2014 UM Polity Series – Appointments

     In the United Methodist Church pastors are appointed to the communities and churches which they serve.  This is in contrast to the practice of many churches in which the local churches call their own pastors with varying degrees of involvement by the denomination.  The process of appointments vary from Annual Conference to Annual Conference; I will be discussing the process followed in the Iowa Annual Conference.

Pastors are appointed, or re-appointed, on an annual basis.  Each year every pastor is asked to reflect on their professional, personal, and family needs and desires and every local Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (PPRC) is asked to reflect on the needs and desires of their charge and community.  (A Charge, sometimes called a Parish, is one or more churches to which a pastor or pastors may be appointed.  Some charges are only one church, others consist of more than one church.)  The pastor and the PPRC will communicate with the District Superintendent (DS) about this reflection in writing, in person, or both.  The pastor or the PPRC may request that the pastor be re-appointed to the current charge or that another appointment be made.  This process usually takes place in the fall.

The DS will take the wishes of the pastor and the PPRC under advisement and share them with the bishop and the Cabinet (All of the DS’s in the Conference.)  The bishop, with the advice of the Cabinet, decides whether or not a change in appointment will be made for each charge or pastor.  The bishop and the Cabinet will then begin a process of prayerful discernment about the gifts, graces, needs, and preferences (in that order) of the available pastors and the needs and preferences of the available churches.  All appointments are made final and official by the bishop with the advice of the Cabinet.

The DS of each receiving church will call the potential new pastor and make arrangements for them to meet the new PPRC in an Appointment Introductory Meeting (AIM.)  This is an opportunity for the PPRC to meet the new pastor, for the new pastor to see the church and the parsonage, and for the pastor and the PPRC to ask questions of one another.  At the end of this meeting the DS will ask both the pastor and the PPRC if they have any “compelling reasons” why this appointment should not be made.  (Pastors, especially if they are elders, are required to accept appointment by the bishop and serve where they are sent; charges are required to receive pastors appointed by the bishop.)

If there are no reasons given, the DS sets a Sunday on which the appointment may be announced in both affected churches, the receiving church and the sending church.  All who are involved in the meeting are bound by confidentiality until the official announcement date.

The pastor is given a move date, usually in late June, and selects one of the moving companies that has a contract with the Conference and makes arrangements to move.

I am told that in the old days pastors would not find out they were moving until the last day of Annual Conference.  They would come home and tell their family and the church they were moving, pack up and move to the new church and parsonage sight unseen!

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.        

2014 UM Polity Series – Annual Conference

        Article IV of the Constitution of the United Methodist Church calls annual conferences the “fundamental bodies of the Church.” (Discipline ¶11)

According to Discipline the purpose of the annual conference is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world (this is the mission of the whole UMC according to ¶120) by equipping its local churches for ministry and by providing a connection for ministry beyond the local church; all to the glory of God.” (Discipline ¶601)

We are in the Iowa Annual Conferences which includes the state of Iowa and one church in Illinois (Wesley UMC in East Dubuque.)  However, there may be more than one annual conference in a state, or one annual conference may be made up of more than one state.  It may also work the same way for areas outside of the United States.  The map at left shows the annual conferences in the United States.

As the name implies, annual conference is a meeting that takes place once each year. (In Iowa in early June; in 2014, June 7-9.)  At this meeting we gather for worship, fellowship, and learning.  We also receive reports about various ministries and conduct business sessions to approve budgets, ministry plans, rules and policies of the annual conference, and resolutions related to social and moral issues.

Membership in the annual conference includes all of the clergy, active and retired, and an equal number of lay members.  Each charge elects one lay member for each pastor serving the charge. (Our three church charge elects one lay member to balance me as the pastor.)  Retired clergy and other clergy serving outside of the local church (chaplains, staff positions, etc.) are balanced by lay persons who are in certain positions of conference and district leadership, including United Methodist Men and United Methodist Women, as well as youth and young adult members.  If there are still clergy left to be balanced, each district will be assigned a number of equalization members.  The district will then assign equalization members to charges with larger membership which may be underrepresented. (For 2014 our charge has been assigned two equalization members, which, in addition to our regular member, makes our total of lay members three.  They are Carol Matta, Dee Shope, and Terri Goodhart. Each of them represents the charge as a whole, not just one church.)

For almost all of the business and activities of the annual conference session the clergy and laity meet together as one body of equals.  However, the clergy are required to gather separately in an additional session called clergy, or executive, session.  During this closed session ordained clergy members vote on clergy candidates, handle any issues of clergy discipline, and vote to grant retirement, disability and other changes in clergy status.  The Discipline calls these “matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy.”  (For clergy, membership is in the annual conference, not the local church.  The annual conference is the primary place where clergy receive support and accountability.)   While the clergy are in clergy session the lay members sometimes also gather in laity session.

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.  We will talk more about how the annual conference works throughout the year in the next article.              

2014 UM Polity Series – Bishops

        “Bishops are elected from the elders and are set apart for a ministry of servant leadership, general oversight, and supervision.  As followers of Jesus Christ, bishops are authorized to guard the faith, order, liturgy, doctrine, and discipline of the Church.  The role and calling of the bishop is to exercise oversight and support of the Church and its mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” (Discipline ¶403.1)

Bishops (Episcopoi, or Overseers, in Greek) are elected from among the (ordained) elders by Jurisdictional and Central Conferences.  (The number of bishops in each Jurisdiction or Central Conference is determined by a formula.  There are currently 46 active bishops in the US and 20 outside the US.)  In the United States bishops are elected for life; some Central Conferences have term episcopacy.  Often candidates for bishop receive official endorsements by the vote of their annual conferences, but any elder can be elected a bishop.

Once elected, bishops serve the whole Church, however, bishops are assigned to particular service (for four year terms) in an Episcopal Area which may contain one or more annual conferences.  We are in the Iowa Episcopal Area which includes the Iowa Annual Conference.  The bishop currently assigned to our Episcopal Area is Bishop Julius Trimble (pictured left.)  For more information about Bishop Trimble go to www.iaumc.org/pages/detail/1925.

At the Jurisdictional and Central Conference level bishops are members of the College of Bishops.  At the General Church level they are members of the Council of Bishops.  Retired bishops are also members of the Council but only active bishops have vote.  The Colleges and the Council elect their own officers, including a president, however these officers also continue to serve their own episcopal areas and have no unique authority over the Church beyond that of other bishops.  (There was a move, which failed, at General Conference 2012 to provide for a “set aside” bishop without assignment to an episcopal area to represent the whole Church.)

In addition to general oversight and representing the whole Church, the particular duties of bishops include: their role in the judicial process (which I explained in a previous article,) presiding over Annual, Jurisdictional, Central, and General Conferences, consecrating, licensing, commissioning, and ordaining clergy (and lay people to special service,) and appointing clergy to their places of ministry.

Assisting the bishop in his or her duties, particularly in appointing pastors, are District Superintendents (also called Conference Superintendents.)  Superintendents are elders appointed by the bishop to assist in the oversight of the whole annual conference in general, and have particular oversight of one area of the annual conference called a District.  (More about Districts in a future article.)  The Superintendents of the annual conference (there may only be one) and the bishop meet together in what is called the Cabinet.  This is the meeting in which clergy appointments and other matters of annual conference leadership are discussed.        

2014 UM Polity Series – Jurisdictions and Central Conferences

There is a layer of administration between General Conference and the General Church and the Annual Conferences, to which local churches and individual clergy belong: Jurisdictions and Central Conferences.

In the United States the United Methodist Church is divided into five Jurisdictions: North Eastern, South Eastern, North Central, South Central, and Western (including Alaska and Hawaii.) (see map)

Iowa is part of the North Central Jurisdiction which includes Iowa as well as Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota.

Each Jurisdiction has a Jurisdictional Conference every four years in the summer of the same year as General Conference.  Delegates are the lay and clergy delegates to General Conference from each Annual Conference for the same year plus the same number of additional lay and clergy delegates which makes the delegation to Jurisdictional Conference twice the size.

The most important work of the Jurisdiction and Jurisdictional Conference is the election and assignment of bishops (more about bishops in the next article.)  However, Jurisdictions also play a key role in ensuring proportional representation on General Boards and Agencies, in the appeal process for church trials, and in coordinating mission and ministry among Annual Conferences particularly with youth, United Methodist Women, and United Methodist Men.

Outside of the United States the UMC is divided into seven Central Conferences.  There are three Central Conferences in Europe: Germany, Northern Europe and Eurasia, and Central/Southern Europe; three in Africa, Africa Central, West Africa, and Congo; and one in Asia: Philippines. (See the map which also includes membership numbers for each Jurisdiction and Central Conference.)

Central Conferences like Jurisdictions are made of the Annual Conferences within their boundaries.  Central Conferences perform the same functions as Jurisdictional Conferences: electing bishops, coordinating the mission and ministry of Annual Conferences, and relating to General Boards and Agencies and General Conference.  However, Central Conferences also have one other very special power, they can adapt some to the rules in the Book of Discipline according to their local needs.  

Pastor Brian.

2014 UM Polity Series – Church Courts

It should come as no surprise that a church as large as ours has its own system of courts to deal with violations of church law for both clergy at every level and lay members.  In fact, you may have heard of church trials in the news recently.  The process differs a little depending on whether the accused is a layperson, a member of the clergy, or a bishop.  Yes, there is a process by which a lay member of a local church can be charged with a violation of church law, tried, and removed from leadership, and even from membership, in the church, and a process of appeal.  However, since these almost never happen, I will not go into detail.  Instead, I want to be more narrative with this article.  I am going to tell you a story which follows a fictional pastor through the process.
Pastor Jones performs a funeral for a member of a church to which he was previously appointed without the knowledge or permission of the current pastor, Pastor Smith.  This is a violation of the rule which forbids a pastor to hold religious services within the bounds of the charge of another pastor, which includes the buildings, the geographic area, and the people. (Discipline ¶341.4)  When Pastor Smith tries to speak with Pastor Jones about this, Pastor Jones says that he does not care what the rules say, he will do whatever funerals he wants to do.
Pastor Smith makes a written complaint to her bishop stating that Pastor Jones has violated ¶341.4 and that, in so doing, he has committed two chargeable offences: ¶2702.1.d Disobedience to the order, doctrine, and discipline of the United Methodist Church; and ¶2702.1.f Relationships and/or behavior that undermines the ministry of another pastor.
The bishop receives the complaint (¶363.1) and consults with both Pastor Smith and Pastor Jones in order to attempt a “Just Resolution” (¶363.1.c) to the problem.  The bishop suggests that Pastor Jones apologize to Pastor Smith for conducting the funeral without her permission and promise to never conduct services in the parish of another pastor again.  Pastor Jones refuses to do either of these things.
Since the bishop was not able to reach a just resolution, she appoints another pastor to act as counsel for the Church, kind of like a prosecuting attorney. (¶363.1.e.2 and ¶2704.2.a)  The counsel for the Church conducts further investigation and determines that there is enough evidence for charges and a trial and informs the bishop that the charges are ready to proceed to trial.  At this point, Pastor Jones will be able to select another pastor to be his counsel.  Also, any time prior to trial, Pastor Jones may choose to accept a just resolution or to withdraw (¶361.3) his clergy membership under charges.  However, if Pastor Jones does withdraw under charges, those charges would have to be addressed prior to him being restored as a member of the clergy.
The bishop then appoints a presiding officer (judge), another bishop, for the trial court. (¶2713.1-2)  The presiding officer appoints a secretary (¶2708.1) and out of a pool of 35 pastors a trial court (jury) of 13, plus two alternates, is selected. (¶2708.2-4)
The trial proceeds much like a secular trial would except that, as Christians, no oaths are required. (¶2710.3)  Nine of 13 votes are required to convict and seven of 13 votes are required to impose penalty. (¶2711.2-3)  The trial court finds Pastor Jones guilty of all counts and specifications and imposes the penalty of revocation of clergy credentials and termination of conference membership, the highest penalty a trial court can impose on a member of the clergy. (¶2711.3)
Pastor Jones has the right to appeal the decision of the trial court to the Jurisdictional Committee on Appeals (¶2716) and finally, to request a review by the Judicial Council. (¶2609.8)
The Judicial Council is the ‘Supreme Court” of the UMC and is made of nine members, both laity and clergy.  In addition to reviewing trial appeals, the Judicial Council determines the constitutionality (under UMC Constitution) of proposed legislation of General Conference, determines the legality of the actions of any part of the Church, reviews “decisions of law” made by bishops, and provides “declaratory decisions” when requested by any part of the Church. (¶¶2601. 2602, 2609, and 2610)
The system is complex, but in a church as large as ours, we need a complex system to ensure that we have accountability and support with fairness.
Pastor Brian