The Administrative Council is an alternative organization plan for the local church in which the administrative responsibilities and the program of the church are developed and carried out by one body. The 1992 Book of Discipline created a streamlined version of the Administrative Council concepted whereby responsibilties are combined so that as few as eight or nine persons and the pastor may carry out the combined responsibilities of the council. These persons who would be elected in this streamlined version are:

1. Chairperson of the Adm. Council, who may also serve as the lay member to Annual Conference (and the church lay leader, in which case responsibilities listed in number 2 below are taken by the chairperson).

2. Lay Leader, who may also serve as member of the PPRC, representing that committee and the Committee on Nominations and Personal on the Adm. Council in addition to the regular responsibilities of the lay leader.

3. Chairperson of Nurturing Ministries, who shall give attention to educational, worship, and stewardship components of ministry and may serve as the Sunday School superintendent.

4. Chairperson of Outreach Ministries, who shall give attention to local and wider ministries of compassion and advocacy, including community volunteering, church and societal issues, global ministries concerns, health and welfare ministries, Christian unity and interreligious concerns religion and race, and status and role of women.

5. Chairpersons of Witness Ministries, who shall give attention to evangelistic outreach to persons, membership care spiritual formation, communications, lay speaking ministries, and faith-sharing witness.

6. Coordinator of Age-Level and Family Ministries, who shall give attention to coordinating ministries for each age level and for families.

7. Chairperson of Finance, who shall give attention to financial resourcing and stewardship in support of the church's ministries.

8. Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, who shall give attention to the property resources of the church, including legal concerns.

9. Church Treasurer, who shall be responsible for maintenance of financial records of income and disbursements, make regular financial reports, and serve on the Finance Committee.

Committee on Nominations and Personnel. Nine persons are elected in three annual panels, with the current panel nominated from the floor at the Charge Conference. One of these shall be a youth and one a young adult. The lay leader and pastor are also members The secretary of the committee is a member of the Adm. Council. The pastor chairs this committee. Responsibilities include: development of job descriptions, assessment and discovery of gifts and interests of persons, recruitment of person for leadership roles, provide training, support supervision, and evaluation for leaders, ongoing communication with church organizations community.

Committee on PPR. The committee is composed of five to nine persons elected by the charge conference, plus one lay member of Annual Conference. If other staff persons are employed by the church, the committee relates to them also, in which case the committee may be called the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. It should meet at least quarterly. Responsibilities include: confer and counsel with the pastor and staff concerning church and congregation matters, communication of expectations of congregation to pastor and staff and vice versa, annual evaluation of pastor and staff, consultation with the pastor and staff regarding compensation, benefits and continuing education, consultation with the district superintendent, interpretation of ordained and diaconal ministry to the congregation.

Committee on Finance. Plans and coordinates the budgetary and financial matters of the church. Membership on this committee includes the lay member to the Annual Conference, the lay leader, a trustee representative, the treasurer, and the chair of the Adm. Council, and persons elected by the Charge Conference. Responsibilities include: provide timeline for budget development, receive program funding proposals and other financial requests, compile annual budget, plan and conduct commitment program to underwrite budget, develop contingency plans for budget shortfalls, recommend procedures for internal control of fund receipts and disbursement, promote stewardship of resources, provide for annual audit of all funds.

Board of Trustees. Board shall consist of not less than three nor more than nine adult members, elected according to the Book of Discipline and the laws of the state, in three equal panels to serve for three years. Persons may succeed themselves. Two-thirds must be members of The United Methodist Church, and at least one=third must be laywomen. All property matters and legal documents are the concern of the trustees. Responsibilities include: receive and administer bequests, legacies, and trusts; purchase, sell, or mortgage property under the direction of the Charge and Church Conference; compile annual request for funds related to upkeep and improvement real and personal property; procurement of adequate insurance coverage; develop policy for use of church property; maintain all church legal papers.

Chairperson of Nurturing Ministries. The chairperson of nurture is responsible for the planning and implementation of programs related to the spiritual growth of persons through Christian education, worship, and stewardship and the development of the fellowship of the congregation. The relating and equipping functions of the church are the central responsibility of this work area. Responsibilities include: encourage the development of Christian education, assist in obtaining resources and support, promote spiritual growth opportunities, arrange for regular contract with persons who are homebound, communicate with the congregation, maintain the sanctuary, recruit persons to serve as aids to the worship service, involve persons in helping with the worship service, activate programs to help persons understand the stewardship of God's creation and appropriate uses of possessions, create opportunities for person to recognize and use their gifts of ministry, support higher education and campus ministry.

Chairperson of Outreach Ministries. The chairperson of outreach is responsible for the planning and implementation of programs to deal with the needs and concerns of persons beyond the congregation, relating the ministry of the local church to the need of the world. The church is challenged to reach out in ministry and the chairperson constantly to remind the church of that dimension of its task. Responsibilities include: determine needs in the community, identify persons in distress and distressing circumstances and develop personal responses, support services, and the capacity to meet emergencies, maintain relationships with private, public and religious agencies for meeting needs of persons, encourage sensitivity to injustices, support persons in missions, create a climate of understanding of global ministries, relate to National and World Councils of Churches, interpret the Social principles, initiate relationships with other churches, encourage support of United Methodist homes, lead in providing opportunities for study.

Chairperson of Witness Ministries. The work area on evangelism was added to the basic structure of the Adm. Council by the 1988 General Conference Conference, and the name was changed to "witness" by the 1992 conference. Evangelism has been one of the work areas in the COM for many years, with responsibilities listed in the Discipline under the section on the local church. The following responsibility list is summarized from that section and from other materials available from the General Board of Discipleship. Responsibilities include: assert a constant evangelistic outreach through personal Christian witness, develop methods of surveying the church and community for prospective members, discover inactive members and reasons for inactivity, establish and maintain current file of prospects, set and publize membership growth goals, plan and conduct specific events, direct a program of regular visitation on prospects, install a plan for the assimilation of new members, develop plans for enlisting and supporting persons who will witness, cooperate with other churches and agencies, provide opportunities for renewal and enrichment, involve persons in lay speakers' training.

This summary has been taken directly from the "Guidelines for Leading your Church: 1993-1996, Administrative Council. Additional commentary on program suggestions, how to get started, and leadership knowledge and skill, and information on other resources are included in this guideline. Guidelines for Leading your Church: 1997-2000 are available from Cokesbury.