It is a long held conviction of The Free Methodist Church that the Lord’s work should be supported by the tithes, offerings and gifts of his people. Other methods of fundraising may only be used provided that: they are not a substitute for the giving of tithes and offerings; they […]
1. Incorporation and Deeds Before an annual conference, district conference, a pastoral charge, or a society purchases real estate, a lawyer should be consulted and given a copy of The Manual of The Free Methodist Church in Canada for reference, and wherever the civil laws will permit, proceed to incorporate.
From time-to-time the conference ministerial education guidance and placement (MEGaP) committee will approve changes in pastoral appointments. The related process is called a “pastoral transition”. The bias of the committee is toward long tenures. An overview of the process for a pastoral transition is described briefly in ¶875 and in
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 par 374.5) The evaluation is to be based on the pastor’s current official board-approved job description (built locally and
Various committees serve within the local church to administer the ministries of the church. The pastor shall be an ex-officio member of all church committees. Where there is more than one appointed pastor, the senior pastor may designate who will serve as the pastoral representative on each committee. All committees
1. Membership: The official board (see ¶320.2) shall include the officers of the society, and one or more of the delegates. If so provided in the organization plan, the society may also include additional members-at-large or representatives of various ministry areas of the local church. All members of the official
1. During the annual meeting, the society will elect members to the official board and, based on the organization plan and policies approved by the society, other committees and personnel to staff the various service positions of the church (See ¶325.1). Leaders in the church should meet the leadership qualifications
1. The society shall meet at least annually at a time and place to be determined by the society or official board. The annual meeting shall be announced at least 30 days in advance. Absentee voting is not permitted. 2. The pastor (or, in his/her absence or refusal to do
1. The society (a Methodist term for the members of a local church) is the fundamental unit of organization of a fully organized local Free Methodist church. For further detail on local church organization, see ¶¶370-376. 2. Membership: A Free Methodist society shall be composed of all members of the
The closing of a church (church plant or society) requires that due process be followed. The following are steps to guide this process. 1. The initiative to begin the process may come from either the official board of the church or the conference. This shall come in the form of
