¶ 609. The
council's purpose, membership, organization, and relationships shall be as
follows:
1. Purpose--The purpose of
the council shall be to develop, maintain, and administer a comprehensive and
coordinated plan of fiscal and administrative policies, procedures, and
management services for the annual conference.
2. Membership--a)
Each annual conference shall elect, at its session next succeeding the General
Conference or jurisdictional conference, a conference council on finance and
administration composed of not less than five nor more than twenty-one members;
in every case there shall be at least one layperson more than clergy included on
the
council.49
Persons shall be nominated for membership in a manner determined by the
conference in accordance with ¶ 607.5. Churches of less than two hundred
members shall be represented on the conference council on finance and
administration. The term of office shall begin with the adjournment of the
annual conference session at which they are elected and shall be for a period of
four years and until their successors are elected. No member or employee of any
conference agency and no employee, trustee, or director of any agency or
institution participating in the funds of any conference budget shall be
eligible for voting membership on the
council.50
Any vacancy shall be filled by action of the council until the next conference
session, at which time the annual conference shall fill the
vacancy.
[FTN] 49. See Judicial
Council Decision 441.
[FTN] 50. See Judicial
Council Decisions 10, 493.
b) The following shall be
ex officio members of the council in addition to the number set by the annual
conference under ¶ 609.2a: (1) the conference treasurer/director of
administrative services, without vote; (2) any members of the General Council on
Finance and Administration who reside within the bounds of the conference, with
vote unless voting membership is in conflict with another provision of the
Book of Discipline, in which case their membership shall be without vote; in
either case, they shall not be eligible to serve on an agency receiving funding;
(3) the presiding bishop, without vote; (4) a district superintendent chosen by
the cabinet, without vote; and (5) the conference council director or another
representative of the conference council on ministries, without
vote.
c) The executive director
of the conference or area United Methodist foundation may be included in the
membership, without vote.
3. Officers--The council
shall elect from its voting membership a president, a vice president, a
secretary, and such other officers as it may deem necessary. Consideration shall
be given to inclusiveness (¶¶ 103, 117). The conference
treasurer/director of administrative services ¶ 616) shall be the treasurer
of the council. The treasurer/director of administrative services shall not be
eligible for voting membership on the council and shall not be eligible for
election to any of those offices that are to be filled by voting members of the
council.
4. No member of the council shall
vote on or take part in deliberations on significant matters directly or
indirectly affecting her or his business, income, or employment, or the
business, income, or employment of his or her immediate
family.
5. Organization--a)
The council may establish committees and task forces and define their duties and
authority as it deems necessary for fulfilling its purpose and
responsibilities.
b) The annual conference
may enact bylaws governing meetings, quorum, and other matters of procedure for
the council, or it may authorize the council to enact such bylaws; in any event,
such bylaws shall not be in conflict with the Book of
Discipline.
c) If deemed necessary for
the fulfillment of its functions and if so authorized by the annual conference,
the council may be incorporated.
6. Amenability--The
council shall be amenable and report directly to the annual
conference.51
[FTN] 51. See Judicial
Council Decisions 551, 560.
7.
Relationships--a) The council and the annual conference council on
ministries shall cooperate in the development of the conference benevolences
budget (¶ 611.3).
b) In the interest of
developing and implementing coordinated annual conference policies in the areas
of fiscal management and administrative services, the council shall serve in a
liaison role among conference agencies with responsibilities in these areas. It
shall be authorized to convene representatives of annual conference
administrative and clergy support agencies for the purpose of consulting on
matters of mutual concern, such as the coordination of fiscal management,
fundraising activities, and administrative services in the annual
conference.