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BOA ACTION: Forwarded to General Conference 2011 for consideration.
GCRCC Status: Forwarded for July 2011 General Conference action
GC11 ACTION: Rejected
Introduced by: Board of Bishops
Written by: Matt Thomas
Related to Paragraph(s) #: 5110
Whereas:
the 2007 General Conference mandated that the Bishops should lead the FMCNA toward mission and growth; and,
Whereas, leadership requires more than participation in process, but directing it; and
Whereas, the Annual Conference and local church senior leadership are typically vested with selection or at least nomination of their respective leadership teams (annual conference and local church) while bishops only chair the nomination process for their respective superintending leadership team; and
Whereas, the Annual Conference board of administration and local church board of administration respectively conduct the final approval of leadership hires at the recommendation of their respective leader (superintendent and pastor); and
Whereas, consistency in polity would suggest that the Board of Bishops would make superintendent recommendations to the Annual Conferences; and,
Whereas, the bishops conduct regular performance reviews of superintendents and develop growth plans, monitoring fruitfulness, professional and personal growth; and,
Whereas, the Board of Bishops is keenly aware of and charged with the responsibility of developing significant, national church leadership; and
Whereas, the Annual Conference will continue to have its full electing capacity regardless of nomination process or source;
Therefore be it resolved:
that Paragraph 5110 A. of the Book of Discipline be changed to read as follows:
- Nomination, Election and Terms
- Each annual conference shall have at least one superintendent to oversee the work of the annual conference. Provision may be made to employ additional leadership to assist the superintendent in conference oversight and ministry.
- Superintendents shall be ordained elders of the denomination at the time of their election.
- The annual conference shall designate the Ministerial Education and Guidance Board or a special committee with the presiding bishop serving as chair, to offer superintendent nominee considerations to the Board of Bishops. The incumbent superintendent shall not serve on the committee. The committee shall be called the Superintendency Committee.
- The Board of Bishops shall present a nomination for each superintendent position to the Annual Conference for election.
- Superintendents shall be elected by majority vote for four-year terms, except for special arrangements approved by the Board of Bishops for a shorter term.
- If two or more conferences so desire, they may request that they be led by a common superintendent. The superintendent shall be nominated by the Board of Bishops after the presiding bishop(s) has consulted with the Superintendency Committees and Boards of Administration of the affected annual conferences. The nominee must be elected by majority vote from both Annual Conferences.
- If a vacancy should occur in the office of the superintendent prior to the completion of his/her term, the process outlined in 5110 A. 3-5 shall be followed for the completion of the unexpired term as recommended by the Board of Bishops.
- Recall of a superintendent shall be by a two-thirds vote by a subsequent annual conference.
- The Board of Bishops may initiate a recall vote of a superintendent by unanimous consent.
Be it further resolved that Paragraph 5110 B. 1. be changed to read:
The annual conference Superintendency Committee shall assist the presiding bishop in determining the qualifications desired in a superintendent.
Therefore, be it resolved:
Paragraph 5110 A. of the Book of Discipline be changed to read as follows:
A. Nomination, Election and Terms
1. Each annual conference shall have at least one superintendent to oversee the work of the annual conference. Provision may be made to employ additional leadership to assist the superintendent in conference oversight and ministry.
2. Superintendents shall be ordained elders of the denomination at the time of their election.
3. The annual conference shall designate the Ministerial Education and Guidance Board or a special committee with the presiding bishop serving as chair, to offer superintendent nominee considerations to the Board of Bishops. The incumbent superintendent shall not serve on the committee. The committee shall be called the Superintendency Committee.
4. The Board of Bishops shall present a nomination for each superintendent position to the Annual Conference for election.
5. Superintendents shall be elected by majority vote for four-year terms, except for special arrangements approved by the Board of Bishops for a shorter term.
6. If two or more conferences so desire, they may request that they be led by a common superintendent. The superintendent shall be nominated by the Board of Bishops after the presiding bishop(s) has consulted with the Superintendency Committees and Boards of Administration of the affected annual conferences. The nominee must be elected by majority vote from both Annual Conferences.
7. If a vacancy should occur in the office of the superintendent prior to the completion of his/her term, the process outlined in 5110 A. 3-5 shall be followed for the completion of the unexpired term as recommended by the Board of Bishops.
8. Recall of a superintendent shall be by a two-thirds vote by a subsequent annual conference.
9. The Board of Bishops may initiate a recall vote of a superintendent by unanimous consent.
Be it further resolved that Paragraph 5110 B. 1. be changed to read:
1. The annual conference Superintendency Committee shall assist the presiding bishop in determining the qualifications desired in a superintendent.
Does the resolution have a direct relationship to the vision and mission of the Free Methodist Church?
Yes.
How will the proposed change help us accomplish our vision and mission?
The Resolutions Committee rates this resolution as:
(A) Support – recommend adoption
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