Primary Tasks and Responsibilities of the Leadership Council

• Serves as the primary administrative body of the charge conference and oversees the management and programming of the local church
• Plans and carries out programs that fulfill the congregation's nurturing, outreaching, and witnessing ministries
• Leads the visioning and strategic planning process within the church
• Fills vacancies in lay leadership positions that occur between meetings of the charge conference
• Approves the church budget and ensures that the financial needs of the church are met
• Makes recommendations for the compensation, benefits, and housing for the pastor(s) and other church staff.

Adapted from The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church--2004, ¶252.

Board of Trustees

The board of trustees supervises and maintains all property belonging to your congregation so that the ministries of the congregation can be effective. The committee is entrusted to see to the proper keeping of God's house as a way to honor God and to facilitate the ministry of the local church.

The primary purpose of the church building and facilities is to enable the vision and ministry of the congregation. Good stewardship, common sense, and prudence dictate that the church, parsonage, facilities, property, equipment, furnishings, and other physical property be well maintained. A physical plant that is "well groomed" and attractive is much more welcoming, safe, and hospitable than one that shows signs of benign neglect. We honor God when we care for what has been entrusted to us...

The trustees together have several legal and administrative functions. They are to:

• Oversee, maintain, and supervise all local church property. This would include conducting an annual inspection and inventory of all church property, including the parsonage
• Report annually to the charge conference on the state of the church's property, equipment, investments, and resources
• Receive and administer all gifts made to the congregation; make certain that all trust funds of the congregation are invested properly. Develop guidelines for receiving and managing wills, trusts, bequests, and other investments given to the church
• Ensure that the articles of incorporation of the congregation are kept up-to-date, if applicable.
• Be responsible, in conjunction with the pastor, for all use of the church buildings and grounds.
• Maintain adequate insurance coverage on all church property and develop appropriate risk management policies
• Submit to the committee on finance the annual budget requests for insurance, property maintenance and improvement, and new property purchases
• Be accountable to charge conference and to the church council.

Adapted from Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: Trustees, 2005-2008, p. 6, 13. Copyright © 2004 by Cokesbury. Used by permission. 

Staff Parish Relations Tasks

• explaining the nature and function of ministry to the staff and the congregation 
• conferring with the congregation and the staff/pastor about ministry direction 
• assessing the ministry of the congregation and the staff/pastor at least annually 
• conferring and consulting with the district superintendent 
• supporting lifelong learning for all staff (continuing education) 
• identifying and supporting individuals from the congregation whom God seems to be calling for ordained ministry 
• making recommendations regarding compensation, travel, benefits and housing to the church council 
• recommending needed staff positions and develop written job descriptions and titles for associate pastors and staff 

Book of Discipline, ¶ 259.2 Pastor-Parish Relations Committee 

Finance  Committee Tasks

• Provides financial direction for the congregation and regularly reports to the church council and to individual members 
• Recommends an annual budget to support the mission and ministry of the church 
• Develops plans for the annual funding program to ensure that the financial needs of the church are met 
• Arranges for the annual audit of church financial records 

Adapted from Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Finance, (p. 9-14) and Job Descriptions and Leadership Training for Leaders in Local Congregations, 2005-2008, "Chairperson for the Committee on Finance" 

Lay Leadership Committee Major Responsibilities

• get to know members of the congregation and identify (and help them to discern) their skills, gifts, knowledge, and level of commitment 
• identify leadership and service opportunities in your congregation 
• prepare job descriptions for leadership positions 
• match potential leaders with leadership positions and invite persons to serve in those positions, making sure that these persons represent the makeup of your congregation 
• present recommendations to the charge conference 
• equip leaders through training and support

Adapted from Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: Leader Selection and Development, 2005-2008 (Cokesbury, 2004), pp. 6; and Job Descriptions & Leadership Training for Leaders in Local Church Congregations, 2005-2008 (Discipleship Resources, 2004)