1. Conference Organization Structure
Mission Shaped Future
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Conference Organization Structure

2. We are a part of The United Methodist Church The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches and extension ministries of the Church provide the most significant arenas through which disciple-making occurs. (¶ 120, The 2016 Book of Discipline)
UMC Mission

3. The Mountain Sky Conference will reignite a Christian movement that begins with grace, offers abundant life, and reclaims the life-changing love of Jesus Christ for ALL people. This will be the prevailing Christian theme in our area by 2030.
Our Goal

4. Our Values Accountable to the Triune God, communities and each other
Intentionally inclusive
Collaborative and in partnership
On the experimental edge of ministry
Outwardly focused church
Our Values

5. Guiding Principles Strengthen Lay & Clergy Partnership
Strengthen Districts & Circuits
Reduce Institutional Burden
Free People and Teams for Transformational Action
Guiding Principles

6. "Annual conferences are permitted the flexibility to design conference and district structures in ways that best support the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ in an increasingly diverse global community and that place secondary any prescribed structure, except for the mandated entities in ¶ 610 above. …Further, conferences are permitted to create contextually appropriate structures that encourage collaboration and partnerships among all program, administrative, and financial entities.”
Book of Discipline ¶ 610.1

7. “Thriving 21st Century organizations are not driven by top-down, command-and-control decision-making processes. On the contrary, they decentralize decision-making power into small groups/teams that can be more innovative and responsive.”
John Wimberly

8. “Highly successful 21st Century organizations (tech companies, the U.S. military, non-profits, etc.) are using teams to replace committees, boards and councils.”
John Wimberly

9. Committees are oriented toward governance, as one governing body “commits” some of its authority to another group.
Teams are action oriented, made up of team members who possess the specific skill sets needed to achieve the team’s assignment.
Committees & Teams
Committee
Team

10. Committee & Team Formation
Committees are standing and members are named through the conference nominations process.
Teams can be created by conference leadership, committees, or staff. They live until they meet their objectives and a missional purpose to them.
Committee & Team Formation
Committee
Team

11. Senior Executive for Transition and Conference Culture (Transitional Leader) will help create a single conference culture and will develop a transition timeline to handle the many issues that will come up in the transition from two to one conferences.
Superintendent of Leadership Development & Director of Connectional Ministries (DCM) cultivates new leadership at all levels of the conference.
Superintendent of Community & Congregational Development cultivates vital churches and empowers their witness of mercy and justice.
Congregational Resource Ministers deploy resources at the local church, circuit, and district level empowering congregations to live out their mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. (Can be lay or clergy)
District Administrators oversee the administrative life of the district and work with local churches to be better equipped to meet their administrative needs.
Staff Definitions

12. From Overhead to Supportive Foundation
Responsible Stewardship
Leadership Development
Community Engagement
Congregational Vitality
Communication
Mountain Sky Roundtable
District Table
Local Church
Circuit
Community
From Overhead to Supportive Foundation 12

13. Reigniting our movement
Mountain Sky
Roundtable
Leadership Development
Communication
Reigniting our movement
Local Churches and Circuits
Congregational Vitality
Responsible Stewardship
Community Engagement

14. Local Churches & Circuits
Appointed/Assigned Clergy
Local Church Lay Leaders
Circuit Leaders
Circuit Lay Leaders
United Methodist Women
United Methodist Men
United Methodist Youth Fellowship
Lay Servants
Certified Lay Ministers
Local Churches & Circuits

15. Deploying resources and support to local churches and circuits for increased vitality and community engagement.
Focus
Personal Contact
Contextualizing Ministry
Resourcing Congregations
District Table

16. District Table District Superintendent § District Lay Leader
Congregational Resource Minister §
District Administrator §
Circuit Leader Rep.
Council on Youth Ministry District Rep.
District UMW President
District UMM President
District Lay Servant Coordinator
DCOM Rep.
At Large Members
Others as needed
District Table
Key
§ Staff
Committee
Team

17. Leadership Development
Developing people for leadership in today’s church and world.
Focus
Equipping Excellence
Guiding Discernment
Nurturing Call
Associated Committees
Board of Laity (¶631)
Board of Ordained Ministry (¶635)
Administrative Review Committee (❡636)
Committee on Investigation (❡ 2703)
Book of Discipline Roles Assumed by Leadership Development Committee
Council on Young Adult Ministry (¶650)
Board of Higher Education & Campus Ministry (¶634)
Council on Youth Ministry (¶649)
Safe Sanctuary Task Force
Commission on Equitable Compensation (¶625)
Nominations Committee
Leadership Development

18. Leadership Development
Board of Ordained Ministry
Superintendent of Leadership Development §
Cabinet Liaison §
Board of Ordained Ministry Rep.
Board of Laity Rep.
Elected Members (6-8)
Leadership Development
Campus Ministry Team
Youth Leadership Team
Board of Laity
Key
§ Staff
Committee
Team

19. Congregational Vitality
Equipping congregations and disciples for vital ministry
Focus
Strengthening Churches
Creating Faith Communities
Developing Disciples
Book of Discipline Roles Assumed by Congregational Vitality Committee
Board of Discipleship (¶630)
Small Membership Church (¶645)
Congregational Vitality

20. Congregational Vitality
Superintendent of Community & Congregational Development §
Cabinet Liaison §
Elected Members (6-8) *
*At least two people from rural/small churches
Whole Church Initiative
Congregational Vitality
Invitational Evangelism
Key
§ Staff
Committee
Team

21. Mobilizing the church and communities to transform the world.
Focus
Living Faithfully
Acting Courageously
Loving Boldly
Book of Discipline Roles Assumed by Community Engagement Committee
Global Ministries (¶633)
Church and Society (¶629)
Hispanic/Latino Ministries (¶655)
Ethnic Ministries (¶632)
Committee on Native American Ministry (¶654)
Disabilities Concerns (¶653)
Religion and Race (¶643)
Commission on the Status and Role of Women (¶644)
Community Engagement

22. Director of Community & Congregational Engagement §
Team
Director of Community & Congregational Engagement §
Cabinet Liaison §
Elected Members (6-8)
Community Engagement
Team
Team
Team
Team
Key
§ Staff
Committee
Team

23. Community Engagement Team Team Team Team Team
Action oriented teams will be created to address ministry priorities, interest and commitment related to programmatic areas, including:
Missions (UMCOR, Advance, Volunteers in Mission, Missionary Covenant Relationships, Angola Pastors Support, Blackfeet Parish, Intermountain Children’s Home, Mission Adventures)
Mission u
Church & Society and Social Principles
Hispanic/Latino Ministries
CONAM (Committee on Native American Ministry)
Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations
Disability Concerns
Religion and Race
Commission on the Status and Role of Women
Emerging Topical Issues and Ministry Priorities
Community Engagement
Team
Team
Team
Team
Team

24. Responsible Stewardship
Facilitating administrative ministries of the conference
Focus
Cultivating Resources
Financial Transparency
Missional Budgeting
Associated Committees
Board of Trustees (¶640 & ¶2512)
Council on Finance & Administration (¶611)
Board of Pension & Health (¶639)
Commission on Archives & History (¶641)
Book of Discipline Roles Assumed by Responsible Stewardship
Personnel Policies and Practices (¶613)
Responsible Stewardship

25. Responsible Stewardship
Council on Finance & Admin.
Treasurer §
Conference Benefits Officer §
Cabinet Liaison §
Council on Finance & Administration Rep.
Pension & Health Benefits Rep.
Board of Trustees Rep.
Responsible Stewardship
Archives & History
Board of Pension & Health
Board of Trustees
Key
§ Staff
Committee
Team

26. Managing and sharing information and inspiration for the conference.
Focus
Proactive Storytelling
Managing Technology
Connecting Ministry
Book of Discipline Roles Assumed by Communication Team
Commission on Communication (¶646)
Communication

27. Director of Communications §
IT/Database Manager §
Bishop §
Senior Executive for Transition and Conference Culture (Transitional Leader) §
Communication Team
Key
§ Staff
Committee
Team

28. Cross Functional Teams
Annual Session Program and Arrangements
Conference Rules
Cross Functional Teams
Key
§ Staff
Committee
Team

29. Mountain Sky Roundtable
Focusing the mission and ministry of the Mountain Sky Conference
Focus
Fostering the Movement
Establishing Outcomes
Evaluating Progress
Associated Committees
Committee on Episcopacy (¶637)
Mountain Sky Roundtable

30. Mountain Sky Roundtable
The Mountain Sky Roundtable will conduct twice annual evaluations on the mission and ministry of the conference.
Identify metrics for each setting at the roundtable.
Track metrics and identify areas of opportunity.
Implement strategic modifications to support emerging opportunities.
The Mountain Sky Roundtable will conduct evaluations of our conference structure at least every other year.
Is our structure helping us reach our goal of “reigniting a Christian movement…”?
Is the health and vitality of our local churches the primary focus of our conference structure?
Are we demonstrably impacting the health and vitality of our local churches for the better?
Mountain Sky Roundtable

31. Mountain Sky Roundtable
Committee on Episcopacy
Bishop
Dean of Cabinet
Conference Lay Leader(s)
Senior Executive for Transition and Conference Culture (Transitional Leader)
Superintendent of Leadership Development
Superintendent of Community & Congregational Development
Director of Community & Congregational Engagement
Treasurer
Director of Communications
Board of Ordained Ministry Rep.
Congregational Resource Minister Rep.
Status and Role of Women Rep.
Religion and Race Rep.
Congregational Vitality Lay Member
Leadership Development Lay Member
Community Engagement Lay Member
Responsible Stewardship Lay Member
Member Committee on Episcopacy
Member Status & Role of Women Commission
Member Religion and Race Commission
Youth Rep.
Mountain Sky Roundtable
Admin. Review Committee

32. Living into our Guiding Principles
Strengthen Lay & Clergy Partnership
Ensuring laity and clergy participate in leadership on all conference committees.
Strengthen Districts & Circuits
District Table is the center of missional strategy.
Congregational Resource Ministers directly equip and resource churches and circuits for health and vitality.
Reduce Institutional Burden
Mountain Sky Conference structure requires 137 people fill required positions. Existing Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone conferences require 557 people to maintain their structures.
Permission giving structures allow for more responsiveness.
Free People and Teams for Transformational Action
420 individuals freed from committee work can express their leadership in the conference by participating in teams aligned to their gifts and passions.
Focusing on teams allows us to deploy people and resources as opportunities and needs arise.
Living into our Guiding Principles