Celebrate
the New Structure!
Purpose of
United Methodist Women
- United Methodist Women table of contents
Why Create a New
Structure?
Change
is a necessary part of all organizations if they are to remain
vital. And...
- United Methodist Women is 25 years old;
- We are beginning our second century in
mission.
We are changing:
- More women are employed;
- Women are living longer.
Back to the Top
Where
Do These Changes Come From?
....FROM
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
- Thousands of local women were surveyed.
- Face-to-face meetings were held with 25
conference mission teams, 50 district teams, and 150
local unit Executive Committees.
- United Methodist Women want a streamlined
structure to fit members' busy lives!
Back to the Top
THE NEW
STRUCTURE WENT INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1, 1997
Back to the Top
The Local
Unit Structure
Each Local Unit Can Choose One of Three
Structures to Meet Its Needs:
- 1. Minimum Functions Structure
- This is for units with 15 or fewer active
members. Two or more women are elected to carry out the
functions of administration, finance, program, record
keeping, and nominations.
- 2. Basic Structure
- This remains the same: president, vice
president, secretary, treasurer, secretary of program
resources, and the chair of the Committee on Nominations.
- 3. Expanded Structure
- This structure is the basic structure,
plus one or more mission coordinators.
Back to the Top
Mission
Coordinators
The Four Mission Coordinators and Their
Responsibilities Are:
Spiritual Growth
- coordinates worship, prayer and
meditation;
- promotes A Call to Prayer and Self-Denial;
- involves women in studying the Bible and
theology.
Social Action
- coordinates the unit's program of study
and action relating to current issues;
- coordinates the public policy and
legislative concerns of the unit.
Education and Interpretation
- interprets the mission work of the General
Board of Global Ministries which the Women's Division
supports;
- promotes mission education opportunities
such as unit mission studies and the School of Christian
Mission;
- promotes undesignated giving.
-
Membership Nurture and
Outreach
- works with the Executive Committee to
enlist new members;
- nurtures current members and helps the
unit become a supportive community.
For full descriptions of all officers, order
the new Constitution and Bylaws (#2824 available Nov. 1996) from
the Service Center.
Back to the Top
Other Features of
the New Structure Include...
District
Units
These units are made up of United Methodist
Women from several local churches who meet outside of a local
church. They might meet in a retirement community, college
campus, or downtown location.
Cluster or Charge Units
If a local unit is too small to function
effectively, it could join with another unit to form a cluster
unit. Or women in a local charge could join to form a charge
unit.
District Programs of Local
Unit Visitation
To improve communications between local units
and districts, districts will regularly visit local units or
clusters of units to share programs and information and to
encourage the work of local units.
Back to the Top
See also:
umw@gbgm-umc.org