How to Preside at a Church/Charge Conference
Thank you for agreeing to serve as the presiding elder for a church or charge conference. This is a
basic information sheet for an Elder conducting an annual church conference on behalf of a District
Superintendent.
As the presider, your role is to call the meeting to order and guide the work of the meeting with a
spirit of Christian grace. If the pastor or pastors of the church are in attendance, it is our expectation
that they are able to remain in the meeting throughout the time. This includes the time of
discussion of church compensation.
The expectation for the church conference is that it is routine business and celebration. In the event
that hidden controversies arise, please table the item. The District Superintendent will call another
church conference to take up any tabled matter.
WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA?
Prayer, and worship or a devotion: You may be asked to do this, or someone from the church may
have something prepared.
Introduce yourself and invite brief introductions of folks gathered. If there is a large gathering, survey
questions (how many of you are at your first church conference?) work well.
Inquire as to who will be the secretary. Be sure that there is a signup sheet for those attending, or
that someone is recording names.
Membership Report: This includes reports from the membership secretary or the pastor, including
those who have joined and those who have died in the past year. It is appropriate to offer prayer in
memory of those who have passed. There may be a vote on removing members by church
conference action.
This year, as the instructions indicate, we encourage every church to focus on reaching out to contact
inactive members and considering retaining members for longer periods. This spirit of hospitality
seems to better reflect our gracefulness as communities of faith. If you decide to vote, members may
be removed in the third year they have been listed. This report, with modifications, is then approved.
Pastor’s compensation: The comp form will have a DS signature of approval on the back page. If you
encounter serious resistance, or a proposal for a change, table this action until the DS can convene
another church conference. The comp form should have been approved by the Church Council
before it gets to Church Conference, so there should be no surprises. The formal motions of past
years are no longer required. BE SURE TO GET SIGNATURES ON THE COMPENSATION FORM.
Officers for the coming year: Give people enough time to review the nominations list, checking to be
sure their name is where they believe it should be. Trustees are voted in separately. See the proper
motion on the checklist for church conferences.
A vote to accept the report will elect new members and chairs, and affirm the continuing service of
those from prior years. The Discipline (paragraph 252) allows the Church Council or Administrative
Board to “fill interim vacancies occurring among the lay officers of the church between sessions of
the annual charge conference.” Therefore, if there are leadership positions open, encourage the
congregations, through the Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development, to consider
filling those positions after the church conference.
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Lay servants and Candidates for ministry: The first-time vote for candidacy must be by written
ballot. Renewal for candidacy and for lay servants are motions for approval.
Volunteer in Mission – Team report: If the church has sent folks on mission teams, this form should
be included in the information. No vote is required.
Other: The above are the required actions. The church and your circuit may have agreed to engage in
discussion, offer celebrations, or hear other reports. Just check with the pastor before the church
conference to know of unusual events.
HINTS AND HELPS
Basic Good Practices:
Check with the pastor before the conference about plans and preparation.
Arrive on time, and have the church address and directions, and pastor’s cell number.
Listen, ask, and trust the group and the decision process.
If the church is unprepared for the motions, it is permissible to table the motion.
Review the written packet before you convene the meeting.
Balance formal and informal. (Be careful–one person’s casual humor is another’s sarcasm).
Be respectful of time.
Remember that the decisions are the church’s property. You are presiding, not
advising.
RELEVANT DISCIPLINARY PARAGRAPHS
¶244 Organization of the local church and basic committees.
¶246 Defines a Charge Conference (note ¶248 describes Church Conference)
A Church Conference allows voting by all professing members of the church.
¶247 Powers and Duties of a Charge/Church Conference.
Defines the primary responsibilities of the Charge/Church Conference.
¶247.3 Review and evaluate the mission and ministry of the church; receive reports; adopt
goals and objectives from the Church Council. Note that there are a wide variety of
ways to review and evaluate the mission and ministry of the church.
¶247.8-10 Examine, and recommend and renew as appropriate to the District Committee on
Ordained Ministry, candidates for the ordained ministry.
¶247.11 Recommend and review lay servants and certified lay ministers.
¶247.12 Receive reports from Volunteer in Mission teams.
¶247.13 Set pastoral compensation.
¶247.15 Receive and act on the membership report.
¶249 "Shall elect … leaders" – the list of leaders is included in this paragraph.
Revised 8/2013
