Early in my ministry, when I was recruiting people to serve on church committees and leadership teams, I often used a line like, “It’s not that much work.” My thinking was that if I didn’t make the task sound too big, people would be more willing to say yes. I assumed hesitation was the primary obstacle to service.
What I learned over time is that I was underappreciating both the role of leadership in the church and the desire of lay people to serve passionately and wholeheartedly. Faithful people are not discouraged by meaningful work; they are discouraged by unclear expectations. Over the years, I have learned to share a clearer picture of the calling to serve in leadership-what it requires, what it asks of us, and the prayerful commitment it deserves.
I was thinking about this as I reflected on the role of Presiding Elder in our conference. This is a role that is new to us as a denomination. Paragraph 609 of The Book of Doctrine and Discipline outlines twelve responsibilities for Presiding Elders. In some Global Methodist conferences, these responsibilities are carried out by full-time Presiding Elders. The Upper Midwest Conference has chosen a different approach.
We are intentionally keeping the local church as the primary place of ministry. Because of that, we have chosen to keep our conference and district structures lean, trusting that our greatest resources for ministry are found in our local congregations. This decision, however, places significant demands on those who step forward to lead at the conference and district level. To help provide clarity and sustainability, we have narrowed the focus of our Presiding Elders to three primary responsibilities: pastors to the pastors, appointment making, and charge conferences.
To support this work, we have developed a Presiding Elder Playbook. This resource is designed to align expectations across the conference, help local churches understand our shared processes, and provide guidance for current and future Presiding Elders. The Playbook is available on theClergy Resourcespage of our conference website, and can be found HERE.
This work is grounded in Paul’s words in Ephesians 4: “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Leadership in the Church exists not to do all the ministry, but to equip God’s people for it.
The Presiding Elder Playbook is a living document, and it will continue to grow as we learn together. My hope is that it will help equip our leaders, strengthen our churches, and keep us focused on our shared mission of building up the body of Christ. I encourage you to review the Playbook and to pray for our Presiding Elders as they serve among us. I am deeply grateful for the seventeen women and men who have stepped into this role with faith, humility, and generosity. They carry significant responsibility while continuing to lead in their local churches, and their willingness to serve in this way is a gift to our entire conference. Please join me in thanking God for them and in offering your ongoing prayers and encouragement.
