Transforming lives by sharing the love of Jesus
Local Church Governance and Committees (2025):
Additional information on Committee Roles and Responsibilities may be found at the cited paragraph (¶):
https://globalmethodist.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Transitional-Discipline.20211010-1.pdf
Find our Church By-Laws at:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LrKhlkXQ3pWwZ1jSAWFgVITLRxhnmcch/view?usp=sharing
Church Council (Formerly the Governing Board):
Current Chair - Melanie Abernathy melaniesabernathy@gmail.com
¶ 343. THE CHURCH COUNCIL. The church council, or its equivalent governing body, shall provide for planning and
implementing a ministry of evangelizing and spreading scriptural holiness through nurture, outreach, witness, and
resources in the local church. It shall also provide for the administration of its organization and temporal life. It
shall envision, plan, implement, and annually evaluate the mission and ministry of the church. The church council
shall be amenable to and function as the administrative agency of the charge conference.
Nominations and Leadership Development:
Current Chair - Reverend Dr. Barry Drum pastorbarry@fmcmhnc.org 704-827-4855
¶ 344. The pastor shall be the chairperson. A layperson elected by the committee shall serve as the vice
chairperson of the committee. The Nominations and Leadership Development Committee shall serve
throughout the year to guide the church council on maters regarding the leadership (other than employed staff) of
the congregation, so as to focus on mission and ministry as the context for service; guide the development and
training of spiritual leaders; recruit, nurture, and support spiritual leaders; and assist the church council in
assessing changing leadership needs.
Staff-Parish Relations:
Current Chair - Deborah Cauthen dcauthendiamondc@bellsouth.net
¶ 345. PASTOR-PARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE. 1. As the charge conference determines, there may be elected
annually by that conference a Pastor-Parish Relations Committee or its equivalent composed of professing
members of the local church or charge, or the committee’s responsibilities may be assigned to a different group.
Where the church employs additional program staff beyond the pastor in charge, the committee may be
structured as the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, with the same responsibilities. People serving on this
committee must be engaged in and attentive to their Christian spiritual development to give proper leadership in
the committee’s responsibilities
Trustees:
Current Chair - Karen Hefner kkgnh@aol.com 704-301-4716
¶ 346. BOARD OF TRUSTEES. Unless otherwise provided for in the governance structure of a local church, within
each congregation of the Global Methodist Church there shall be a Board of Trustees, consisting of at least five
professing members of the church representing the gender, race, and age of the congregation, provided that all
members shall be of legal age as determined by the relevant and controlling civil law. The pastor of the
congregation(s) shall be a member with voice but without vote of the Board of Trustees and may not be counted
for the purpose of achieving a quorum or calculating a majority.
Finance:
Current Chair - Tina Felton Hgproperties@outlook.com
¶ 347. FINANCE COMMITTEE. As the charge conference determines, there may be elected annually by that
conference a Finance Committee or its equivalent composed of the committee chairperson, the pastor(s), a lay
member of the annual conference, the chairperson of the church council, the chairperson or designee of the
Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, a representative of the Board of Trustees to be selected by that board, the
chairperson of the ministry group on stewardship (if any), the lay leader, the financial secretary, the treasurer, the
church business administrator (if any), and other members to be added as the charge conference may determine.
Worship Committee:
Current Co-Chairs: Diane Carpenter (Idc1026@aol.com), Colby Lowe (colbyacca@gmail.com)
Link to Responsibilities:
Stewardship, Planning and Communications:
Current Chair: Gehrig Wiles gehrig@fmcmhnc.org
Link to Mission, Relationship, and Responsibilities: