Text of: 1264-263
The Committee recommends concurrence as amended as follows:
Amend 263 and add a new subparagraph:
263.1 A new local church or mission congregation shall be established only with the consent of the bishop in charge and the cabinet and with due consideration of the conference
board of global ministries' programs of home missions and church extension (if any, see ¶631)entity assigned the responsibility for congregational development. The bishop shall designate the district within whose bounds the church or mission congregation shall be organized. The district superintendent of that district, or his or her designee, shall be the agent in charge of the project and shall recommend to the district board of church location and building (p. 2518) thesite for the propsed new congregationmethod of organization, and whether a specific site shall be selected or an area of organization be designated. The district superintendant shall avail him/her self of existing demographic, lifestyle and ethnographic information in the process of establishing a new congregation, and its location, or shall recommend to the board of trustees of a selected local church that they share their facility with the proposed congregation. If there is a city or distric missionary organization, or if funds for the project are anticipated from a conference organization,thatthose bodies shall also be asked to approvethis site, the method of organization and location for a new congregation.
2.[Delete current text.] The bishop may appoint a pastor to launch a new local church, or with the bishop's approval the district superintendent may authorize a local church or group of local churches to launch a new church by gathering interested people in small groups for Bible study, outreach, community building, and worship at a site in an area approved by the district board of church location and building.
3. [Delete current text.] A pastor of The United Methodist Church, while serving as the pastor of a new church prior to the convening of a constituting conference (¶263.6), may receive a person into the membership of The United Methodist Church under the conditions of ¶215. When a person is received and/or baptized into the church, the pastor shall send the name, address, and related facts to the annual conference secretary for recording on a general membership roll. These names shall be transferred as soon as possible to the roll of the new church, when constituted, or to another church upon the member's request. If the new church is being sponsored by an existing church, membership may be recorded on the roll of that church.
4. [Delete current text.] Each annual conference or its equivalent may determine the minimum number of members and other criteria required for the organization of a local United Methodist church.
5. [Delete current text.] When the number of people interested in being charter members of the new church reaches the number necessary as set by the conference to charter a new church, the district superintendent shall call the interested people to meet at an appointed time for the purpose of organizing them into a chartered (organized) local church, or may by written authorization designate an elder in the district to call such a meeting. The district superintendent or the designated elder shall preside and shall appoint a secretary to keep a record of the meeting. Following a time of worship, opportunity shall be given to those in attendance to present themselves for membership.
6. [Delete current text.] People desiring to become members on profession of their faith in Christ shall also be given opportunity to present themselves for membership. Any who have not been baptized shall receive the sacrament of baptism. If they profess their faith and are confirmed, they will be received as members. When the district superintendent or designated elder is satisfied as to the genuineness of their faith and purpose, they shall be received into the membership of the church. Other baptized people are to be entered on the roll of those who are baptized.
7. [Delete current text.] A list shall be made of all the people received into the membership of the proposed church by transfer and on profession of faith. Those people shall be members of the constituting church conference, and each shall be entitled to vote.
8. [Delete current text.] The constituting church conference shall then be called to order by the district superintendent or by an elder whom the superintendent designates (see ¶248.5). A committee on nominations, elected on nominations from the floor as the conference may determine, shall nominate members of the proposed church council. The chairperson of the committee on nominations shall be the appointed pastor (see <197>262.1). When the members have been chosen, the district superintendent or the designated elder shall declare the church properly constituted.
9. [Delete current text] The district superintendent or an elder whom the superintendent designates shall then adjourn the constituting church conference and call to order the charge conference of the pastoral charge. The membership of the charge conference shall be those newly elected, and any others entitled to membership. The charge conference shall then elect such officers of the church as the Discipline requires, including trustees of church property, and shall organize its structure as provided in the Discipline. When such officers have been duly elected and such structure put in place, the church is duly organized, and from this point its work shall proceed as described in the Discipline, provided that when a newly organized church is attached to a circuit, the charge conference shall not be held until such time as representatives from all the churches of the charge can be properly assembled for that purpose.
10. The charge conference may take action, at its discretion, authorizing and directing the newly elected trustees to incorporate the newly organized church in accordance with local laws and the provisions of the Discipline.
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