Core Teams

The Core Administrative Committees

 (corresponding ¶’s in the Book of Discipline)

 

Church Council ¶ 252.

The church council shall provide for planning and implementing a program of nurture, outreach, witness, and resources in the local church. It shall also provide for the administration of its organization and temporal life. It shall envision, plan, implement, and annually evaluate the mission and ministry of the church. The church council shall be amenable to and function as the administrative agency of the charge conference (¶ 244). 

  • Primary visioning group for  mission and purpose of CityWell
  • Set the budget and evaluate budgetary needs of all ministries/
  • Meets monthly 
  • https://www.umc.org/en/content/book-of-discipline-252-the-church-council

 

Nominations and Leadership Development  ¶ 258.1

The Nominations Committee is elected during Charge Conference.  This committee recommends to the charge conference the names of people to serve as officers and leaders of all core administrative committees and those other ministries deemed necessary by church council. 

  • Gives care to diversity and inclusivity in the selection process.
  • Meet in preparation for charge conference in September/ Early October and preferably in May/June.
  • https://www.umc.org/en/content/book-of-discipline-2581-committee-on-nominations-and-leadership-development

 

Staff/Pastor Parish Relations  ¶ 258.2

The committee advocates for the pastors and staff in practical matters, informed by a theological and biblical understanding of the pastoral role and what is in the best interest of the church concerning staff.

  • Assists the pastors and staff in assessing their gifts, maintaining work-life balance, and setting priorities for leadership and service.
  • Evaluates the pastors and staff annually.
  • Develops and approves written job descriptions.
  • Recommends new staff positions to the church council.
  • Reviews candidates for ministry.
  • Recommends on matters of compensation, travel expense, vacation, health and life insurance, housing, and other practical matters affecting the work and families of pastors and staff. 
  • Meets monthly and at the request of the chair and district superintendent
  • https://www.umc.org/en/content/book-of-discipline-2582-staff-or-pastor-parish-relations-committee

 

Finance ¶ 258

The priority of the finance committee is to lead in stewardship of financial resources throughout the year.  The team shall consist of the pastor, financial secretary, a treasurer, at least one representative from the church council, a representative of the Staff/Parish Relations Team, and a representative of the Trustees.

The positions of treasurer and financial secretary should not be combined and held by one person, and the persons holding these two positions should not be immediate family members.

  • Develop policies and procedures for the receiving, accounting and disbursing of funds for the church. 
  • Produce and submit an annual budget to the Leadership Team for review and approval.
  • Develop and implement plans that will raise sufficient income to meet the budget. 
  • Administers funds as directed by the Leadership Team in accordance with an approved budget.
  • Make provision for an annual audit of the financial statements of the local church and all its organizations and accounts. The committee shall make a full and complete report to the annual charge conference.
  • Meets at least quarterly (may meet monthly)
  • https://www.umc.org/en/content/book-of-discipline-2584-committee-on-finance

 

Board of Trustees ¶ 2525-2551

In each pastoral charge consisting of one local church, there shall be a board of trustees , consisting of not fewer than three nor more than nine persons, and it is recommended that at least one-third be laywomen and that at least one-third be laymen. 

The members of the board of trustees shall be divided into three classes, and each class shall as nearly as possible consist of an equal number of members. At the charge conference, on recommendation by the committee on nominations and leadership development, it shall elect, to take office at the beginning of the ensuing calendar year.

  1. Direct the board of trustees with respect to the purchase, sale, mortgage, encumbrance, construction, repairing, remodeling, and maintenance of any and all property of the local church.
  2. Direct the board of trustees with respect to the acceptance or rejection of any and all conveyances, grants, gifts, donations, legacies, bequests, or devises, absolute or in trust, for the use and benefit of the local church, and to require the administration of any such trust in accordance with the terms and provisions thereof and with the local laws appertaining thereto. (See ¶ 2533.5.)
  3. Direct the board of trustees to do any and all things necessary to exercise such other powers and duties relating to the property, real and personal, of the local church concerned as may be committed to it by the Discipline. 

The board of trustees holds title to and manages all the property, real and personal, of the local church.The board of trustees will annually review and insure proper updates to the property, liability and crime insurance coverage on church-owned property, buildings and equipment, as well as review and insure provisions for proper personnel insurance. 

The board of trustees will see to the provision of standards/contracts for the use of all facilities by outside groups. Under the direction of the Charge Conference, the board of trustees will receive and administer all bequests and trusts given to the church. The board of trustees will annually audit the facility’s accessibility in order to insure the full inclusion of all persons regardless of ability.

  • https://www.umc.org/en/content/book-of-discipline-2525-ff-board-of-trustees

 

Individual Leadership Positions to Consider

Lay Leader ¶ 251.1

The Lay Leader is the primary representative of the laity.  They are elected at the charge conference nominated by the nominations committee.  

  • Fosters awareness of the role of laity both within the congregation and without
  • Meets regularly with the pastors to discuss the state and needs of the church
  • Sits on the church council, the Finance Team, the Nominations Committee, the Pastor Parish Relations Committee, so as to join the pastor in communicating the actions and programs of the annual conference
  • Continues study and training to grow in their understanding of fulfilling the mission of the Church
  • Assists and advises the church council on the needs and opportunities expressed by the community
  • Informs the laity of training opportunities offered by the annual conference. 
  • https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/lay-leader

 

Lay delegate to the Annual Conference

The voting lay delegate to the annual conference. Each annual conference is required to consist of an equal number of lay members and ministerial members. The vast majority of lay members of Annual Conferences are elected by pastoral charges to represent them at the sessions of Annual Conference. Lay members may speak and vote on all items coming before the Annual Conference with the exception of those relating to ministerial membership, relationships, ordination and election of clergy delegates to Jurisdictional and General Conferences.

  • https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/lay-member-of-annual-conference