From apostolic times, certain ordained persons have been set apart and entrusted with the task of defending the Apostolic faith and overseeing and leading the church in its mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to spread scriptural holiness across the world (¶ 301). While shared by the whole people of God, this apostolic task is most clearly expressed in the historic office of the episkopos (meaning overseer) or bishop. The Global Methodist Church is led, equipped, and supervised by an episcopacy modeled after that of the early centuries of Christianity and stemming from the historic line of Methodist bishops.
We share John Wesley’s conviction that bishops and elders are part of the same New Testament order. Therefore, bishops in the Global Methodist Church represent a specialized ministry rather than a separate order and are consecrated rather than ordained to their office. The role of bishop is a sacred trust held for a time as the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline of our church allows. It is not a lifelong office.
Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury, the first Methodist bishops in America, exemplified an evangelistic and missionary spirit that we trust will be shared by every bishop in the Global Methodist Church. The episcopal office is to keep us relentlessly focused outward toward our mission field. Our bishops must not lean on the trappings of ecclesial office but lead us from an authentic, humble, and evangelistic love for God and neighbor.
The bishop’s primary place of servant leadership shall be to an annual conference or conferences of our church. When convened together, the bishops of the Global Methodist Church comprise a general superintendency that leads our church in spiritual and temporal matters. In addition to residing in the office of bishop, the task of superintending in the Global Methodist Church extends to the presiding elder (district superintendent), with each possessing distinct and collegial responsibilities.
Bishops are elected from among those within the order of elders and set apart for a ministry of visionary servant leadership, general oversight, and supervision in support of the Church in its mission. As followers of Jesus Christ, bishops are charged with guarding the faith, order, liturgy, doctrine, and discipline of the Church. The basis of such discipleship of leadership lies in a life characterized by personal integrity, spiritual disciplines, and the anointing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Bishops shall be persons of genuine faith, upstanding moral character, and possess the gift of encouragement, a vital and renewing spirit, and possess an engaging vision for the church. Candidates for the episcopacy should also have a strong record of effectiveness in leading the church in evangelism, discipleship, and mission, and shall be unwaveringly committed to uphold the doctrines and polity of our church, able and committed to effectively teach and communicate the historic Christian faith from a Wesleyan perspective. (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2-3; 1 Timothy 3:1-7)
As general superintendents of the Church, bishops are entrusted with the following responsibilities:
1. Lead and oversee the spiritual and temporal affairs of the Global Methodist Church which confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and particularly to lead the Church in its mission of witness and service in the world.
2. Guard, transmit, teach, and proclaim, corporately and individually, the apostolic faith as it is expressed in Scripture and tradition from a Wesleyan perspective.
3. Defend, communicate, uphold and enforce the order, doctrines and disciplines of the church as provided for in this Transitional Book of Doctrines and Disciplines.
4. Preside in the General, regional, and annual conferences as assigned.
5. Consecrate bishops; ordain elders and deacons; and commission missionaries; entering the names of those individuals into the appropriate records and furnishing proper credentials to each. As these services are acts of the whole Church, text and rubrics shall be used in the form approved by the General Conference.
6. Promote, support, and model generous Christian giving, with special attention to teaching the biblical principles of giving.
7. Provide liaison and leadership in the quest for Christian unity in ministry and mission and in the search for strengthened relationships with other living faith communities.
8. Promote and support the evangelistic witness of the whole Church.
9. Travel through the connection at large to implement the missional strategy of the Global Methodist Church and to foster relationships with other areas of the connection.
Within the life of the annual conference to which they are assigned, bishops are entrusted with the following responsibilities:
1. Work with annual conference leaders to set vision and build a clear and articulated missional strategy for the conference. This strategy should include action plans and benchmarks aimed at advancing the Kingdom of Christ through initiatives related to establishing new faith communities, growing vital congregations, making mature disciples of Jesus Christ, and serving in ministries of justice and mercy.
2. Encourage, inspire and motivate the clergy, laity, and churches of the annual conference to embrace and implement the vision and missional strategy of the annual conference, as well as the vision and mission of the Global Methodist Church.
3. Strengthen the local churches, giving spiritual leadership to both laity and clergy, and to build relationships with people of local congregations of the episcopal area.
4. Provide general oversight for the fiscal and program operations of the annual conference(s). This oversight may include special inquiry into the work of annual conference committees and agencies to ensure that the provisions of the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline and annual conference and general church policies and procedures are followed.
5. Ensure fair process for clergy and laity in all involuntary administrative and judicial proceedings through monitoring the performance of annual conference officials, boards, and committees charged with implementing such procedures (see Part Nine).
6. Form the districts after consultation with the presiding elders (district superintendents) and after a vote of the annual conference has determined the number of districts.
7. Appoint the presiding elders (district superintendents). To convene together and supervise the presiding elders (district superintendents) and conference officers, which shall constitute the cabinet of the annual conference (¶ 507).
8. Make and fix the appointments in the annual conferences as the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline directs (¶ 508-513).
9. Divide or to unite a circuit(s), station(s), or mission(s) as judged necessary for missional strategy and then to make appropriate appointments.
10. Transfer, upon the request of the receiving bishop, clergy member(s) of one annual conference to another, provided said member(s) agrees to said transfer; and to send immediately to the secretaries of both conferences involved, to the conference Boards of Ministry, and to Transitional Leadership Council or its designee, written notices of the transfer of members.
11. Ensure that an appropriate personnel and supervisory record is kept and maintained on all clergy members as required by the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline or action of the annual conference or bishop. There shall be only one file maintained for each member, containing both personnel and supervisory information. Clergy shall have access to the entirety of their file and shall have the right to add a response to any information contained therein.
12. Discharge such other duties as the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline may direct.
1. The responsibility for providing appropriate compensation, health insurance, pension contributions, and travel and office expenses for bishops serving within the United States shall lie with the annual conference(s) to which he or she has been assigned. Bishops will be considered as employees of their respective annual conference(s). The Transitional Leadership Council will establish compensation amounts, adjusted for regional differences in the cost of living and the average salary of pastors in the episcopal area.
2. The responsibility for providing appropriate compensation, health insurance, pension contributions, and travel and office expenses for bishops serving in an episcopal area outside of the United States shall be borne by the general church through partnerships with U.S. annual conferences, though such bishops shall be considered employees of some entity within their episcopal area. The Transitional Leadership Council will establish compensation amounts, adjusted for regional differences in the cost of living, the average salary of pastors in the episcopal area, and the currency exchange rate.
3. Each episcopal area within the United States shall partner with one or more episcopal areas elsewhere in the world to provide the necessary funds for the episcopal office within those areas. Such funds will be raised in the U.S. and passed through the general church, designated for that episcopal area. The Transitional Leadership Council shall arrange such partnerships based on the financial resources any given U.S. conference can reasonably provide. Where partnerships do not provide adequate resources to cover the episcopal office costs, general church connectional funding may be used to fund episcopal costs as needed.
4. Costs for episcopal travel outside the episcopal area on behalf of the general church, (e.g., Council of Bishops meetings) shall be paid out of general church funds, not conference partnership funds.
1. Presiding elders (district superintendents) are elders in full connection appointed by the bishop to the cabinet as an extension of the superintending role of the bishop within the annual conference. They serve at the bishop’s pleasure and for a specific term of years to be determined by the convening conference.
In instances where a new provisional annual conference is formed, the bishop shall consult with clergy and lay leaders of the provisional conference for the purpose of selecting presiding elders (district superintendents).
2. In the selection of presiding elders (district superintendents), bishops shall give due consideration to the inclusiveness of the Global Methodist Church (¶ 306).
1. As an extension of the office of bishop, the presiding elder (district superintendent) shall oversee the total ministry of the clergy and churches in the communities of the district in their missions of witness and service in the world. The presiding elder (district superintendent) is the acting administrator of any pastoral charge in which a pastoral vacancy may develop, or where no pastor is appointed. As such, the presiding elder (district superintendent) has the following specific responsibilities:
2. Be the chief missional strategist of the district and be committed to living out the values of the Church, including a mandate of inclusiveness; model, teach, and promote generous Christian giving; cooperate in developing Christian unity, and ecumenical, multicultural, multiracial, and cooperative ministries; and work with persons across the Church to develop programs of ministry and mission that extend the witness of Christ into the world.
3. Along with the bishop, guard, transmit, teach, and proclaim, corporately and individually, the apostolic faith as it is expressed in Scripture and tradition from a Wesleyan perspective, communicating and defending the doctrines and discipline of the church as provided for in this Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline.
4. Work with the bishop and cabinet in the process of appointment and assignment for ordained clergy, or assignment of qualified and trained lay ministers.
5. Work to develop an effective and functioning system for recruitment of candidates for ordained ministry.
6. Establish working relationships with pastor-parish relations committees, clergy, district lay leaders, and other lay leadership, to develop faithful and effective systems of ministry within the district.
7. Serve as an example of spiritual leadership by living a balanced and faithful life, and by encouraging both laity and clergy to continue to grow in spiritual formation.
8. Offer support, care, and counsel to clergy concerning matters affecting their effective ministry.
9. Encourage the building of covenant groups and communities among both the clergy and clergy families, and the laity on the district.
10. Maintain regular contact with the clergy on the district for counsel and supervision, and receive written or electronic reports of each clergy person’s continuing education, spiritual practices, current ministry work, and goals for future ministry.
11. Maintain the appropriate records of all clergy appointed to or related to the charges on the district (including clergy in extension ministry and ministry beyond the local church), as well as records dealing with property, endowments, and other tangible assets of the Global Methodist Church within the district.
12. In consultation with the bishop and cabinet, work to develop the best strategic deployment of clergy possible in the district, including realignment of pastoral charges when needed, and the exploration of larger parishes, cooperative parishes, multiple staff configurations, new faith communities, and ecumenical shared ministries.
13. Interpret and decide all questions of Church law and discipline raised by the churches in the district, subject to review by the resident bishop of the annual conference.
14. Serve at the pleasure of the bishop and assume other leadership responsibilities as the bishop determines for the health and effectiveness of the local churches in the district and annual conference.
1. Presiding elders (district superintendents), although assigned to districts, also have conference-wide responsibilities. As all ordained ministers are first elected into membership of an annual conference and subsequently appointed to pastoral charges, so presiding elders (district superintendents) become through their selection members first of a cabinet before they are subsequently assigned by the bishop to service in districts.
2. The cabinet under the leadership of the bishop is the expression of superintending leadership in and through the annual conference. It is expected to speak to the conference and for the conference to the spiritual and temporal issues that exist within the region encompassed by the conference.
3. The cabinet is to consult and plan with the conference in order to make a thorough analysis of the needs of the conference for clergy, implementing this planning with a positive and conscious effort to fill these needs.
4. When the cabinet considers matters relating to coordination, implementation, or administration of the conference program, and other matters as the cabinet may determine, the conference lay leader and other conference staff as appropriate shall be invited to be present.
1. Prior to the convening General Conference of the Global Methodist Church, it is expected that the appointments of clergy serving congregations in which both transition into the Global Methodist Church will be retained, unless a change is needed because of illness, family situation, death, the election of senior status, clergy misconduct, or the financial exigencies of the congregation.
2. To strengthen and empower the local church to effectively carry out its mission for Christ in the world, clergy shall be appointed by the bishop, who is empowered to make and fix all appointments in the episcopal area of which the annual conference is a part.
3. Appointments are to be made with consideration of the needs, characteristics, and opportunities of congregations and institutions, the gifts and evidence of God’s grace of those appointed, and in faithfulness to our commitment to an open itinerancy. Open itinerancy means appointments are made without regard to race, tribal or ethnic origin, gender, disability, marital status, or age.
4. Appointment-making across conference lines shall be encouraged as a way of creating mobility and open itinerancy. Bishops and cabinets should share information on supply and demand across the church.
5. Cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments are made as a creative response to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the church and in its leadership. Cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments are appointments of clergypersons to congregations in which the majority of their constituencies are different from the clergyperson’s own racial/ethnic and cultural background. Annual conferences shall prepare clergy and congregations for cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments through adequate training.
6. Fixing of Appointments.
a. Appointments in Provisional Annual Conferences. In provisional annual conferences the role of presidents pro tempore and presiding elders are critical to the work of deploying clergy leadership. The knowledge and discernment local leaders bring to this work is essential. Following ¶¶ 509-513, presidents pro tempore and presiding elders shall carry out the work of pastoral appointments. Presidents pro tempore shall support and equip presiding elders in this work in partnership and consultation with the bishop assigned primary oversight of the conference. Before finalizing a pastoral appointment, presidents pro tem shall communicate the intended appointment to the bishop. An appointment is finalized only when the bishop has fixed the appointment. The president pro tempore shall complete and submit the pastoral appointment form to the general Church staff within 3 days of the pastoral appointment being fixed.
b. Appointments in Provisional Districts. Where there is not a provisional annual conference, but one or more provisional districts, the bishop assigned primary oversight of the district(s) will support and equip the presiding elder(s) for the work of pastoral appointments, following the guidelines of ¶¶ 509-513. Presiding elders and bishops will collaborate in the appointment process. An appointment is finalized only when the bishop has fixed the appointment. The presiding elder shall complete and submit the pastoral appointment form to the general Church staff within 3 days of the pastoral appointment being fixed.
c. Appointments in Areas Served by a Transitional Conference Advisory Team (TCAT). As TCATs work toward the formation of provisional annual conferences, pastoral appointment needs will emerge. In areas where there is not yet a provisional annual conference or provisional district(s), the bishop assigned to that area will collaborate with the TCAT leader in the work of pastoral appointments, following the guidelines of ¶¶ 509-513. An appointment is finalized only when the bishop has fixed the appointment. The TCAT leader shall complete and submit the pastoral appointment form to the general Church staff within 3 days of the pastoral appointment being fixed.
d. Appointments to Churches in Areas Served by a Transitional District Advisory Team (TDAT) or Not Yet Organized. As we continue to build the structure of the Global Methodist Church there will be congregations who join the Church in areas where there is not yet a TCAT, provisional district(s) or a provisional annual conference. In these areas, bishops will consult and collaborate with leaders of the local church, area leaders, general Church staff, along with presidents pro tempore and presiding elders in other areas to care for the pastoral appointment needs following the guidelines of ¶¶ 509-513. An appointment is finalized only when the bishop has fixed the appointment. The bishop shall complete and submit the pastoral appointment form to the general Church staff within 3 days of the pastoral appointment being fixed.
7. Simultaneous with the announcement of any appointment or group of appointments, the bishop or president pro tempore shall deliver a report to the annual conference committee on episcopacy addressing the specific steps that were taken to ensure that persons were considered for each appointment who were of diverse race, tribal or ethnic origin, gender, disability, marital status, and age. Such report shall enumerate the cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments that were made and the extent to which cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments were considered where such appointments were not made. The annual conference committee on episcopacy shall be responsible for working with the bishop and the cabinet to ensure compliance with our commitment to open itinerancy and to the equitable and fair consideration of clergy of diverse race, tribal or ethnic origin, gender, disability, marital status, and age during the appointment process. The annual conference committee on episcopacy shall annually report to the General Committee on Episcopacy the progress of the annual conference in fulfilling our commitment to open itinerancy, and the General Committee on Episcopacy shall annually provide direction to annual conference committees on episcopacy to enhance fulfillment of open itinerancy in each annual conference.
Consultation is the process whereby the bishop and/or presiding elder (district superintendent) confers with the pastor and pastor-parish relations committee, taking into consideration the criteria of ¶ 511, clergy performance evaluation, needs of the appointment under consideration, and mission of the Church. Consultation is not merely notification. Consultation is not committee selection or call of a pastor. The role of the pastor-parish relations committee is advisory, working in partnership with the bishop and cabinet on behalf of the whole church (Philippians 1:4-6). The committee must be given the opportunity to give input on the suitability of a proposed appointment and to raise any concerns it might have. When a committee raises substantive and missional concerns about the suitability of an appointment, such concerns must be addressed by the bishop and cabinet in considering whether to make the appointment. The bishop and cabinet must provide a rationale for their decision to the committee if they make the appointment. Consultation is both a continuing process and a more intense involvement during the period of change in appointment. The process of consultation is mandatory in every annual conference. The Council of Bishops shall hold its members accountable for the implementation of the process of consultation in appointment-making in their respective areas.
Appointments during the period preceding the convening conference must take into account the unique needs of a charge, the community context, and also the gifts and evidence of God’s grace of a particular pastor. To assist bishops, cabinets, pastors, and congregations to achieve an effective match of charges and pastors, criteria must be developed and analyzed in each instance and then shared with pastors and congregations.
1. Congregations—The presiding elder (district superintendent) shall develop with the pastor and the pastor-parish relations committee of each church a profile that reflects the needs, characteristics, and opportunities for mission of the congregation consistent with the Global Methodist Church’s mission statement. These profiles shall be reviewed and updated prior to an appointment being made.
2. Pastors—The presiding elder (district superintendent) shall develop with the pastor a profile reflecting the pastor’s gifts, evidence of God’s grace, professional experience, and expectations, and also the needs and concerns of the pastor’s spouse and family. These profiles shall be reviewed and updated prior to an appointment being made.
3. Missional Setting—The presiding elder (district superintendent) should develop community profiles with the pastor and the pastor-parish relations committee. Sources of information for these profiles could include: neighborhood surveys; local, state, and national census data; information from the annual conference; and research data. Profiles should be reviewed and updated prior to an appointment being made.
Clergy are one of the vital resources the Global Methodist Church has to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the land. To carry out our God-given mission, clergy must be effective in their leadership and ministry. Accordingly, within the Global Methodist Church, neither elders nor deacons shall have the right to a guaranteed appointment. If a bishop chooses not to appoint a clergy person, the bishop must provide a written rationale for that decision to the individual involved. Clergy are free to seek an appointment in an annual conference other than their own. Deacons and elders who are not under a current appointment shall be considered inactive (¶¶ 409.3, 410.3 respectively.)
While the bishop shall report all pastoral appointments to each regular session of an annual conference, appointments to charges may be made at any time deemed advisable by the bishop and cabinet. Appointments are made with the expectation that the length of pastorates shall respond to the long-term pastoral needs of charges, communities, and pastors. The bishop and cabinet should work toward multi-year (rather than annual) local church appointments to facilitate a more effective ministry.
1. Bishops may appoint deacons and elders to ministry settings outside the local church. Such appointments are to be made in consideration of the gifts and evidence of God’s grace of the clergy person, needs of the community and receiving organization. The appointment should reflect the nature of ordained ministry as a faithful response of the mission of the church meeting the emerging needs in the world (¶ 403). It may be initiated by the individual clergy person, the agency seeking their service, the bishop, or the presiding elder (district superintendent). A similar process of consultation (¶511) shall be available to persons in appointments beyond the local church, as needed and appropriate.
2. Bishops may appoint deacons and elders to attend any recognized school, college, or theological seminary, or to participate in an accredited program of clinical pastoral education. Such appointments are a separate category from appointments to ministries outside the local church.
The Transitional Leadership Council shall determine the number of interim bishops based on missional potential, with consideration given to the following criteria:
1. The number of charge conferences and the number of active clergy in episcopal areas;
2. The geographic size of episcopal areas, measured by the square miles/square kilometers, and the numbers of time zones and nations;
3. The structure of episcopal areas, measured by the number of annual conferences, and the overall church membership in all annual, provisional annual, missionary conferences, and missions in episcopal areas.
4. The existing pattern of superintendency.
5. The number of bishops transferring into the Global Methodist Church who are available for assignment.
1. Transferring Bishops. A bishop of The United Methodist Church or other autonomous Methodist church may join the Global Methodist Church by clergy transfer. Application to transfer shall include an explicit written affirmation of the doctrines and Social Witness set forth in this Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline (¶¶ 101-202) and an agreement to abide by its discipline. Transferring bishops shall also agree to uphold the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline. The bishop’s transfer is subject to the approval of the Transitional Leadership Council. Bishops transferring to the Global Methodist Church shall be available for interim assignment during the period prior to the convening conference to an existing or newly formed episcopal area by the Transitional Leadership Council. The Transitional Leadership Council may assign a retired United Methodist bishop who has joined the Global Methodist Church to serve as an interim bishop of an episcopal area during the period prior to the convening conference.
2. The convening General Conference of the Global Methodist Church may establish the process for electing and assigning bishops. Those assigned as interim bishops under this paragraph shall serve in that capacity until their successor is assigned under the process to be determined. The convening General Conference may provide for interim bishops to continue serving as active bishops, provided they meet the qualifications. Bishops transferring into the Global Methodist Church will be subject to the term limits set by the convening General Conference.
3. A retired bishop joining the Global Methodist Church shall become a senior elder and may bear the title of bishop emeritus. A bishop emeritus shall be a clergy member of the annual conference of their choice and may serve in any capacity allowed for senior clergy (¶ 418). A senior elder serving as an interim bishop prior to the convening General Conference under ¶ 516.1 will not be considered a bishop emeritus but shall have all the privileges and responsibilities of an active bishop.
A vacancy in the office of bishop may occur due to death, transition to senior status, resignation, administrative or judicial procedure, leave of absence, or medical leave. In case the assignment of a bishop to residential supervision of an episcopal area is terminated by any of the above causes or no bishop is assigned to provide residential supervision, the vacancy shall be filled by the Transitional Leadership Council from among active bishops, bishops emeriti, or by the appointment of a president pro tempore. A president pro tempore is an elder given responsibility for residential oversight for that area. A president pro tempore assigned to provide residential oversight for an area must reside in that area, unless the Transitional Leadership Council grants an exception for missional purposes. If such an exception is granted, the missional purpose must be clearly stated and the exception shall be limited in time, but renewable by further action of the Transitional Leadership Council.
1. Bishops may choose senior status (¶ 418) upon approval of a majority of the Transitional Leadership Council. Elders who formerly served as bishops but are not now serving as interim bishops may use the title of “bishop emeritus,” but they will not retain their episcopal responsibilities or membership on the Council of Bishops unless they have been assigned by the Transitional Leadership Council to serve in an interim capacity due to a vacancy within an episcopal area for at least three months (¶ 516.1, .3).
2. A bishop emeritus shall be a clergy member of the annual conference of their choice and may serve in any capacity allowed for senior clergy (¶ 418).
1. Leave of Absence—A bishop may be granted a leave of absence for a justifiable reason for not more than six months by the Transitional Leadership Council. During the period for which the leave is granted, the bishop shall be released from all episcopal responsibilities, and another bishop chosen by the Transitional Leadership Council shall preside in the episcopal area.
2. Medical Leave—Bishops who by reason of impaired health are temporarily unable to perform full work may be granted a leave of absence for a justifiable reason for not more than six months by the Transitional Leadership Council. During the period for which the leave is granted, the bishop shall be released from all episcopal responsibilities, and another bishop chosen by the Transitional Leadership Council shall preside in the episcopal area. If, after the six-month time period is over, the bishop is still unable to perform full work due to impaired health, the bishop should apply for disability benefits through the benefit program.
1. Episcopal leadership in the Global Methodist Church shares with all other ordained persons in the sacred trust of their ordination. The ministry of bishops as set forth in the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline also flows from the Scriptures. Whenever a bishop violates this trust or is unable to fulfill appropriate responsibilities, continuation in the episcopal office shall be subject to review. This review shall have as its primary purpose a just resolution of any violations of this sacred trust, in the hope that God’s work of justice, reconciliation, and healing may be realized.
2. Any complaint concerning the effectiveness, competence, or one or more of the offenses listed in the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline shall be submitted to the chair of the Transitional Leadership Council. A complaint is a written statement claiming misconduct, unsatisfactory performance of ministerial duties, or one or more of the listed offenses.
3. The complaint shall be administered according to the provisions of Part Eight: Judicial Administration. Any involuntary status change of a bishop must be recommended by a three-fourths vote of the investigative committee and approved by the Transitional Leadership Council by a two- thirds vote (Judicial Practice and Procedure 3).
1. Bishops, although assigned to serve an episcopal area, are general superintendents of the whole Church. As all ordained ministers are first elected into membership of an annual conference and subsequently appointed to pastoral charges, so bishops become through their election members first of the Council of Bishops before they are subsequently assigned to areas of service. By virtue of their election and consecration, bishops are members of the Council of Bishops and are bound in special covenant with all other bishops. In keeping with this covenant, bishops fulfill their servant leadership and express their mutual accountability. The Council of Bishops is a faith community of mutual trust and concern responsible for the faith development and continuing well-being of its members. Prior to the convening General Conference of the Global Methodist Church, interim bishops may begin to meet digitally or in person as an interim Council of Bishops to provide mutual support and to share best practices, but the Council shall have no other responsibilities.
2. The Council of Bishops is thus the collegial expression of episcopal leadership in and to the Church and through the Church into the world. The Church expects the Council of Bishops to speak to the Church and from the Church to the world.
3. The Council of Bishops is composed of all active bishops and any senior elders who are assigned to serve as interim bishops for a minimum of three months. There shall be no funds allocated for any Council staff. Bishops emeriti who are not appointed to serve as interim bishops shall not attend meetings of the Council of Bishops or participate in its deliberations.
1. The Global Methodist Church recognizes that the global Christian community transcends denominational barriers, consisting of “all true believers under the Lordship of Jesus Christ,” and may be found wherever the “pure word of God is preached, and the Sacraments duly administered.” Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that all his disciples“may be one” compels us to seek closer communion with brothers and sisters of different communions. Locally and globally, Christian communions which are committed to the “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3) will find in the Global Methodist Church a willing partner in worship, evangelism, disciple-making, and works of mercy.
2. Transitional Wesleyan Unity Commission.
a. The Transitional Leadership Council shall appoint a Transitional Wesleyan Unity Commission that shall be chaired by a bishop of the Global Methodist Church and consist of eight additional persons.
b. The Transitional Wesleyan Unity Commission shall bring recommendations to the Transitional Leadership Council with respect to full organic union with other Wesleyan denominations or associations of churches either before or at the convening General Conference. The Transitional Wesleyan Unity Commission shall recommend to the Transitional Leadership Council whether such denominations or associations shall have representation at the convening General Conference with voice, and with or without vote. Within discussions about greater union with other denominations or associations, particular care shall be taken to uphold the doctrine and moral principles and polity of the Global Methodist Church. The Transitional Leadership Council shall have the option of approving a plan of union to be effective immediately or to recommend such a plan of union to be approved at the convening General Conference.
c. The Transitional Wesleyan Unity Committee shall bring recommendations for covenant relationships with Affiliated Covenant Churches under ¶ 523.4 to be approved at the convening General Conference.
1. In addition to wider ecumenical and interchurch cooperation, the Global Methodist Church has a particular interest in fostering greater unity with other Wesleyan and Methodist groups which share a common heritage of theology, history, and polity. Unity among the spiritual heirs of John Wesley is a profound hope and desire of the Global Methodist Church, rooted in our heritage as a “connectional”movement, linking congregations and conferences in cooperative ministry and mutual encouragement. Closer relationships with other Wesleyan groups provide increased opportunities for global mission and evangelism, enrichment in our understanding and practice of ministry, and the sharing of resources and expertise.
2. World Methodist Council. Founded in the 19th century by predecessor denominations of the Global Methodist Church, the World Methodist Council has been an effective forum for the development of trans-Methodist fellowship and cooperative ministry. Following its legal formation, the Global Methodist Church will apply for formal membership in the World Methodist Conference.
3. Other Trans-Methodist bodies. The Transitional Wesleyan Unity Commission (see ¶ 522.2) is charged with exploring the advisability of membership of the Global Methodist Church in other trans-Methodist organizations, such as the Asian Methodist Council, European Methodist Council, Global Wesleyan Alliance, or Pan-Methodist Commission.
4. Affiliated Covenant Relationships with Other Christian Denominations or Associations of Churches. The Global Methodist Church welcomes covenant relationships with other Christian denominations or association of churches which do not involve organic union with the Global Methodist Church. We celebrate that some may wish to explore a closer, formalized relationship, but not unite organically with the Global Methodist Church. The purpose of establishing such covenant relationships is to enhance our mutual Christian witness and effectiveness, and/or to allow for increased reach into regions or nations where one or the other has little or no presence. Conversations toward formalized relationships as Affiliated Covenant Churches may be held by the Transitional Wesleyan Unity Commission prior to the convening General Conference as set forth in ¶ 522.2 with such recommendations being presented to the convening General Conference for approval. These covenant relationships may include mutual recognition of baptism and ordained ministry, eucharistic fellowship, shared representation at governing assemblies, and/or plans for shared ministry and resources.
5. Union with the Global Methodist Church. We rejoice that some Wesleyan bodies may wish to explore full organic union with the Global Methodist Church. The Transitional Wesleyan Unity Commission (¶ 522.2), or its designated representatives, shall represent the Global Methodist Church in conversations related to full union. Prior to the convening General Conference, such plans of union may be approved by the Transitional Leadership Conference or may be recommended for approval to the convening General Conference. Such plans of union shall include: (1) A statement of vision on a preferred future; (2) a statement on doctrinal and theological alignment; and (3) a plan for integration of ministries including evidence of consultation with all regional conferences directly affected by the plan of union.
a. Plans which do not require alterations to the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church shall be ratified by a simple majority vote of the Transitional Leadership Council prior to the convening General Conference and become immediately effective. The other Wesleyan body shall have voted to dissolve its own governance structure to become effective upon ratification of the plan of union by the Transitional Leadership Council.
b. Plans which require alterations to the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church shall require a three-fourths majority vote by the convening General Conference for ratification.