The following information is taken from the Eastern Association Operational Guidelines, approved at the 2012 Spring Meeting.
Governance
The government of the Association shall be vested in its members who exercise the right of control of its affairs under its head, Jesus Christ.
Representation at regular and special meetings of the Association shall consist of one lay delegate from each local congregation and all ordained, licensed and commissioned ministers with standing in the Association. In addition, each church shall be entitled to representation by one voting youth delegate (a person at least 14 years of age, but not older than 22). A church of 800 or more members shall have one additional delegate and one additional youth delegate.
Association Council
The Council shall oversee the programming of the Association including all meetings of the Association.
The Council shall provide advice and consent vis-à-vis budget, appointments, and any other business of the Association.
It shall set dates and call for the Association regular and special meetings. Council meetings shall be open and persons other than members of the Council may be granted voice.
Executive sessions may be held upon request for items regarding budget, personnel and discipline in areas under Council purview.
2023-2024 Officers
Moderator – Rev. Ryan Travis
Vice Moderator– Dan Waterman
Past Moderator – Terri Smith
Secretary – Sharon Kuzel
Association Committees
Committee on Ministry
Click here to email the COM chairperson.
The committee functions on behalf of the Association. It shall organize itself and report actions or recommendations to the Council. It will receive and support Students-In-Care of the Association from its churches. It shall schedule and moderate Ecclesiastical Councils for Students In-Care recommended for Ordination or for Ministers of other denominations seeking Privilege of Call in the United Church of Christ. When an Ordination or Privilege of Call candidate has successfully completed their examination by the Committee on Church and Ministry, the next step in the approval process is an Ecclesiastical Council. An Ecclesiastical Council is an officially called meeting of representatives (clergy and lay) of the Association churches gathered to determine a candidate’s readiness for ministry within the United Church of Christ. Each local congregation shall have voting privileges for two lay delegates and all ministers serving in authorized ministry positions within the Association shall also have voting privileges. All persons (delegates, authorized ministers and visitors) shall have voice in the examination, but only delegates and authorized ministers may make motions and vote on such motions. All actions will be approved by a simple majority vote. The committee shall also recommend Local Church Standing, Ministerial Standing, and shall be responsible for determining fitness for ministry of authorized ministers.
All decisions by the Committee on Ministry on issues of ministerial or local church standing are considered final and not subject to appeal, with the exception of a decision by the Committee to revoke or to refuse to grant a person’s authorized ministerial standing. In such a case, an appeal may be made to a Review Committee of the Association which includes members of the Executive Committee of the Association as well as three members from the Committee on Church and Ministry as selected by its membership. An appeal must be filed to the Review Committee within thirty days of the original decision. The appeal must be heard and decision made within thirty days of receipt of the appeal. Such an appeal may include both the process and the sufficiency of information used in the adjudication by the Committee on Church and Ministry as it deliberated its final decision. The Association Moderator will request that the Conference Minister appoint an individual, other than the Association Minister, to staff the process of the review. The outcome of the review may either affirm that process and procedures were followed correctly, and/or that the sufficiency of information gathered was appropriate. Should errors in process or lack of appropriate information be substantiated, the Review Committee will send the case to an Ecclesiastical Council for reconsideration of standing.
The Committee functions under polices of the United Church of Christ as set forth in the MANUAL ON MINISTRY or other policies and guidelines as recommended by the Conference’s Ottawa Table and approved for use by the Committee.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall secure a diversity of candidates, including geographical distribution, for the elective offices of the Council and its committees, and any other elective positions authorized by the Council and/or Conference. A list of nominees and ballot shall be presented to the delegates to the Annual Meeting of the Association. All nominees shall have membership and be in good standing of an Association church.
Budget Committee
Annually the Moderator and Association Minister shall prepare a budget for the Association in accordance with Conference guidelines and shall present such budget to the Council for approval.
Other Committees and task forces may be determined and appointed by the Moderator with Council approval. Committees shall be appointed for a specific term; task forces shall be appointed to function until the task is completed.