2016 Wesleyan Discipline:D. Local Board of Administration Organization and Procedure

D. Organization and Procedure

1. Officers

770. Chair. The pastor shall be chair of the local board of administration, ex officio, presiding over all sessions except as noted in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:773.

773. Vice-Chair. The pastor may nominate and the local board of administration shall elect one of its members as vice-chair. The vice-chair may preside over meetings of the local board of administration when a pastoral vote or the pastor’s support is under discussion (for exceptions, cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:712; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:722:2). The vice- chair may also preside over sessions or portions of sessions of the local church conference dealing with a pastoral vote or the pastor’s support when neither the district superintendent nor a representative of the district superintendent are present (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:635; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:692:2). The vice-chair may preside, at the request of the pastor, over other sessions of the local board of administration or of the local church conference. In emergencies, when the pastor is absent or incapacitated, the vice- chair may also preside over other sessions of the local board of administration and local church conference with the permission of the district superintendent. The district superintendent or a representative of the district superintendent shall preside over all sessions of the local board of administration considering the termination of a pastoral agreement (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:712; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:722:2), and in times of emergency.

775. Secretary. The local church secretary shall be secretary of the local board of administration ex officio (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:830). If the secretary is absent, the local board of administration may elect a secretary pro tem.

Procedure

778. Quorum. A majority of the members of the local board of administration shall constitute a quorum.

780. Voting. A majority vote of those present and voting shall be sufficient in all items of business except when voting on the reception of a member against whom an objection has been made, which shall require a two- thirds majority vote of those present and voting (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:567; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:782:9); and when petitioning the district board of administration to remove a pastor during the initial call, which shall require a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:712; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:782:14).

3. Local Church Governance Philosophy

781. The health and growth of the local church is a shared responsibility, with the board focused on governing, the pastor on leading, the staff (employed or volunteer) on managing, and the congregation on ministering to the community and to one another.

The local board of administration governs the local church primarily by

(a) clarifying its mission and stating the primary outcomes it exists to achieve;

(b) setting guiding principles within which the pastor and staff have great discretion and freedom to work in order to achieve the mission, including the adoption of operating policies, the budget, and measurable, annual goals proposed by the pastor for accomplishing the mission;

(c) periodically evaluating the established goals in consultation with the district superintendent, giving special attention to rewarding achievement or requiring specific plans for improvement in areas of underperformance; and

(d) protecting the pastor, staff, and church by dealing with problem issues and persons that threaten fulfillment of the mission.

As leader of the local church, the pastor is responsible for

(a) inspiring and teaching the congregation through word and example;

(b) chairing, motivating, and informing the board;

(c) operating within the boundaries of established guiding principles;

(d) proposing measurable goals for adoption by the board;

(e) selecting, directing, and supervising the staff (employed or volunteer) for the daily operations and ministries of the church in order to accomplish mission-centered goals; and

(f) being accountable to the board for achieving mutually agreed upon goals. In summary, the board focuses on mission clarity, policy, goals, evaluation, and accountability; the pastor and staff focus on leadership and management.