1. Local Church Spiritual Formation Leadership Team

875. Membership. The local board of administration shall serve as or shall establish a local spiritual formation leadership team (782:25). The pastor shall serve as chair unless the pastor shall recommend and the local board of administration shall assign this duty to another member of the local board of administration, such as the associate or assistant pastor or other qualified person. If a separate board is established, the local board of administration shall determine its membership, electing qualified members in keeping with the provisions of 825 and/or designating ex officio members from among the heads of the various spiritual formation agencies and auxiliaries (870; 889; 915-928), assigning such duties to it as the local board of administration deems fit (cf. 880). The local spiritual formation leadership team shall elect its own secretary.

878. Age-level Divisions. Whenever the local spiritual formation leadership team shall so recommend, and the local board of administration shall so authorize, the local spiritual formation leadership team may organize its members and such other spiritual formation leaders and workers as it shall choose into three age-level divisions: the children’s division, the youth division, and the adult division. Each division shall serve to coordinate all spiritual formation and fellowship activities conducted by the local church or any of its branches for the age level assigned.

880. Duties and Powers. The duties and powers of the local spiritual formation leadership team shall be:

(1) To study, organize, promote, and conduct, under the leadership of the pastor, and subject to the direction of the local board of administration, the total program of spiritual formation for the local church, in keeping with the denominational objectives for spiritual formation (2306), and the standards established by the General Board and promoted through the Church Multiplication and Discipleship and the Education and Clergy Development Divisions.

(2) To establish, structure, and supervise, in keeping with The Discipline, and the standards adopted by the General Board, such spiritual formation agencies as are authorized by the local board of administration, including the Sunday school, Wesleyan Youth, Wesleyan Kids for Missions, children’s church, weekday church school, released time classes, and vacation Bible school.

(3) To coordinate all spiritual formation agencies (cf. 880:2), activities and functions of the local church, setting goals, evaluating procedures, exploring new areas of need, and assigning responsibilities to the various departments and auxiliaries.

(4) To determine, in keeping with The Discipline and the standards adopted by the General Board, the curricula of the various agencies, always using curriculum materials approved by the General Board and secured from the Wesleyan Publishing House.

(5) To recommend to the local board of administration for the consideration of the local church conference the appointment and/or the employment of a minister or director of spiritual formation, and to advise the pastor and the local board of administration in defining all duties. Such a person must be a member who meets the leadership qualifications (260–268; 558) of the local church appointing and/or employing the person (cf. 738–744).

(6) To enlist and train administrators and teachers for all phases of the local church’s spiritual formation task, in keeping with the leadership training program adopted by the General Board.

(7) To submit nominations, or to appoint a committee of its membership to submit nominations, to the local board of administration for all members of the spiritual formation leadership team other than the Sunday school superintendent, all teachers, and to elect all other officers and teachers except the officers of Wesleyan Youth and WKFM unless the local board of administration instructs the church nominating committee to fulfill these duties (820–823).

(8) To appoint administrative committees for each educational agency other than WY or WKFM, including in each such committee the executive officer involved and other workers or advisors as shall be deemed best (cf. 903; 913).

(9) To remove from office by majority vote any worker elected by the local church spiritual formation leadership team when such is in the best interest of the work, and to recommend to the local board of administration the removal of any officer or teacher in local spiritual formation (875–928) elected by the local board of administration.

(10) To organize a training hour, providing for all age levels, selecting the necessary leaders and instructors, and assigning responsibilities to the appropriate agencies (cf. 880:2-3).

(11) To assist the pastor and the local board of administration in conducting classes in membership preparation (cf. 566–570; 725:11; 782:8; 2310:3).

(12) To conduct or assign responsibility for conducting workers’ conferences.

(13) To recommend to the local board of administration modifications or enlargement of educational facilities, and the purchase of educational equipment including audiovisuals; to allocate space for various schools and agencies, both for assemblies and classes; and to supervise the storage and use of all equipment.

(14) To promote the interests of The Wesleyan Church educational institutions in cooperation with the General Director of Education and the Ministry, the officials of the general educational institutions within the area, and the district educational director.

(15) To conduct extension classes, small group Bible studies, and branch Sunday schools when such are properly authorized (cf. 655:16; 782:6).

(16) To minister to persons on nearby college campuses and military bases in keeping with the programs promoted by the Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division.

(17) To observe such special days as shall be designated by the General Board and promoted by the Church Multiplication and Discipleship and Education and Clergy Development Divisions, and as shall be designated by district agencies.

(18) To be responsible for special programs, such as Christmas and vacation Bible school, assigning responsibilities as it deems best, with all plans subject to the approval of the pastor and the local board of administration.

(19) To serve as a committee on fellowship, or to nominate a subcommittee on fellowship for election by the local board of administration.

(20) To encourage and direct ministries of Christian family life in order to enrich the quality of homes and families within the local church constituency.

(21) To nominate, for election by the local board of administration, such standing or special subcommittees as the local board of administration shall approve, with a member of the local spiritual formation leadership team as chair of each.

(22) To exercise full authority in such of the duties covered under 880:1–21 as shall be delegated by the local board of administration.