Summary of Responsibilities

The following information is taken from the United Church of Canada Manual, as well as the UCC’s handbook entitled “A Pastoral Charge’s Ministry and Personnel Committee”.

The Ministry and Personnel (M&P) Committee is not a policy-making body, but advisory and consultative in nature.

Summary

The responsibilities of the M&P Committee can be summarized into the following areas:

Ø Provide a consultative and supportive agency for church staff members and for the people of the Pastoral Charge,

Ø Review working conditions and salary levels of staff members,

Ø Relationship of church staff to members of the Pastoral Charge,

Ø Consulting with staff members re their plans for continuing education,

Ø Annual review and evaluation of effectiveness of the church staff members as these persons and positions relate to the Charge’s programme as defined by the Official Board.

Accountability and Confidentiality

Active and open dialogue on the part of both staff (in our case, Marie-Claude, and Christine Brown) and committee members is essential to this task so that trust may develop, clear messages be given and received, and so that helpful relationships may be nurtured in order to express the Church’s ministry and mission.

Since staff persons are not members of M&P it will be necessary to agree to a pattern of consultation with each of them. The committee may appoint a liaison person from among its membership to facilitate this regular and ongoing process of consultation with staff.

Persons or groups having questions or concerns related to the staff need to be encouraged and educated to make use of the M&P Committee as a means of dealing with such needs. Careful screening needs to take place when such information is received by committee members in order to determine the legitimacy of the concerns. This will enable questions and concerns related to staff to be treated in positive and constructive ways.

Through commitment and willingness to listen to members of staff and members of the Pastoral Charge the committee may become aware of short-term and long-term improvements that can be recommended to the Official Board.

Position Guides

Position Guides should exist for each staff member. They describe the role and function of each staff member. They are used to support and encourage an understanding of covenant and covenantal relationships within the Church.

The Position Guide for the minister, proposed initially by the Official Board when there is a change in pastoral relations will need to be reviewed and updated when necessary by the Board.

The Position Guide for the secretary should be prepared by ?

Continuing Education and Professional Development

The minister needs to participate in some form of continuing education in the interests of their professional development related to ministry. The required study leave should be arranged in consultation with M&P and the Board ensuring that United Church policies re Continuing Education are followed.

The Annual Review

The requirement that there be “an annual review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the church’s staff as it relates to the church’s program as defined by the Official Board” provides an annual cycle and specific focus to the concern of M&P.

This annual review is intended to be a two-way communication instrument between each staff member and the Pastoral Charge through the M&P Committee, to emphasize areas of strength and forestall problem situations.

The committee should hold a review meeting with each staff member to consider most of the review material.

In preparation for these meetings the staff and committee members should review the goals and objectives of the Pastoral Charge, as drawn up by the Official Board. Each staff member’s work should be appraised in relation to his or her objectives and the extent to which the Pastoral Charge has either enabled or inhibited the attainment of each goal.

Reviews should provide opportunities for people of a Pastoral Charge to become aware of their effectiveness in supporting the needs and work of the minister and other staff, and for the minister and other staff to become aware of their effectiveness in serving the needs of the Pastoral Charge.

The UCC Handbook entitled “A Pastoral Charge’s Ministry and Personnel Committee” includes details re the Review.

Additional Support and Resource Opportunities

1. The Chairperson of the Presbytery Pastoral Relations Committee and/or the Presbytery Oversight of Pastoral Charges Committee – will have both an interest and a responsibility for assisting M&P with local concerns. Such support can assist both in maintaining and in developing helpful communication and mutual growth between Committee members and those who make up the church staff.

2. The Conference Personnel Minister will provide continuing support, especially for the minister. Thhis person may also serve as a consultant to both staff and M&P.

3. A “Consultant for Congregations” with training in conflict management, organizational development, goal-setting and planning is available to Presbyteries and Pastoral Charges within a region, and on a fee-for-service basis. In special situations, where this help is deemed advisable, it may be arranged through the Conference Staff members, who will do so in consultation with a consultant and the Division of Mission in Canada.

Back