2016 Wesleyan Discipline: Pastor: Assistant

678. A minister who serves as the sole pastor of a church shall be referred to simply as “the pastor.” The term “senior pastor” shall be applied to the presiding minister of a multiple pastoral staff. The pastor shall be expected to carry out the full pastoral function as set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:675, and ultimate responsibility for the same shall rest upon the senior pastor. An associate pastor is a helping member of a multiple staff who normally shares a broad range of the shepherding and teaching responsibilities and such administrative responsibilities as are delegated (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:738). An assistant pastor is a helping member of a multiple staff who normally is assigned more limited and specific aspects of the pastoral function (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:741). 725

(29) To recommend to the local board of administration a potential associate pastor (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:738); to nominate to the local board of administration an assistant pastor (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:741) or a lay assistant to the pastor (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:744); to nominate to the local board of administration all members of the employed staff, except the custodians (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:782:17; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:856:5); and to supervise, with the assistance of the local board of administration, the services of all employed staff members, including the custodians (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:782:17).

741. Assistant Pastor. An assistant pastor is an ordained minister or a commissioned or licensed minister, who is called of God and appointed by the Church to serve under the direction of the senior pastor as assigned by the senior pastor and approved by the local board of administration; this assignment normally includes more limited and specific aspects of the pastoral ministry (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:678). The calling and assignment of the assistant pastor shall be subject to the following guidelines:

(1) The assistant pastor shall have the training, experience, and ministerial standing which are suitable for this assignment.

(2) The assistant pastor is recommended to the local board of administration by the senior pastor. The assistant pastor cannot be employed initially without the express recommendation of the senior pastor and the written approval of the district superintendent. The call cannot be renewed without the express recommendation of the senior pastor. While the local church conference creates the position, the local board of administration employs the person subject to the recommendation of the pastor and approval of the district conference. Employment shall be for one year at a time except that its termination point can never be later than that of the senior pastor.

(3) The assistant pastor’s appointment may be terminated at any time at the pastor’s recommendation and the vote of the local board of administration. The term of service will end whenever there is a change in senior pastor in the local church where service is rendered. Whenever a senior pastor terminates service at a time other than the uniform time of pastoral change (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:700), the assistant pastor’s term shall expire at the succeeding uniform time for such change. The newly called senior pastor may recommend the reemployment of the assistant pastor to the local board of administration.

(4) The office of assistant pastor is an employed position, subject to final approval by the district conference. It is to be assigned to no one as an honor or to provide special status.