Guidelines: Request Less than Full Time Service

Holston Annual Conference Guidelines

Applica on for Less Than Full Time Service

This document is published by the OďŹƒce of Clergy Services of The Holston Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Other annual conferences may freely use and adapt this material for their own par cular uses.

This document was created in Microso Publisher and a .pub ďŹ le can be made available for those that desire to make changes. The forms were created in Adobe in Design.

For more informa on, contact Director of Clergy Services Rev. Terry Goodman terrygoodman@holston.org.

This document will help you be er understand the process of applying for less than full me service if you are a Full Connec on Elder (FE), Provisional Elder (PE) or Associate Member (AM). The norm for service is full me service within our denomina on.

Please carefully read this document and then complete the required applica on and submit a copy to the Bishop and the Director of Clergy Services. Your applica on will be reviewed and you will be informed of the decision.

If you have ques ons, then please contact me at: terrygoodman@holston.org Or Call me at: (865) 293-4147 Rev. Terry Goodman Director of Clergy Services Holston Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church

¶ 338. The I nerant System—The i nerant system is the accepted method of The United Methodist Church by which ordained elders, provisional elders, and associate members are appointed by the bishop to fields of labor.30 All ordained elders, provisional elders, and associate members shall accept and abide by these appointments.31 Bishops and cabinets shall commit to and support open i neracy and the protec on of the prophe c pulpit and diversity. Persons appointed to mul ple-staff ministries, either in a single parish or in a cluster or larger parish, shall have personal and professional access to the bishop and cabinet, the commi ee on pastorparish rela ons, as well as to the pastor in charge. The nature of the appointment process is specified in ¶¶ 425-429.

1. Full- me service shall be the norm for ordained elders, provisional elders, and associate members in the annual conference. Full- me service shall mean that the person’s en re voca onal me, as defined by the district superintendent in consulta on with the pastor and the commi ee on pastor-parish rela ons, is devoted to the work of ministry in the field of labor to which one is appointed by the bishop.

2. Less Than Full-Time Service—On occasion, less than full me service is requested by or required of an elder, provisional elder, or associate member. A clergy member may be appointed in one-quarter, one-half, or three-quarter me increments by the bishop to less than full- me service without loss of essen al rights or membership in the annual conference.

Division of Ordained Ministry-endorsed appointments beyond the local church may be for less than full- me service. a) Appointment to less than full- me service is not a guarantee, but may be made by the bishop under the following circumstances: (1) Limited I neracy—Less than full- me service may be granted—but is not guaranteed—when the elder, provisional elder, or associate member has declared in wri ng that i neracy is limited due to temporary constraints. The clergy member shall present that wri en declara on to the bishop and the chairperson of the Board of Ordained Ministry prior to the annual conference session at which the appointment is made.

(2)Self-Ini ated—The elder, provisional elder, or associate member seeking less than full- me service shall present a wri en request to the bishop and the chairperson of the Board of Ordained Ministry at least 90 days prior to the annual conference session at which the appointment is made.

Excep ons to the 90-day deadline shall be approved by the cabinet and the execu ve commi ee of the Board of Ordained Ministry.

(3)Bishop-Ini ated—For missional purposes, the bishop may appoint an elder, provisional elder, or an associate member to less than full- me service. The clergyperson shall be no fied at least 90 days prior to final termina on of the current appointment. Special a en on shall be given to ensure that the values of open i neracy are preserved. b) Provisions for Less Than Full- me Appointment (1) Following appropriate consulta on, as established in ¶¶ 338 and 425-429, and upon joint recommenda on of the cabinet and the Board of Ordained Ministry, the less than full me category shall be confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the clergy members in full connec on of the annual conference.

(2) Reappointment to less than full- me service shall be approved annually by the bishop and cabinet and shall not be granted for more than a total of eight years, except by a three-fourths vote of the clergy members in full connec on of the annual conference.

(3) Elders, provisional elders, and associate members who receive appointment at less than full- me service remain within the i neracy and, as such, remain available, upon consulta on with the bishop and cabinet, for appointment to fullme service. A wri en request to return to full- me appointment shall be made to the bishop and cabinet at least six months prior to the annual conference session at which the appointment is to be made.

(4) The bishop may make ad interim appointments at less than full- me service upon request of the elder, provisional elder, or associate member following consulta on as specified in ¶¶ 424-428 and upon recommenda on of the cabinet and execu ve commi ee of the Board of Ordained Ministry, the same to be acted upon by the next regular session of the annual conference.32 3. Interim appointments may be made to charges that have special transi onal needs. a) Interim clergy may serve outside the annual conference where membership is held under the provision of ¶ 346.1, with approval and consent of the bishops involved. b) Interim appointments will be for a specified length of me, established in advance following consulta on with the district superintendent, the pastor-parish rela ons commi ee, and the interim pastor.

4. Associate members, provisional members, or full members may be appointed to a end any school, college, or theological seminary listed by the University Senate, or par cipate in a program of clinical pastoral educa on in a se ng accredited by the Associa on for Clinical Pastoral Educa on or another accredi ng agency approved by the General Board of Higher Educa on and Ministry. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 30. See Judicial Council Decision 713.

31. See Judicial Council Decision 492.

Application 12

Application: Request for Less Than Full Time Service

Name: ______________________________________________________________________

First

Middle

Last

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

Street

City

State Zip

Best Contact # (______)________‐__________ Birthdate: _________ _________ __________

[__] Cell [__] Home [__] Work

Month Day Year

Email: ______________________________________________________________________

Clergy Status: [__] Full Elder [__] Full Deacon [__] Provisional Member [__] Associate Member

District: [__] AP [__] CM [__] HI [__] MV [__] NR [__] SS [__] SM [__] TV [__] TR

Charge: ______________________________________________________________________

I desire to serve: [__] 1/4 time [__] 1/2 time [__] 3/4 time

Reason for requesting Less Than Full Time Service:

[__] 1.)

Limited Itinerancy — ¶338.2.a).(1) You must submit a written letter, along with this application, stating that itineracy is limited due to temporary constraints which you are facing. Those constraints should be spelled out in the letter. Present the letter to the following persons: [__] The Bishop [__] The Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry

[__] 2.)

Self‐Initiated — ¶338.2.a).(2) You must submit a written letter, along with this application, stating your request and the reasons for your desire to serve in a less than full time capacity. This request should be submitted at least 90 days prior to the annual conference session. The request should be submitted to: [__] The Bishop [__] The Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry

[__] 3.)

Bishop‐Initiated — ¶338.2.a).(3) You will be notified via letter from the Bishop 90 days prior to the termination of your current appointment should the Bishop decide this is necessary for missional purposes.

Acknowledgements:

Initial here

I acknowledge that I have contacted the conference health insurance administrator and discussed any ramifications my request might have upon my health insurance.

Initial here

I acknowledge that I have contact the conference pensions administrator and/or Wespath and discussed any ramifications that my request might have upon my pensions.

Rev. 5/20

Application 12

Initial here

I understand that my request must receive the approval of both the cabinet and the Board of Ordained Ministry and that the full connection members of the clergy session must confirm my request by a 2/3 vote at its next scheduled session.

Initial here

I understand that if I continue to desire to serve in a less than full time capacity, that Holston Annual Conference requires me to request this on an annual basis with the request submitted

by February 1st of each successive year.

Initial here

I understand that when I desire to come back into full time service that I must submit a written request to the Bishop and Cabinet at least six months prior to the annual conference session at which I desire to return to full time service. (December 1st will be an appropriate deadline.)

__________________________ _________________________ ___________________ Signature

Printed Name

Date

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Please submit copies of this application to: [__] Chair, Board of Ordained Ministry [__] The Office of the Bishop [__] The Director of Clergy Services via ClergyServices@holston.org [__] Current District Superintendent

Rev. 5/20

If you wander off the road to the right or the le , you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road. Follow it.” (Isaiah 30:21)