Trustees Committee

1. Trustees Committee Adapted for the Oklahoma Conference. Materials provided by the Florida Conference

2. Introduction This course is designed to give you the information needed for trustees to manage property, equipment and investments. There will be a narrative part which will be followed by questions to check your comprehension. No one will see your answers but you.

3. Introductory Facts • Every church has a board of trustees. • The entire committee is selected by the Lay Leadership committee. • For additional questions and/or information about trustees, contact your pastor or district superintendent.

4. Outline of Course • Our Identity, Call and Mission • Organization • Powers and Limitations • Trust Clause • Purchase, Sale, Transfer, Lease, Mortgage/Land/Buildings • Sale of Church-Owned Parsonage

5. Practice Test Questions The next three slides demonstrate the test question used in this learning module.

6. 1. This course is only for the chairperson of the committee. A) True Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue B) False Correct - Click anywhere to continue

7. 2. There will be a set of questions after each section to be answered in order to move on. A) True Correct - Click anywhere to continue B) False Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue

8. 3. Only churches with a lot of property have a Trustees Committee. Correct - Click anywhere to continue A) True B) False Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue

9. Review Test Questions If you wish to review the test questions, click the e-learning module’s back arrow. Click forward arrow to continue

10. Leadership Our Identity, Call and Mission

11. Our Identity, Call and Mission You are so important to the life of the Christian church! You have consented to be among a great and long line of people who have shared the faith and led others in the work of Jesus Christ.

12. Our Identity, Call and Mission We have the church only because over time, people like you have caught the vision of God’s kingdom and have claimed a place in the faith community to extend God’s love to others.

13. Our Identity, Call and Mission You have been called and have committed your passions, gifts, and abilities to lead in your local church. This course will help you understand some of the elements of your ministry and how it fits within the mission of your church and of The United Methodist Church in the office of trustee.

14. Our Identity, Call and Mission “The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs.” (¶ 120 – The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2008)

15. Our Identity, Call and Mission The church is not only local but also global, and it is for everyone. Our church has an organizational structure through which we work, but it is a living organism as well.

16. Our Identity, Call and Mission Each person is called to ministry by virtue of his or her baptism, and that ministry takes place in all aspects of daily life, not just within the walls of the church.

17. Our Identity, Call and Mission Our Book of Discipline describes our mission to proclaim the gospel and to welcome people into the body of Christ, to lead people to a commitment to God through Jesus Christ, to nurture them in Christian living by various means of grace, and to send them into the world as agents of Jesus Christ. (¶ 121)

18. Leadership Now let’s take a moment toreview the Leadership Section

19. 1. The mission of the Church is to: A) Bring in as many members as possible. B) Take care of the members we have. C) Make disciples of Jesus Christ. D) Church members are all disciples. Correct - Click anywhere to continue Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue

20. 2. The most significant place to make disciples is: A) At a conference spiritual retreat. B) At a district spiritual formation gathering. C) The local congregation. D) All of the above. Correct - Click anywhere to continue Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue

21. 3. Which of the following describe how we do the mission: A) Proclaim the gospel. B) Welcome people. C) Lead people to commitment to God through Jesus Christ. D) Nurture participants in Christian living. E) Send disciples into the world as agents of Jesus Christ. F) All of the above. Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue Correct - Click anywhere to continue

22. 4. Which of the following would you say are essential leadership functions:(Check all that apply) A) Lead in the Spirit. B) Conduct the meetings. C) Discover Current Reality. D) Tell others what to do. Correct - Click anywhere to continue Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue Correct - Click anywhere to continue

23. Review Test Questions If you wish to review the testquestions, please click thee-learning module’s back arrow. Click forward arrow tocontinue

24. Organization

25. Jeff Stiggins formerly served as District Superintendent of the East Central District of the Florida Conference. Video Please allow a few moments for flash video to load. A black video window will open in the top right corner, above the outline. To view the video, press the > button under the black screen. When the video is finished, press the play button at the bottom of the page to continue to next page. Before starting the video, please turn your computer speakers on. CLICK HERE FOR STREAMING VIDEO The general responsibilities of the Trustee Committee

26. Organization • The trustee board is subject to the direction of the Charge Conference. • Within 30 days of the new year, the board of trustees shall convene and elect officers. • Officers of the board of trustees are the officers of the corporation of the church, if incorporated.

27. Organization • The chairperson shall be a member of the local church. • Up to ⅓ of the committee is allowed to be members of the committee and not members of the church. • A majority of members shall be a quorum.

28. Organization • The board of trustees, like the finance committee, resources ministry. Sometimes, people on the finance committee or trustee board try to determine ministry by controlling the purse strings or the building usage.

29. Organization • However, the group that determines ministry directions and priorities is the church council. The finance committee and board of trustees then enable those ministries to happen.

30. Organization Now let’s take a moment toreview the Organization Section

31. 1. The chairperson is elected by the congregation. Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue A) True B) False Correct - Click anywhere to continue

32. 2. Up to 1/3 of the committee are allowed to be non-members of the church. Correct - Click anywhere to continue A) True B) False Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue

33. 3. Everyone must be there to have a quorum to vote. Incorrect - Click anywhere to continue A) True B) False Correct - Click anywhere to continue

34. Review Test Questions If you wish to review the testquestions, please click theelearning module’s back arrow. Click forward arrow tocontinue

35. Powers and Limitations

36. Powers and Limitations • Under the direction of the Charge Conference, the board of trustees shall have supervision, oversight and care of all property owned by the church. • The board of trustees shall review annually the adequacy of insurance coverage.

37. Powers and LimitationsInsurance coverage and Risk Management For some additional insights into insurance coverage and risk management, contact Rick Carlin or Robert McKown administrators of the Oklahoma Conference Insurance and Risk Management Plan. OKC Area: (405)843-5678 Statewide: (800)460-5678 Fax: (405)843-5782

38. Powers and Limitations • The pastor and/or the board of trustees must grant permission to outside organizations to use church facilities. • At a practical level, it may be good to have the Trustees approve those groups that are asking to meet on an ongoing basis and to allow the pastor to approve one-time events.

39. Powers and Limitations There may need to be a general discussion by the church council concerning the use of the church facilities. Are the facilities to be treated as resources to extend ministry and to bless the community or are they to be restricted and seen as idols to be protected. This is a serious issue that needs discussion time in the council.

40. Powers and Limitations • The board of trustees shall conduct an annual accessibility audit of their grounds & facilities.

41. Powers and Limitations “Accessibility always seemed a bit overdone to me (Accessibility Sunday and all) until my wife, Sue, spent two years in a wheel chair and three years on crutches and now one year on a cane. Suddenly, those steps that you just stepped over as an able-bodied person become a real obstacle and those narrow doorways to the bathroom become a significant problem. It’s really not a bad to get some handicapped persons to help you identify problem areas and then as the trustees are able, to address these. It is one way that we extend hospitality.” –Jeff Stiggins

42. Powers and Limitations Perhaps this is a good time to discuss another kind of audit: Newcomer friendly audit For those of us who come to church regularly, this is never a problem. However, those who visit us need to know where the bathroom is, where the office is, what door do you go into.

43. Powers and Limitations One church I came to for the first time, the most obvious door to me when I was running late one Sunday took me into the front of the sanctuary where everybody turned and looked at me. Another church I visited, I could not for the life of me find the bathroom. I guess you have to join the church before they let you know. Does the yard look like someone actually lives there and cares? Is the paint peeling? Are the plants alive? Remember, you only have once chance to make a first impression.

44. Powers and Limitations - Parsonage • The chairperson of trustees or the parsonage committee, the chairperson of staff parish relations committee and the pastor shall annually review the church-owned parsonage.

45. Powers and Limitations • The trustee committee shall receive and administer all bequests and trusts made to the local church, unless the Charge Conference establishes a permanent endowment committee.

46. Powers and Limitations This is like planting trees. Most of us may not benefit from this, but future generations will. Most of our members give regularly throughout their church life, but when they die, they have not included anything in their wills for God’s work. Why? Usually simply because they were not challenged to do this and never thought to do it. The board of trustees is given the responsibility for lifting this giving opportunity up on a regular basis.

47. Powers and Limitations As the age of our buildings and many of our congregations are decreasing, the offering on fixed incomes is declining and the cost of building repairs and maintenance is escalating. Having some memorial gifts for the care of the building can be a significant factor in the life of a congregation enabling them to focus their offerings toward ministry.

48. Powers and Limitations Bill Junk and the Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation staff will be glad to help you gain a greater understanding of the many instruments available for people to give through wills and legacies. Phone:(800)259-6863/(405)525-6863

49. Powers and Limitations The board of trustees shall make an annual report to the Charge Conference as called for in the Discipline.

50. Powers and LimitationsQuestions for Review