Philosophical Statements

There are two major systems for assigning ministers to churches--congregational, and episcopal. We use neither system in its pure form, yet we use elements of both.

A congregational church is autonomous. The local body hires and terminates its pastor and all other personnel. All ministries are strictly the responsibilities of the local church. When a congregational church looks for a new pastor, they might send a search committee to listen to a minister they are interested in interviewing. There may be an official contact with the pastor to determine if that person would like to "candidate" for their pulpit. The pastor may be invited to preach a "trial sermon" and have interviews with several groups at the local church. A recommendation is made from the Pastoral Search Committee to the congregation and a congregational vote is taken for or against a candidate. Periodically, a vote of confidence is taken to determine if the pastor will continue his appointment at that church.

That is how it works in a congregational system. It is sometimes referred to as the "call" system. But we don’t operate that way.

Nor are we a pure episcopal system. In an episcopal system, the bishop or the stationing committee have the authority to appoint or remove a minister without consulting the minister or church. Power for placement is in the hands of one person or a few people.

In the United Brethren church, the stationing committee makes the final assignment, and yet the congregation plays an important role in the process. Here is how it works.

The following statements identify the basic philosophy used by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA, to make pastoral appointments.

1. Pastors are Stationed, Not Called

In the United Brethren church, authority for pastoral assignments rests solely with the stationing committee. The final decision regarding a pastoral assignment does not belong to the local church or any of its commissions or boards.

2. The Assignment Process Involves Dialogue

The stationing committee will communicate with the pastors and congregations involved in the assignment process and will use all information received as a part of the decision-making process. Both pastor and Personnel Relations Commission or its equivalent are granted the right to consult with the stationing committee.

3. The Goal is a Long-term Assignment

Because long-term assignments provide a better opportunity for qualitative and quantitative growth, the stationing committee will try to match congregational needs with pastoral strengths.

4. There are No Guaranteed Appointments

Since the goal of the stationing committee is to match congregational needs and pastoral strengths, individual ministers may experience periods of time when they are not assigned to a local church. Likewise, local churches may experience periods of time when they are without an assigned pastor.

5. Interim Ministers will be Used

The process of assigning pastors requires a thoroughness which often results in a temporary vacancy at a local congregation. In such instances, the local churches may be assigned an interim minister to provide limited pastoral ministry until a permanent assignment can be made.