Organizing New United Brethren Churches

The US National Conference, during its June 2001 meeting, adopted a new chapter which adds a procedure for adopting non-UB churches into our fold, and for organizing new churches out of church planting situations.The wording of the actual chapter can be found here. Below is a description of the highlights.

Adopting Non-United Brethren Congregations

In recent years, a number of existing churches have affiliated with us. Most were ethnic congregations--Jamaican, Hispanic, African. However, we have not had a clear procedure for "adopting" churches. General Conference approved procedure for non-UB congregaitons to be adopted into one of our conferences. It includes these steps:

The process starts when the congregation informs the conference of its desire to join the confernce. The conference superintendent then meets with church leaders to investigate the church's doctrinal teachings, its financial situations, the church's willingness to meet the expections of other full-member churches (follow the Discipline, pay assessments, etc.), and other areas.

A majority of the church's constituents must vote in favor of being adopted as a UB congregation. The conference then designates the church as a "preaching point" or "church plant." After holding that status for at least 12 months, the church may be accepted into the conference as a full-member church.

Organizing Churches

We also lacked a procedure for organizing a church from a church plant--something which happens frequently. The church must meet these six criteria:

The attendance averages at least 50 people for 12 months.
The church includes adults from ten or more resident families.
The church is willing to carry out the expectations of other full-member churches.
The church is financially self-sufficient, and both willing and able to pay assessments.
The church has notified the conference of its desire to organize as a church.
The conference votes to receive the congregation into full membership.