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Committee on Clergy and Lay Leadership Resolution R-9 Committee Members Assignments to Local Church
The Vision Team is heeding the words of Isaiah, “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. (Isaiah 43:18), and is moving forward in the promise, “Behold, I am doing a new thing, now it springs up, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19a).
The Vision Team believes that the Holy Spirit provides all people with specific spiritual gifts and that there are persons who are passionate about their gifts. These persons should be given the responsibility to lead, teach, and assist local churches to become healthy or healthier local churches;
Since the 2006 Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference’s directive was to focus on the Healthy Church Initiative, the Vision Team’s responsibilities have changed from a reporting team to one of taking leadership for the Healthy Churches Initiative’s success. The Vision Team has developed a Covenant Ministry Plan to give the local church more access to resources to make disciples of Jesus Christ, and has developed a stewardship plan called a Covenant Funding Plan that requires more accountability of the budget. The Vision Team will continue to review the Relational Design Plan to determine if changes are needed in support of the Covenant Ministry Plan.
In place of the former Conference nominating committee, the Annual Conference established a “Committee on Clergy and Lay Leadership” be formed under the direction of the Vision Team. The Vision Team will appoint this new “Committee on Clergy and Lay Leadership” in consultation with the Bishop and Cabinet in accordance with the Discipline ¶609.5 that states that “special attention shall be given to the inclusion of clergywomen, youth, young adults, persons from churches with small memberships, people with disabilities, and racial and ethnic persons, in keeping with policies for general Church agencies.” The objective of the new Committee is to seek out these persons who have specific spiritual gifts and who have a passion in the area where they will be asked to serve and will be accountable.
In order to find such gifted persons, the Committee on Clergy and Lay Leadership will contact every pastor or lay leader for the purpose of developing a list of persons who meet the following:
Has gifts in the specific area where he/she is being asked to serve
Is passionate about using those gifts to assist other churches as well as their own church
Has demonstrated the gifts in their own church
Is willing to participate in necessary meetings except where emergencies arise
Is willing to take on the tasks assigned by the team
Is willing to be a servant leader
In places where there is disciplinary direction, Committees and/or Boards will be staffed in consultation with the Bishop and Cabinet.
The Vision Team will appoint to the Committee on Clergy and Lay Leadership members who are willing to give their time and talents to take on this project. The Committee members will have specific responsibilities for visiting approximately 12 charges annually and to keep in communication with those charges throughout the year in regard to both needs of the charge and opportunities for ministry. The Committee will make available a way to add or remove persons to the list as needed. The Committee on Clergy and Lay Leadership will work independent of, but in consultation with the Vision Team to ensure that all ministries comprise of people of passion and in accordance with Discipline 609.5, and it will continue the visitation schedule described above every year in order to keep contact and connection with the Local Churches.
The new Committee will recommend to the Annual Conference the names of people to serve as officers and leaders of conference ministries, boards and agencies. Those persons to be recommended are to be contacted during the month of March to ensure their willingness to serve and to make a four or eight year commitment. Once nominated, an immediate acknowledgement of their acceptance should be made and each person is to be notified of the date of the first meeting of the team, board, committee or task force on which they will serve.
The Committee on Clergy and Lay Leadership will be trained periodically as needed by an appropriate staff, Cabinet, or Connectional representative to ensure faithful leadership throughout the conference.
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