Reflecting the shared mission of each of our congregations, connectional entities may be formed at the general, regional, and annual conference levels to effectively support the task of making disciples and spreading scriptural holiness. These organizations shall prioritize resourcing the work of local churches, functioning where possible in and through partnerships with existing ministries, congregations, annual conferences, and other bodies, rather than creating new structures. They may set standards and share best practices in adapting to fit the context and changing circumstances across the church and globe. While providing secure and reliable funding channels where appropriate, connectional entities shall nonetheless be frugal, with minimal structures and staff, so as not to burden local congregations with extra financial demands, embodying the call of Jesus not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20.28).
1. During the period of transition between the legal formation of the Global Methodist Church and the effective date of actions taken by the convening General Conference, the Transitional Leadership Council shall serve as the primary leadership body of the church. As the most representative body other than the General Conference, it is charged with making all necessary decisions related to the forming of the Global Methodist Church. Its decisions are subject to approval, modification, or revocation by the convening General Conference and shall be in effect only until the effective date of permanent policies and procedures adopted by the convening General Conference that would replace them. Following the convening General Conference, the work of the Transitional Leadership Council shall be transitioned into the connectional entities established and formed by that body.
2. The Transitional Leadership Council was formed out of a meeting held in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 2-4, 2020. Its 17 members consisted of three retired bishops (one from Africa) and 14 clergy and laity representing some traditional renewal groups, as well as non-aligned traditionalists. Non-episcopal members included one person each from Africa, Europe/Eurasia, and the Philippines. Its members also represent racial diversity, with African-American, Hispanic-Latino, and Asian-American members. This group is empowered to act as the governing body for the establishment of the Global Methodist Church.
3. Any bishop (active or senior) who transfers to the church under the provisions of ¶ 516 shall be added to the membership of the Transitional Leadership Council. Bishops who serve on the Transitional Leadership Council are expected to take an active role in helping to govern the church, including oversight responsibilities in annual conferences, as needed during the transition. For each bishop added to the Transitional Leadership Council, the Transitional Leadership Council shall also elect by majority vote two additional clergy or lay members, broadening the diversity and representation of the body.
4. The members of the Transitional Leadership Council shall serve until that body is disbanded under the provisions of the convening General Conference.
1. The Transitional Leadership Council is empowered to make all necessary decisions related to the forming and initial operating of the Global Methodist Church until the effective date of legislation adopted by the convening General Conference. The Transitional Leadership Council may form transitional bodies and assign to those bodies authority and responsibility for aspects of the church’s work and the transitional process. Such transitional bodies remain amenable to the Transitional Leadership Council and their decisions are reviewable by the Transitional Leadership Council.
2. Specific Responsibilities. The responsibilities of the Transitional Leadership Council include, but are not limited to:
a. Promote knowledge of and allegiance to Wesleyan doctrine and moral teaching as reflected in the doctrinal and social witness statements in Parts One and Two of this Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline.
b. Act as the legal incorporating body and establish the transitional polity of the Global Methodist Church.
c. Oversee the receiving of local congregations into the Global Methodist Church under the provisions of ¶ 355.1-2.
d. Form groups of such local churches into districts and annual conferences under the provisions of ¶ 355.3.
e. Approve the reception of bishops (active and retired) into the Global Methodist Church (¶ 516).
f. Form episcopal areas and determine their boundaries. Determine the number of interim bishops and assign them to episcopal areas (¶ 515).
g. Oversee the receiving of clergy transferring into the Global Methodist Church under the provisions of ¶ 419. Serve as the appellate body for contested decisions.
h. Assign regional or annual conference bodies the responsibility for evaluating the status of licensed local pastors and candidates for ordained ministry to determine their status in the Global Methodist Church (¶ 419). Serve as the appellate body for contested decisions.
i. Appoint a provisional ecclesiastical endorsing board to provide denominational endorsement to persons in specialized ministries that require such (e.g., military or hospital chaplaincy) (¶ 413).
j. Establish a connectional fund for ministerial education and oversee its collection and distribution (¶ 411).
k. Oversee the appointment process of clergy through its bishops (¶¶ 355.4, 509 ff).
l. Facilitate a process for the transfer of clergy from one annual conference to another, as well as for moving clergy to parts of the nation or world where they are most needed (¶ 504.10).
m. Determine the compensation of bishops (¶ 505).
n. Establish the time and place of meeting for the convening General Conference. Appoint the necessary committees to organize the logistics of the event (¶ 604).
o. Determine the number of delegates for the convening General Conference and the formula for their allocation to the various annual conferences (¶ 604).
p. Appoint an interim secretary of the convening General Conference to administer the petition process and other non-logistical matters related to the convening conference. Nominate a convening General Conference secretary for approval by the convening conference (¶¶ 605, 607).
q. Establish guidelines for the publication and the online availability of both proposals and petitions to the convening General Conference and completed actions of the conference (¶ 607).
r. Form such interim commissions and other general church entities as it judges necessary to begin implementing the polity and mission of the Global Methodist Church.
s. Hire necessary staff to accomplish the work of the general church, including the work of any interim commissions or other transitional general church entities.
t. Establish connectional funding for the general church during the transition, create a system for receiving and disbursing funds given, and ensure fiscal accountability and integrity in all handling of church funds.
u. Implement the accountability processes required in Part Eight and the Judicial Practice and Procedure Rules (JPP). Approve any involuntary status change of a bishop by a two-thirds vote (¶ 520.3).
1. Purpose. During the period of transition between the adoption of this Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline by the Transitional Leadership Council and the effective date of actions taken by the convening General Conference, the Transitional Leadership Council may appoint transitional connectional commissions to begin the work or organizing and administering the connectional ministries of the denomination. The Transitional Leadership Council shall define the scope of work for any commission so formed and shall have the right of final approval of any policies or actions recommended by a commission. These decisions are subject to approval, modification, or revocation by the convening General Conference and shall be in effect only until the convening General Conference establishes permanent policies and procedures that would replace them. Following the convening General Conference, the work of the transitional connectional commissions shall be transitioned into the connectional commissions established and formed by that body.
2. Membership. The Transitional Leadership Council shall determine the number of members for any transitional commission it establishes. The Transitional Leadership Council shall elect members for each commission by majority vote, based on the expertise and gifts they bring to the tasks of a commission. Care shall be taken to include persons from a broad range of racial, ethnic, tribal, gender, economic, and age characteristics. All potential geographical regions of the denomination should be represented. No person may serve simultaneously on more than one transitional commission. Commission members, including the officers, shall serve without remuneration. Travel and meeting expenses shall be paid for commission members by the Transitional Leadership Council out of general church funds.
3. Leadership. The Transitional Leadership Council shall name the chair of each transitional commission. The commission shall elect a secretary and may elect other officers to facilitate its work. No bishop may serve as the chair of a commission while serving in the episcopal office. Each transitional commission may have one bishop, selected by the Transitional Leadership Council, serving with voice and vote to help maintain communication and coordination with the bishops and to provide spiritual leadership to the commission.
4. Staff. The Transitional Leadership Council may approve the hiring of staff persons to resource the work of the transitional commissions, paid for out of general church funds. The chair of the Transitional Leadership Council shall make all hiring decisions and recommend compensation levels to the Transitional Leadership Council for approval.
5. Nondiscrimination. The Global Methodist Church is committed to open and fair processes in its commissions and institutions, including in the hiring, retention, compensation, promotion, and retirement of staff. There shall be no discrimination on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, disability, current or potential pregnancy, or chronic or potentially terminal illnesses, provided that the individual is able to adequately discharge the duties assigned to her or him. As a part of our witness, individuals employed by the church shall subscribe to the doctrinal and moral standards of the Global Methodist Church and give evidence of the same in their life and ministry, including faithfulness in marriage, understood to be between one man and one woman, or chastity in singleness.
The Transitional Leadership Council may form transitional commissions dealing with any or all of these tasks or areas of ministry:
1. Evangelism, Missions, and Church Planting – including, but not limited to, fostering cross-cultural and international partnerships between local churches, districts, and annual conferences; vetting, approving, and maintaining accountability for mission projects and their funding; providing for disaster relief and refugee ministry; identifying and providing resources for church planting in various cultural contexts; and consulting with bishops, annual conference leaders, and local churches to plan and strategize for planting churches.
2. Discipleship, Doctrine, and Just Ministry – including, but not limited to, encouraging growth in discipleship through small groups; proposing liturgies and orders of worship for use by both local congregations and the general church for General Conference approval; resourcing understanding of our doctrines; and resourcing local churches in engaging with the church’s social witness and social issues from a variety of political perspectives and from a biblical foundation.
3. Ministry – including, but not limited to, implementing the standards and qualifications set for various forms of ministry; developing curricula for ministry training courses, including Course of Study; resourcing annual conference boards of ministry; ensuring adequate psychological and background evaluation for candidates; establishing and refining criteria and qualifications for various forms of non-parish ministry; evaluating and approving training programs that meet the criteria and qualifications; examining and credentialing persons for various forms of non-parish ministry; and supporting persons engaging in non-parish ministry.
4. Communications – including, but not limited to, resourcing local churches, annual conferences, and the general church in communication strategy and implementation; creating print and digital resources that communicate the work of the church; publishing the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Disciplines; translating communications and resources into the languages of the church; and growing the digital communication capability of the church.
5. Finance, Administration, Pensions, and Benefits – including, but not limited to, overseeing the financial and fiduciary life of the general church to insure both its integrity and efficiency; reporting publicly the detailed expenses and income; conducting an annual independent audit; collecting and distributing all income received by the general church; managing the legal work of the general church; giving oversight to the pension and benefits (i.e., health insurance, disability, etc.) programs for clergy and lay employees of the church worldwide; and encouraging conferences worldwide to provide adequate pension funding and medical care for those who serve in the church’s ministry (active and retired).
6. Transitional commissions may also be formed in other areas not named above and assigned responsibility to develop policies and programs related to those other areas.
The transitional connectional operating officer shall bear primary responsibility for the fruitful and accountable functioning of the general church and serve as its chief executive and administrative officer. The transitional connectional operating officer shall be directly amenable to the Transitional Leadership Council. The transitional connectional operating officer shall assign staff to support and resource any general commission and provide oversight to all general church staff.
- Selection. The transitional connectional operating officer may be either a clergy or lay person and shall be selected by the Transitional Leadership Council by majority vote of the Council.
- Term. The transitional connectional operating officer serves at the pleasure of the Transitional Leadership Council or until the convening General Conference adjourns and leadership for the season immediately after the convening General Conference is selected.
- Responsibilities and Duties. The responsibilities of the transitional connectional operating officer shall include the following:
- Serve as the general church’s chief executive and administrative officer and oversee all connectional commissions and enterprises.
- Oversee planning and research to advance and implement the mission and strategic plan of the church.
- Serve as the staff person for the Transitional Leadership Council in assisting the Council in all its work, but especially to provide a unified sense of vision and mission for all the work of the denomination.
- Along with the Transitional Leadership Council, coordinate the ministries of the general church to fulfill the mandates of the Book of Doctrines and Discipline and to implement the actions of the General Conference.
- Review and evaluate the missional effectiveness of the transitional general commissions of the church, making recommendations to the Council.
- In consultation with the Transitional Commission on Finance, Administration, Pensions, and Benefits, prepare the proposed connectional budget for the Transitional Leadership Council approval and, once approved, oversee its implementation, including, but not limited to, overseeing connectional finances and the maintenance of financial records.
- Oversee yearly audits of connectional financial records.
- Direct the development of policies and procedures to implement the provisions of the Book of Doctrines and Discipline, including but not limited to personnel matters.
- Direct and/or oversee connectional communications, public relations, and marketing.
- Serve as the chief spokesperson for the denomination to the extent authorized by the Transitional Leadership Council.
- With appropriate consultation, manage the process for and make the final decision on hiring, assigning, and retaining all general church staff, supervise and direct all general church staff, including performance reviews in consultation with the relevant commission(s), recommend compensation levels for all program staff for Transitional Leadership Council approval, and set compensation levels for all support staff. All processes shall comply with the policies and procedures adopted by the Transitional Leadership Council.
- Negotiate and/or oversee negotiation of contracts for services including, but not limited to, facilities, connectional pension, insurance, and other benefit programs, with the approval of the relevant commission.
- Recommend to General Conference through the Connectional Council changes to the Book of Doctrines and Discipline and implementing legislation.
- Carry out other responsibilities and duties assigned by the General Conference or the Connectional Council.