Conferences for Cooperative Ministry

CONSTITUTIONAL GUIDELINES FOR CONFERENCES FOR COOPERATIVE MINISTRY

S12.01.01. The primary purpose of the Conferences for Cooperative Ministry is to resource congregations in the standard congregational ministry areas of worship, education, evangelism, social ministry, stewardship, youth, etc.  By sharing their gifts and talents with one another, and by calling upon available resources such as synod staff, regional staff, and others, congregations within the Conference for Cooperative Ministry will be free to seek assistance in whatever areas they feel are necessary and appropriate.  The primary function of the Conferences for Cooperative Ministry is creative and not administrative.  Therefore, the Conferences for Cooperative Ministry shall not be used as administrators of Synod Council or synod board decisions and programs.

S12.01.03.  Each Conference for Cooperative Ministry shall hold an assembly at least once each fiscal year, prior to March 1st.  The conference assembly shall have as its members all pastors serving under call in that Conference for Cooperative Ministry plus a number of lay delegates from each congregation in the Conference for Cooperative Ministry equal to twice the number of voting delegates permitted that congregation at the Synod Assembly, consistent with this synod rules for representation (S6.04.).  Each Conference for Cooperative Ministry may organize itself as it sees fit.  However, each conference assembly shall designate one person from among its members to serve as its official correspondent for the year.  The name and address of the correspondent shall be reported to the secretary of this synod each year, not later than the first session of the meeting of the Synod Assembly.  The correspondent shall arrange for the annual assembly of the Conference for Cooperative Ministry, and may call special assemblies.  The correspondent shall call a special assembly of the Conference for Cooperative Ministry at the request of the Synod Council, or at the request of at least three congregations within the Conference for Cooperative Ministry.

S12.01.04. Funding for Conferences for Cooperative Ministry may be provided by (1) a line item in the synod budget and/or (2) by Conferences for Cooperative Ministry directly, as needed for fulfilling their purposes and activities.  In the matters of programming, resourcing and congregational funding Conferences for Cooperative Ministry are accountable to the congregations.  In matters of synodical funding the Conferences for Cooperative Ministry are accountable to the Synod Assembly and the Synod Council between synod assemblies (c.f. †S10.02.).