The Council on Ministries is
the programming body of our local church. In our church, the COM
reports to the Administrative Board. Generally speaking, when a large
activity is planned the COM might ask for approval from the Board (especially
when finances are involved).
The COM leads in developing
goals and programs to fulfill the ministry of the congregation to make
your community more loving and just. It supports individuals in their
daily discipleship through church programs and projects in partnership
with other organizations and the connectional church.
A description of its structure
and tasks appeared in the Discipline for three decades, but disappeared
when the Church decided to give more control over structure to the local
church. The Discipline, while stating that the Administrative Board/COM
model is acceptable, now gives organizational directions in terms of the
Church Council model. So to identify the role of the Council on Ministries
(which we still use at the FUMC in Houma), we need to look at older editions
of the Discipline and the Guidelines.
When the 1996 General Conference
moved to allow more local church control of structure, we at FUMC, Houma
looked at our organization and decided to stay with the Adm.Bd./COM model
with slight changes in their make-up. The membership of each body
as determined by that meeting can be found HERE.
The description of COM can be
found in ¶
258 of the 1992 Discipline. Further details can be found in ¶
259-269 [¶
259,
¶
260, ¶
261, ¶
262, ¶
263, ¶
264, ¶
265, ¶
266, ¶
267, ¶
268, ¶
269]. Note: while you can use these resources
to learn about the role of COM, the current 2000 edition of the Discipline
supersedes previous versions (but it doesn't give
a description of COM).
Responsibilities of the Council on Ministries:
- To study the hopes and concerns of people
in the community so that they may determine how the congregation might
serve them and how they might serve one another as Christian disciples
and good neighbors.
- To propose to the Administrative Board
plans for the congregation's ministry: to support the various ministry
groups (work areas) and committees as they carry out these plans.
- To become familiar with, and use appropriately,
the resources for ministry provided by the district, annual conference,
jurisdiction, the General Council on Ministries, and the general boards
and agencies.
- To insure that ministry group (work area)
and committee tasks are carried out.
- To make recommendations to the Staff Parish
Relations Committee (in consultation with the pastor) regarding professional
and other staff positions needed to carry out programs of ministry.
- To request of the Finance Committee the
funds needed to carry out programs of ministry.
- To be accountable to the Administrative
Board and the Charge Conference.
Additional information the task
of COM can be found in the COM Guidelines 1993-1996. That publication
gives more practical advice on how COM should operate. The latest
two editions of the Guidelines do not have one for COM. The
duties of COM and the Administrative Board can be found combined into the
Church Council Guidelines.
Membership in our COM consists of the following positions. Links
are to the related Guidelines (which are only
for use by FUMC Houma).
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