2014 UM Polity Series – Districts

Each Annual Conference is divided into geographical areas called Districts.  Districts provided a more direct connection for local churches within the district and provide a means for organizing the Annual Conference.  The work of the district in many ways mirrors that of the Annual Conference but on a smaller scale and for a smaller area.  Districts have several committees that oversee ministry within the district, resource the local churches within the district, and provide connection to the Annual Conference, these include…

• ·         District Connectional Ministries Council (DCMC) – Provides general oversight and coordination for all the ministries in the district.
• ·         Board of Church Location and Building – Advises on and approves local church building plans.
• ·         District Committee on Ordained Ministry – Examines and approves candidates for ministry.
• ·         Nominating Committee – Nominates persons for election to District and Annual Conference positions.
• ·         District United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women, and District Youth Council.

Each year there is a District Conference which consists of all the district leadership and pastors and lay persons from all the local churches in the district.

In Iowa we have eight districts (see map) and we are located in the Northeast District. Each district is led by a District Superintendent (DS) and the office is staffed by a District Administrative Secretary. (DAS) In Iowa, each district also has a Field Outreach Minister. (FOM)

In the Northeast District our DS is Rev. Jackie Bradford, our FOM is Rev. Jaymee Glenn-Burns, and our DAS is Janet Condon.  Together, we call Jackie, Jaymee, and Janet the “J-Team.”

      

The “J-Team:” (l to r) Jackie, Jaymee, & Janet

2014 UM Polity Series – Annual Conference (Part 2)

The Iowa Conference Center located at 2301 Rittenhouse Street in Des Moines. (Near the airport just off of Army Post Road and Fleur Drive.)

As I said in my last article, “In addition to being an annual meeting, the annual conference is also a structure which supports churches and persons in mission and ministry throughout the year.”  This time we will talk about some of those structures.

The work of the Annual Conference during the year is carried out by various boards and agencies, just like the General Church.  I will outline some of these groups and their work.  (This is based on the organization of the Iowa Annual Conference.)

• ·         Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM) – Prepares, examines, and recommends candidates for ordained ministry and provides for the continuing education, support, and accountability for clergy.
• ·         Conference Connectional Ministry Council (CCMC) – Coordinates the various ministries of the Annual Conference.
• ·         Council of Finance and Administration (CF&A) – Complies the budget and provides financial oversight and guidance.
• ·         Board of Higher Education – Acts as a liaison between the Annual Conference and United Methodist related colleges. (In Iowa: Simpson College, Iowa Wesleyan, Morngingside, and Cornell College.)  Also, supports and oversees Wesley Foundations, UM student ministries at non-UM schools.  (In Iowa at: Iowa, Iowa State, UNI, and Drake.)
• ·         Board of Camp, Conference and Retreat Ministries – Oversees our three United Methodist Camps: Wesley Woods, Okoboji, and Pictured Rocks.
• ·         Board of Global Ministries – Connects the Conference to the General Board of Global Ministries and oversees many ministries within the Conference including: Disaster Relief, Parish Development, Hispanic Ministries, and the Iowa-Nigeria Partnership.
• ·         Board of Church and Society – Leads the Conference in awareness and public witness regarding social and moral issues.
• ·         Board of Pension and Health Benefits – Administers health insurance, pensions, and other benefits for clergy and lay employees of the Conference and its churches.
• ·         United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, Youth, and Older Adult Ministries – Provide connection and resources to groups in local churches.  UMW and UMM are separate organizations but are connected to the Conference.

This list could go on and on; there are many ministries and services that our Annual Conference provides, in Iowa and around the world.  But it cannot be done without you, the people in our local churches.  First, we support all of these ministries through our giving to our local churches when our churches pay their apportionments, so your generosity is greatly appreciated, it goes farther than you could ever imagine.  (I will say more about apportionments in a future article.)  Second, each of these boards and committees is made up of both lay and clergy members from around the Conference and we are always in need of lay people who are willing to step up and serve at the District or Conference level.  If you are interested, please contact me and I will get you connected to someone.