers that impede the full participation of all people.

• The team submits annual budget requests to the committee on finance for property maintenance and improvement and new property purchases.

• Trustees are accountable to the charge conference and the church council. The term “trustees” as used in The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church may be construed to be synonymous with “director of corporations” when required to comply with law.

Responsibilities of the Committee

• Committee members maintain a healthy and growing personal spiritual life. They engage in biblical and theological reflection about the mission of the church and biblical leadership.

• This committee encourages, strengthens, nurtures, supports, and respects the pastor(s) and staff and their families. They confer regularly about the personnel conditions and issues that affect the congregation’s total ministry, including healthy life-work balance. They help the staff set priorities.

• This committee communicates openly and regularly with the pastor(s), staff, and congregation.

• In consultation with the lead pastor and with awareness of the strategy of the church leadership team, this committee recommends needed staff positions and develops and approves written job descriptions and titles for staff.

• This committee recommends compensation, travel, housing, and other financial matters to the church council through the finance committee.

• In consultation with the pastor(s), the committee recommends to the church council a written statement of policy and procedures for hiring, evaluating, promoting, retiring, and dismissing staff members who are not subject to episcopal appointment (procedures must comply with local and state laws).

• This committee is responsible for carrying out, through appropriate agencies, proper screening (including background checks) for lay employees and volunteer staff.

• This committee weighs several factors as it meets with the district superintendent and/or the bishop in an advisory capacity related to clergy leadership. Committee members consider the age and stage of the congregation. They must have an understanding of the feelings and desires within the congregation about the pastor’s leadership and appointment. They also consider the culture and needs of the community around the church.

• This committee provides an annual evaluation of the pastor(s) and other staff for ongoing effective ministry.

• This committee enlists, evaluates, and annually recommends candidates for professional ministry to the charge conference.

• The work of the committee may include subteams (such as a parsonage committee or a volunteer staff committee). The committee on nominations and leadership development may help identify people for these groups.

• The committee works with the pastor and district superintendent to develop a church profile that reflects the needs, characteristics, and opportunities for mission of the charge consistent with the church’s statement of purpose. The profile will be reviewed annually and updated as per paragraphs 427 and 428 in the Book of Discipline.

Responsibilities of the Position

• The financial secretary works according to the guidelines established by the committee on finance to receive funds from whatever source (including through the mail and by electronic deposit), record them, and report them to the church treasurer and to the committee on finance or, in some cases, the trustees.

• The financial secretary arranges for collecting offerings received during worship services and other church gatherings at the conclusion of these events, making certain that more than one person is involved in collecting and counting the money.

• This leader collaborates with the finance committee to establish procedures for collecting and recording all money received through the regular offering, through the mail, and by electronic deposit. Designated gifts and bequests are managed by the trustees in accordance with The Book of Discipline.

• The financial secretary deposits cash and checks in a bank as soon as possible after they are received.

• The financial secretary keeps records, whenever possible, of how much money is given by whom and reports amounts received to the appropriate people.

• The financial secretary checks the records quarterly against those of the treasurer.

• The financial secretary helps ensure that the financial records are in good order for an annual audit. The financial statement is reported regularly to the committee on finance.

• The financial secretary should engage in spiritual practices to build attentiveness to God’s will and direction. Financial management and attentiveness to daily administration can detract a leader’s attention from the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

• The financial secretary is accountable to the charge conference through the church council.

Responsibilities of the Position

• The lay leader represents the laypeople in the congregation in working with the pastor for the mission and vision of the congregation.

• The lay leader engages in spiritual practices that build a relationship of attentiveness to God’s will and direction.

• The lay leader represents the laypeople in the congregation and serves as a role model of Christian discipleship for the congregation.

• The lay leader works with the pastor and other leaders to launch or strengthen ministries that build discipleship.

• The lay leader assists in advising the church council about opportunities available and the needs expressed for a more effective lay ministry of the church in the community.

• The lay leader plans with other leaders in the congregation for celebrating the ministry of laypeople throughout the year and especially on Laity Sunday.

• The lay leader meets regularly with the pastor to discuss the state of the church and the opportunities for ministry to advance the mission and ministry of the congregation in the community.

• The lay leader continues to study and train and to develop a growing understanding of the church’s reason for existence and the types of ministry that will most effectively fulfill the church’s mission and that will help strengthen the lay leader’s own work.

• The lay leader informs the laity of training opportunities provided by the annual conference.

• Lay leaders are encouraged to become certified lay servants.

• The lay leader is a member of the charge conference, the church council, the pastor-parish or staff-parish relations committee, the finance committee, and the nominations and leadership development committee.

• Lay leaders are voting members of all the aforementioned committees. Each of these committees has specific responsibilities, but the lay leader represents the laity in each situation, as well as serving as an interpreter of the actions and programs of the annual conference and the general church. To be better equipped to comply with this responsibility, it is recommended that a lay leader also serve as a lay member of annual conference.

​Responsibilities of the Position

• The lay member of annual conference needs to become knowledgeable about the structure and ministries of the annual conference, The United Methodist Church, and the congregation.

• This leader will attend all sessions of annual conference or arrange for an alternate to be seated. During the conference session, this leader will participate in discussions, debates, voting, and all other activities of annual conference.

• This leader needs to engage in spiritual practices that build attentiveness to God’s will and direction. Business sessions of the church can divert attention from spiritual discernment into parliamentary procedure and political positioning. Members of annual conference need to hold one another accountable to the mission and vision of the church.

• Lay members are also members of the annual conference for the year they are elected. The lay member, along with the pastor, serves as an interpreter of the actions of the annual conference session.

• Lay members play a key role in linking the mission and vision of the local congregation with the mission and vision of the annual conference. In having this link, the church is even more clearly focused, and the responsibility of laity in the call to ministry is more clearly set forth.

• Lay members are to serve on the church council, the committee on finance, and the committee on pastor-parish relations in addition to being a member of annual conference.

• An important part of being the link with the annual conference is for lay members to report to the local church council on actions of the annual conference as soon as possible after the close of the conference. Communication truly improves connection.

• This leader is accountable to the charge conference through the church council.