Role
“The Staff-Parish Relations Committee has primary responsibility to work with staff so that the mission of the church is realized” (Guidelines for the Staff-Parish Relations Committee).
Relationships
– Meets with all appointed pastors to encourage and support them in fulfillment of the church’s mission, and to provide an annual evaluation and identify continuing education and spiritual renewal needs and plans
– Communicates and interprets to the congregation the nature and function of ministry in the UMC
– Cooperates with the pastors, the district superintendent, and the bishop in securing appropriate clergy leadership. Relationships to DS and Bishop are advisory only.
– Evaluates and recommends candidates for ministry.
– Recommends to the charge conference the salary and other remuneration of the appointed pastors.
Responsibilities
1) Establish written policies for human resources management and ensure that these policies are maintained. This includes ensuring that proper policy has been followed for all hires, terminations, and evaluations. SPRC has final right of approval for all hires and terminations.
2) Provide encouragement, support, and annual evaluations to all appointed clergy and all persons serving in top-level positions (those reporting directly to the Sr. Pastor). We are asking SPRC to approve a system of supervision that does not put SPRC in direct supervisory relationship with any positions other than those named above. This allows those who are more directly working with these positions to oversee their work and determine most important staffing needs going forward.
3) Create job descriptions for all appointed clergy and all persons serving in top-level positions.
4) Approve ministerial candidates for certified candidacy to become United Methodist clergy
5) Recommend salaries and other remuneration for all clergy appointed to 1st UMC
This set of responsibilities empowers the appropriate staff supervisors to provide direct oversight for most of the church’s staff. Given our large number of employees (27 currently on payroll), our SPRC cannot adequately oversee all of these positions. This structure enables the SPRC to give better attention to evaluation and encouragement of our appointed clergy and top-level positions.
