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The Local Church Covenant

Note: Bishop Paul Hirschy sends a monthly newsletter to all United Brethren ministers. It is called B-Mail. Here is his March 2005 edition.

Paul Hirschy, bishop

March 2005

Two special study committees were appointed as a result of actions taken by the US National Board, which met February 14-15. These committees will develop recommendations made by the National Board, and prepare the materials needed for the Discipline Revision Committee.

During the next few months, as we lead up to the US National Conference meeting in June, I want to use the B-Mail to share the general content of the materials being prepared. This will give you a better idea of the direction being developed. The final wording and layout of the material will be included in the notebook being prepared for all US National Conference delegates. My goal is to mail this notebook by the first week of May 2005. The various materials in the notebook will also be placed on the website as they become available. You can find them at: www.ub.org/nc.

I am sharing this general information even before it is finalized so that you can begin to talk about these ideas with other pastors and lay leaders in your church. I don't want us to wait until May or June to begin discussing the pros and cons of the actions of the US National Board.

Local Church Covenant

The US National Board decided to develop a structure with a local church covenant. This covenant gives every church the opportunity to reaffirm its relationship with sister congregations and the US National Conference; to express its desire to strengthen and support the ministries of the United Brethren in Christ Church in its efforts to fulfill the Great Commission.

In the covenant the local church will affirm:

  1. They are committed to the Confession of Faith.
  2. They are passionate about fulfilling the Great Commission in their local church.
  3. They are interested in partnering with other like-minded churches.
  4. They agree with the core values of the US National Conference.
  5. They are willing to pay their annual partnership fee.

The highest governing body of the local church needs to vote to approve the covenant. It will be signed by the chairman of that governing body and by the senior pastor, and submitted to the National Conference office 90 days prior to the next session of the US National Conference. This covenant will be renewed every two years. Churches that do not renew the covenant will follow the procedures in the Discipline to withdraw from the denomination.

If a church does not keep its commitment to the covenant, the US National Conference may not offer the privilege of renewing the covenant for the next US National Conference session.

Delegates to the US National Conference

The following material is based on the assumption that the referendum on National Conference representation is adopted by the US National Conference in June. The exact wording of the referendum is as follows:

1. All ecclesiastical power herein granted to make or repeal any rule of discipline is vested in a National Conference, which shall consist of active licensed ministers in the church of the United Brethren Church in Christ, USA, and lay people elected by the members of every congregation throughout the National Conference. The laypersons shall be members of a local church within the National Conference for a minimum of five years immediately prior to their election.

2. The National Conference is to be held every two years. All the officials elected by the National Conference shall be members ex-officio of the National Conference., the bishops to be considered presiding officers.

If that referendum is adopted, the following will happen:

  • The US Bishop will be a voting member of the US National Conference.
  • Every licensed minister (as defined elsewhere in the Discipline) will have a vote at the US National Conference session.
  • Every full member congregation will have at least one lay delegate. Delegates will be designated by the following formula: one delegate for the first 150 persons in worship attendance, and then one delegate for every 100 people or major part thereof in worship attendance over 150.

Partnership Fee

The partnership fee will be 3.5% of tithes and offerings minus missions, bequests, and building fund. There will be a cap of $60,000. No church, regardless of income, will be asked to pay more than $60,000 per year.

Next month I will share further information being prepared for the US National Conference. I ask that your church keep the US National Conference on your church prayer list as we continue to deal with these important issues.