• Church Council
> visit the Church Council page for more information

The purpose of the church council in the local church is to plan and implement programs for nurture, outreach, witness, and resources. The council will provide the administrative role as the local church envisions, plans, implements, and annually evaluates the church's mission and ministry.

• Lay Leader

Lay Leaders role (according to the Discipline)
¶ 251. 1. Out of the professing membership of each local church ( ¶ 126 ), there shall be elected by the charge conference a lay leader who shall function as the primary lay representative of the laity in that local church and shall have the following responsibilities:
      a ) fostering awareness of the role of laity both within the congregation and through their ministries in the home, workplace, community, and world, and finding ways within the community of faith to recognize all these ministries;
     b ) meeting regularly with the pastor to discuss the state of the church and the needs for ministry;
     c ) membership in the charge conference and the church council, the committee on finance, the committee on lay leadership, and the committee on pastor-parish relations or staff-parish relations, where, along with the pastor, the lay leader shall serve as an interpreter of the actions and programs of the annual conference and the general Church (to be better equipped to comply with this responsibility, it is recommended that a lay leader also serve as a lay member of annual conference);
     d ) continuing involvement in study and training opportunities to develop a growing understanding of the Church's reason for existence and the types of ministry that will most effectively fulfill the Church's mission;
     e ) assisting in advising the church council of opportunities available and the needs expressed for a more effective ministry of the church through its laity in the community;
     f) informing the laity of training opportunities provided by the annual conference. Where possible, the lay leader shall attend training opportunities in order to strengthen his or her work. The lay leader is urged to become a certified lay speaker.

In instances where more than one church is on a charge, the charge conference shall elect additional lay leaders so that there will be one lay leader in each church. Associate lay leaders may be elected to work with the lay leader in any local church.

Resources: • Guidelines for Lay Leader / Lay Member	Links: • Getting Christians Up From Their Pews: Growing Lay Leadership in the Church • General Board of Discipleship: Ministry of the Laity • Ministry of the Laity Resources • Links Newsletter • Changing Role of Laity: From 'Membership' to 'Discipleship' • Lay Leadership • Four Tools for Lay Leader Selection

• Finance

This committee works with the stewardship committee and church treasure to manage the church's finances.

Resources: • Guidelines for Finance • Guidelines for Stewardship	Links: • Finance Committee • More at UMC.org

• Pastor-Staff Parish Relations

The pastor-parish (or staff-parish) committee handles the pastor and paid staff members of the church.

Resources: • Guidelines for Developing Church Personnel Policies • Guidelines for Pastor Parish Relations	Links: • Pastor-Parish Relations Committee • PPR Definition • More at UMC.org

• Trustees

This board handles the church's property.

Resources: • Guidelines for Trustees	Links: • Board of Trustees • Trustees Definition • More at UMC.org

• Membership Secretary

The membership secretary is responsible for taking care of the church roll.

Resources: • 2005-2008 United Methodist Membership Records Manual with CDROM	Links: • FAQs on Membership and Records for the 2005-2008 Quadrennium

• Historian

The historian is responsible for taking care of recording and interpreting the history of the church.

Resources: • Guidelines for Historian	Links: • Guidelines for Managing Church Records • General Commission on Archives & History • CELEBRATING OUR UNITED METHODIST HERITAGE: Resources for the Local Church • Handling and Care of Photographs • Archives & History in the Louisiana Conference • More at UMC.org

• Lay Member of Annual Conference

Lay Member's role (according to the Discipline ¶ 251. 2.)
The lay member(s) of the annual conference and alternates shall be elected annually or quadrennially as the annual conference directs. If the charge's lay representative to the annual conference shall cease to be a member of the charge or shall for any reason fail to serve, an alternate member in the order of election shall serve in place.
Both the lay members and the alternates shall have been professing members in good standing of The United Methodist Church for at least two years and shall have been active participants for at least four years next preceding their election ( see ¶ 32 ), except in a newly organized church, which shall have the privilege of representation at the annual conference session. No local pastor shall be eligible as a lay member or alternate. United Methodist churches that become part of an ecumenical shared ministry shall not be deprived of their right of representation by a lay member in the annual conference. The lay member(s) of the annual conference, along with the pastor, shall serve as an interpreter of the actions of the annual conference session. These persons shall report to the local church council on actions of the annual conference as soon as possible, but not later than three months after the close of the conference.

Resources: • Guidelines for Lay Leader / Lay Member	Links: • Lay Member Definition

• Lay Leadership Selection & Development

This committee recommends to the charge conference officers and members of the church council and other committees as requires. The committee on lay leadership also serves throughout the year to guide the church council on matters regarding leadership (other than employed staff) and to identify, train and support leaders in the congregation. This committee is composed of not more than nine persons in addition to the pastor and lay leader. The pastor serves as chairperson.

Resources: • Guidelines for Lay Leadership Selection	Links: • More at UMC.org