¶ 248.
General Provisions--1. Within the pastoral charge the basic unit in the
connectional system of The United Methodist Church is the charge
conference. The charge conference shall therefore be organized from the
church or churches in every pastoral charge as set forth in the Constitution
(¶ 41). It shall meet annually for the purposes set forth in ¶ 249. It
may meet at other times as indicated in § 7 below.
2. The membership of the charge
conference shall be all members of the church council or other appropriate body,
together with retired ordained ministers and retired diaconal ministers who
elect to hold their membership in said charge conference and any others as may
be designated in the Discipline. If more than one church is on the
pastoral charge, all members of each church council shall be members of the
charge conference.
3. The charge conference may make
provision for recognition of the faithful service of members of the church
council by electing them honorary members. An honorary member shall be entitled
to all the privileges of a member, except the right to
vote.
4. The district superintendent
shall fix the time of meetings of the charge conference. The charge conference
shall determine the place of meeting.
5. The district superintendent
shall preside at the meetings of the charge conference or may designate an elder
to preside.
6. The members present and voting
at any duly announced meeting shall constitute a quorum.
7. Special sessions may be called
by the district superintendent after consultation with the pastor of the charge,
or by the pastor with the written consent of the district superintendent. The
purpose of such special session shall be stated in the call, and only such
business shall be transacted as is in harmony with the purposes stated in the
call. Any such special session may be convened as a church conference in
accordance with ¶ 250.
8. Notice of time and place of a
regular or special session of the charge conference shall be given at least ten
days in advance by two or more of the following (except as local laws may
otherwise provide): from the pulpit of the church, in its weekly bulletin, in a
local church publication, or by mail.
9. A charge conference shall be
conducted in the language of the majority, with adequate provision being made
for translation.
10. A joint charge
conference for two or more pastoral charges may be held at the same time and
place, as the district superintendent may determine.