Zachary United Methodist Church
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LAY ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

The most notable single step of progress in the organization of the Methodist Church during the decade following the Civil War was the admittance of laymen as members of the General conference in 1872. When we consider the important part which laymen have played in Methodism from the very beginning, it seems strange and incomprehensible that it should have taken 50 years of struggle for laymen to be admitted to the highest governing body of the church.

The reasons are that American Methodism inherited from both Wesley and Asbury a certain autocratic spirit and that the church prospered while under absolute authority from the bishops, Also, there was a reluctance of the group to relinquish special privileges they enjoyed. But history has proven that the decision in 1872 was correct, as laymen now provide leadership in all areas of the church. During this 100 years Zachary United Methodist Church has had a very dedicated group of Lay Leadership. The present Lay Leader is Carla Murray.

Each year the Nominating committee submits for our consideration a list of qualified persons to serve in the various offices of our church. These people become our leaders, and they seek to augment a program that will address the needs and the goals of our denomination, which includes our local church. Many of these officers, by virtue of their particular tasks, form the governing body of the Zachary United Methodist Church, which is the Church Council.

This Council is ultimately responsible for all the activities of our church within the structure of Methodism as contained in the Book of Discipline. In essence, the Council, as a group, speaks and acts for you and every member of the church.

The Church Council  is composed of lay persons, with the exception of the residing minister, but the church did not permit this involvement until 1872-some fifty years following the establishment of Methodism in America. This action admitted lay persons to the General Conference and created a system of governing authority as it pertained to the local church.

Officially designated as the Board of Stewards, this body usually was formed from the most prominent and interested supporters of the church. Although their responsibilities were similar to those of our present Church Council, their concerns were primarily of a financial nature. These people were both solicitors and collectors of funds to operate the church, In fact, each Steward was assigned a list of members to contact in this regard. He would then collect the pledges and duly deposit with the Treasurer of the Board the results of his efforts, This duty was performed monthly.

This system was very effective at our church for a number of years, but discontinued in 1953 in favor of an envelope system because of the growth of our congregation. The envelope option required the services of a financial secretary, but it relieved the responsibilities of the individual member of the Board of Stewards.

In 1948, which was previous to the installation of the envelope system, the Board of Stewards was renamed the Official Board. This action did not affect the previous members of the Board of Stewards, but the change did alter the composition of the governing body of the church which mandated the election of certain persons to the Board. By virtue of their respective duties in the church, these members assured a greater representation of all age groups and their respective interests.

The Methodist Church and the United Brethern Church merged in 1968, and the Official Board was redesignated as the Administrative Board. At this date, also, the Methodist Church became the United Methodist Church. The Board was changed to the Church Council in 2001.  Henry Baxter is currently Chairperson of the Church Council.