"charge" conference

This Sunday we will have a special "charge" conference. Let me share the difference in a "charge" conference and a "church" conference. Each year we have an annual meeting where the district superintendent conducts the "business meeting" for the year. At that meeting, usually in the late fall or early winter, we receive reports and elect officers for the coming year. There will be a time to share the ministry accomplishments and the pastors' salaries are set. We convene this annual meeting as a "church" conference. This means all full members of the church are included and vote on all matters before the group.

There is an option of having a "charge" conference. The "charge" consists of the basic administrative body of the church. In our case this is the "Administrative Council" (Church Council). Often the "charge" conference is used to deal with administrative matters that may arise during the course of the year. This Sunday we will have a "charge" conference. Only the announced matters of business may be conducted. This "charge" conference will do two things. 1. We will be setting the pastoral compensation for the pastors who will be affected at Annual Conference. 2. We will elect a vision/building committee to begin the process of evaluating our church's needs.

Everyone is certainly invited to come to the called session of the "charge" conference. Members of the Administrative Council and retired pastors are permitted to vote. I hope this offers some explanation of what we are doing this Sunday. I'll have more to say about the vision team and our new pastors soon. Until then.