Guidelines for Use of Conference Chancellor

To: Local Church Treasurers/Finance Chairs
From: Rich Marsh/Conference Chancellor
Date: September 7, 2007

Subject: Conference Guidelines On Local Church Access To Conference Chancellor (PDF)

Dear Treasurer:

This letter introduces the enclosed “Guidelines”, and encourages you to share this information with your pastor(s), Board of Trustees, Administrative Council and other leaders in your church. Other than sharing this information, no action is expected of you or your church.

1. What is a “Chancellor”? The chancellor is an attorney who functions as general counsel to the Bishop, the Cabinet, and various Conference boards, agencies and committees. (See, 2004 Book of Discipline 603.8)

2. Who does the chancellor represent? The chancellor represents the Conference and the Episcopal Office of the Conference. Unless specifically requested to do so, the chancellor does not “automatically” represent any of the local churches in our Conference. One purpose for the “Guidelines” is to clarify how a local church may seek representation by the chancellor.

3. What does a “Chancellor” do? The chancellor advises the Bishop, the Conference and local churches on a wide range of issues. Most questions concern (1) the Book of Discipline; (2) property of all kinds; (3) financing; (4) personnel/employment; and (5) claims and litigation.

4. When should the chancellor be called in? The Conference Treasurer and district superintendents are trained to answer many of the routine administrative and disciplinary questions that arise in the life of a local church. Their input should be sought first. They also have a good sense for when to seek the chancellor’s input. There may also be occasions which call for immediate consultation with an attorney. The Guidelines anticipate all of these situations.

5. Who pays for the chancellor’s services and how much? The Conference pays for the first two hours of local church consultation with the chancellor. When a matter is likely to exceed this guideline, the local church either needs to retain the chancellor for continued representation, or seek legal counsel of its own choosing. In either case, the local church is responsible for the cost of continued services. The chancellor will generally charge the same rate to local churches as is charged to the Conference. That rate is currently $125/hour.

Thank you for your faithful service.

Note: The Guidelines have received approval from the Bishop and Cabinet, the Council on Finance and Administration, and the Conference Board of Trustees.

Guidelines (HTML | PDF | RTF)