Eastern
Pennsylvania Conference
Board of Ordained Ministry
Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Website ________________
________________
Conference Relations Comittee
Paragraph 337 of the 2008 Book of Discipline states that "all elders in full connection who are in good standing in an annual conference shall be continued under appointment by the bishop unless they are granted a sabbatical leave, an incapacity leave (¶357), family leave, a leave of absence, retirement, or have failed to meet the requirements of continued eligibility (¶334.2, .3)." These words not only refer to the reality of "guaranteed appointment" on the part of the bishop and conference but also the responsibility of ordained Elders and Deacons to initiate requests for changes in their conference relationship status when the need arises. The Board of Ordained Ministry committee that oversees changes in conference relationship status is the Conference Relations Committee.
If you are in need of seeking a change in your conference relationship status, please contact Lloyd Speer, Conference Relations Committee Chairperson. You may do so in any of the following ways:
By Mail
100 West Market Street PO Box 457 Jonestown, PA 17038
By Phone
717-865-4369
Or by email
Persons who are on leave in any of the ways listed in Paragraph 337 are required to be in contact with the Board of Ordained Ministry annually through the Conference Relations Committee. This contact involves the submission of one of the forms below, and in some cases the submission of other documentation. In certain situations, it also requires an interview with the committee.
If you are unsure about what items you should be submitting, or if you need to meet with the Conference Relations Committee, please contact the Conference Relations Committee Chairperson. Annual Forms to be submitted by those on leave (whether to initially request such a leave or annually to renew such a leave), or to request an end to a leave, include:
Voluntary Leaves of Absence Form
Annual Report Form For Family Leave
Application for Change in Clergy Relationship to the Annual Conference
Application for Readmission to Clergy Relationship with Annual Conference
Please note: All forms requesting changes in conference relationship status should be submitted to the Conference Relations Committee Chairperson by January 1st of the year one is seeking a change in status (that is, 6 months prior to the July 1st start of the new appointment year). [For more information on this, see paragraphs 354.3 and 354.11 of the 2008 Book of Discipline.]
For those asking for continuation of a leave, the request form, as well as a brief progress report updating the circumstances of one's leave and the last Charge Conference report*, should be submitted.
*All persons on Leave of Absence, Family Leave, or Honorable Location are required to have a Charge Conference relationship with a congregation in the annual conference in which they hold membership (Paragraph 354.8, 2008 Book of Discipline), AND submit a report to that Charge Conference annually. The report is to detail all pastoral activities in which they have participated since their last Charge Conference report.
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