Fall Meeting & Charge Conference --

Greetings to each of you in the name of our Lord! It is a joy to serve in ministry together. We are excited to partner with you in ministry in the year ahead and to witness all that God has in store for our churches and communities.

We look forward to connecting with and encouraging the leadership of our Scioto River District local churches during this year’s Fall Meetings. Our gathering will feature Rev. Beth Ortiz, Executive Director of Connectional Ministries for the East Ohio and West Ohio Conferences. Rev. Ortiz will continue the conversation around Bishop Jung’s Vision Statement and the SEED Process, with special emphasis on the final two components: Equip and Deploy.

As part of our time together, we will celebrate the ministries and accomplishments of our local churches and complete the required Charge Conference business. Charge Conference paperwork will be reviewed, consecrated, and signed by an Elder and/or the District Superintendent during the meeting. Churches wishing to hold an individual Charge Conference should contact the District Office for guidance and scheduling information.

Every church is required to hold a charge conference (or annual meeting) to prepare for a new year of ministry. “The primary responsibility of the Local Church Annual Charge Conference is to review and evaluate the total mission and ministry of the church, receive reports, and adopt objectives and goals recommended by the church council/leadership team that are in keeping with the objectives of The United Methodist Church.” (2020/2024 UMC Discipline, ¶246-252)

To begin planning for 2027, your church leadership should have a Church Council/Leadership Team/Administrative Board meeting to review, approve and prepare the documents that will be presented at the regional charge conferences. Minutes must be recorded for the session in which this information was shared and approved. The following items should be addressed before the regional charge conference (based on the worksheets and agenda that can be found on the West Ohio Conference website):

• Update Church information (worship hours, basic church information)
• Update Church History
• Recommend candidates for ordained, licensed or lay ministry
• Elect new leadership
• Review membership records
• Assess and set the 2027 compensation for the pastor (minimum requirements posted on West Ohio website)
• Review church property and update insurance policies (declaration page to be provided)
• Review and update safe sanctuary policies (A new Safer Sanctuary policy must be provided)
• Inspect the parsonage

As in the past, worksheets and forms can be accessed and completed online. Information for 2027 will be entered under ‘2026 Charge Conference’ on the My Church tab of the West Ohio Conference website. To access the complete packet, go to www.westohioumc.org select ‘Stewardship and Finance’ from the menu bar, then select ‘Charge Conference & Annual Report Forms”. If you need printed copies, please contact the district office. We ask that you bring any printed forms that weren’t uploaded to MyChurch and the final signature page to the charge conference.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the district office. We look forward to seeing you and hearing about the ministries of your church and in your community!

DOWNLOAD CHARGE CONFERENCE FORMS

LUNCH WILL BE SERVED, REGISTER BY OCTOBER 15