Council on Ministries

Council on Ministies

The people of The United Methodist Church are part of the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Our worldwide connection includes approximately 12.8 million members. We trace our heritage back to the movement begun in 1729 in England by John and Charles Wesley.

The church does not have a single headquarters or executive, but is governed by the General Conference, the Council of Bishops and the Judicial Council.

The Book of Discipline outlines the rules and organization that churches must follow providing room to adapt the church’s unique ministries and mission to the needs and culture of its congregation and the community.

The local church is governed by the Charge Conference. All of the members of First United Methodist Church in DeKalb are members of the Charge Conference. The Charge Conference generally meets once a year, near the end of the year, under the leadership of the District Superintendent. At this meeting, the church’s leaders are elected, and any other matters requiring a vote of the Charge Conference are addressed.

Our Leadership team is organized into a Council on Ministry (COM) structure. The 2021 COM is led by a Chairperson and includes: Vice-chair, the recording secretary, President of UMW, President of UMM, Lay Leader, Treasurer, Youth Representatives, and Advocates who represent all of the other committees of the church organized into our three core values: Love, Serve, Connect, and the pastors. In addition, COM includes the Chairpersons of SPRC (Staff Parish Relations), Trustees, and Finance.