The Manual

In both cases, these churches have been approved by Canada Revenue Agency as a charitable organization under the terms of the Income Tax Act and have demonstrated the appropriate signs of viability. In harmony with the expectations of paragraphs 305.5.6 and 306.6 of The Manual, the church will demonstrate “an […]

Church plants are at the infancy stage of their life, being provided for by a “parent” church, whether a local church, a network of churches, or the conference.   Fiscal accountabilities are overseen by the sponsoring church(es) who birthed the project.  Provided the principle is understood as a value of the

Tithing as a fundamental principle should be understood by the leadership of a core group of a new congregation (church plant) and affiliated church at its formation or in the case of an affiliated church, at the negotiation stage for affiliation.  If the infant/child analogy to tithing is applied, parents

A local church will need to consider the tenure of its assistant/associate pastor(s) when there is a change of senior pastor.  There is no single policy that will fit all situations.  A number of considerations need to be taken into account during this transition.  In some cases, the assistant/associate pastor

¶375.1     Pastoral Transitions The process for a pastoral transition (change of pastor) is outlined in ¶340 and in the “Transitions Handbook” available from the director of personnel’s office. (See ¶875).  Pastoral transitions mean change, and change is stressful for both the pastor and board members .  The stresses can be

There are times when an appointed pastor requires a short leave of absence that affects the employment arrangement with the local church but does not change the appointment arrangement with the conference. The reasons for the leave may vary from personal health (physical and/or mental) to educational pursuits. If requested

Every organization should have a formal process for regular evaluation of the performance of its staff. The official board will ensure that an annual performance evaluation of the lead pastor (and other appointed staff) is done according to guidelines provided by the director of personnel’s office (See ¶335). The guidelines

When a local church has determined that it needs additional pastoral staff, both the senior pastor and official board need to have a clear understanding of the relationships between the board, senior pastor and additional pastoral staff.  Carefully chosen titles help to define relationships.  The titles, assistant pastor and associate

¶374  RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE PASTOR AND THE LOCAL CHURCH The relationship between a pastor and a Free Methodist local church is intricate.  The local church exists within two worlds; the world of our denomination and the world defined by the “law of the land.” ¶374.1     Church Polity Impact One of

¶373.2     Committees of the Local Church Every local church must elect a Nominating Committee and Pastor’s Cabinet (¶320.5.2).  Their duties, and the duties of other potential committees are outlined below.  As indicated above, the number of other committees, their names and specific duties may vary from church to church.  This