1996 Book of Discipline: Paragraph 246| General Conference 2000

¶ 246. The basic organizational plan for the local church shall include provision for the following units: a charge conference, a church council, a committee on pastor-parish relations, a board of trustees, a committee on finance, a committee on nominations and personnel, and such other elected leaders, commissions, councils, committees, and task forces as the charge conference may determine. Every local church shall develop a plan for organizing its administrative and programmatic responsibilities. Each local congregation shall provide a comprehensive program of nurture, outreach, and witness, along with leadership training, and the planning and administration of the congregation's organizational and temporal life, in accordance with the mission of The United Methodist Church (See ¶¶ 101-120).

1. The church council and all other administrative and programmatic structures of the local church shall be amenable to the charge conference (see ¶ 248). The church council shall function as the executive agency of the charge conference.

2. Alternative plans may be developed in accordance with the provisions of ¶ 249.2. Such alternatives include: nurture, outreach, and witness ministries; administrative council; or administrative board/

council on ministries.

3. Members of the church council or alternative structure shall be persons of genuine Christian character who love the church, are morally disciplined, are committed to the mandate of inclusiveness in the life of the church, are loyal to the ethical standards of The United Methodist Church set forth in the Social Principles, and are competent to administer its affairs. It shall include youth members chosen according to the same standards as adults. All shall be members of the local church, except where central conference legislation provides otherwise. The pastor shall be the administrative officer and, as such, shall be an ex officio member of all conferences, boards, councils, commissions, committees, and task forces, unless otherwise restricted by the Discipline.⁶

[FTN] See Judicial Council Decisions 469, 500.



	1996 Discipline ¶ 246
	¶ 246. The basic organizational plan for the local church shall include provision for the following units: a charge conference, a church council, a committee on pastor-parish relations, a board of trustees, a committee on finance, a committee on nominations and personnel, and such other elected leaders, commissions, councils, committees, and task forces as the charge conference may determine. Every local church shall develop a plan for organizing its administrative and programmatic responsibilities. Each local congregation shall provide a comprehensive program of nurture, outreach, and witness, along with leadership training, and the planning and administration of the congregation's organizational and temporal life, in accordance with the mission of The United Methodist Church (See ¶¶ 101-120). `1. The church council and all other administrative and programmatic structures of the local church shall be amenable to the charge conference (see ¶ 248). The church council shall function as the executive agency of the charge conference.` `2. Alternative plans may be developed in accordance with the provisions of ¶ 249.2. Such alternatives include: nurture, outreach, and witness ministries; administrative council; or administrative board/` `council on ministries.` 3. Members of the church council or alternative structure shall be persons of genuine Christian character who love the church, are morally disciplined, are committed to the mandate of inclusiveness in the life of the church, are loyal to the ethical standards of The United Methodist Church set forth in the Social Principles, and are competent to administer its affairs. It shall include youth members chosen according to the same standards as adults. All shall be members of the local church, except where central conference legislation provides otherwise. The pastor shall be the administrative officer and, as such, shall be an ex officio member of all conferences, boards, councils, commissions, committees, and task forces, unless otherwise restricted by the Discipline.⁶ `[FTN] See Judicial Council Decisions 469, 500.`
	PETITIONS: Main \| Discipline Index \| Search \| About GC2000: Main \| DCA \| Delegates \| Committees \| Studies \| Articles \| News \| Audio/Video \| Music \| Downloads \| About PETS Database Design - John Brawn \| PETS Webmaster - Susan Brumbaugh Have questions about General Conference? Call InfoServ at 1-800-251-8140, 8AM-4:30PM Central Time, Monday-Friday. Email: infoserv@umcom.umc.org Website Copyright Š2000 United Methodist Communications; All Rights Reserved

1996 Discipline ¶ 246