2016 United Methodist Book of Discipline
Section XVII - United Methodist Men

¶ 2301. There shall be a General Commission on United Methodist Men in The United Methodist Church.  The general commission shall be amenable to the General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Between sessions of the General Conference, the general commission shall be accountable to the Connectional Table by reporting and interpreting activities in its purpose (¶ 702.3).

¶ 2302. Purpose—The General Commission on United Methodist Men shall have primary oversight for the coordination and resourcing of men’s ministry within The United Methodist Church.

1. United Methodist Men exists to declare the centrality of Christ in every man’s life. Men’s ministry leads to the spiritual growth of men and effective discipleship. This purpose is served as men are called to model the servant leadership of Jesus Christ.
2. Individual and group strategies form the foundation of UMMen ministry: 
   1. a) enhance Evangelism, Mission, and Spiritual Life (EMS), as men become servant leaders. 
   2. b) advocate programs that train men within local churches to promote specific ministries including prayer, missions, stewardship, and  civic/youth-serving ministries. 
   3. c) forge pastoral partnerships by men committed to the effective support and service of clergy and local congregations. 
   4. d) enhance organizational strength by effective leadership, resources, membership growth, and financial accountability. 
   5. e) assist men in their ever-changing relationships, roles and responsibilities in their family setting, workplace, and society. 
   6. f) cultivate leadership among men for a policy of no tolerance of sexual harassment in family, church, workplace and society 
   7. g) understand the organization, doctrines, and beliefs of The United Methodist Church. 
   8. h) fulfill the membership vows through commitment to prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness in congregational life. 
   9. i) fulfill the Great Commission with and through The United Methodist Church as one part of the body of Christ.
3. To provide support services to promote the ministry and growth of United Methodist Men: 
   1. a) provide specific and optional models for men in the local church, district, annual conference, and jurisdiction; 
   2. b) maintain effective communications and cooperation with the National Association of Conference Presidents of United Methodist Men and other national organizations representing the central conferences and other worldwide Methodist liaisons;
   3. c) promote the annual certification of local church men’s ministry and the chartering/annual renewal of local church men’s units (¶ 256.6) with the General Commission on United Methodist Men.
4. To provide resources that assist men in their growing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and his church: 
   1. a) programs of evangelism that are geared to men’s needs in cooperation with all areas of the Church dealing with the area of evangelism that model to men that witness is an integral part of daily life; 
   2. b) programs of mission in cooperation with all areas of the Church dealing with missional opportunities enabling men for outreach and service as an integral part of their Christian discipleship; 
   3. c) programs of spiritual life in cooperation with areas of faith development will assist men to realize that witness and outreach, with mission and ministry, become extensions of their faith development and their personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ; 
   4. d) programs of stewardship in cooperation with the area of stewardship that will lead men to an understanding of their responsibility as stewards of God’s creation and personal stewardship of time, talent, money, and prayer; 
   5. e) programs that affirm the role of men in their family situations; 
   6. f) to advocate, research, and develop programs for The United Methodist Church to minister to and through men; g) program partnership with The Upper Room in the Living Prayer Center ministry, including support for toll free telephone service and promotion. At all levels of the United Methodist Men’s network there shall be prayer advocates; 
   7. h) United Methodist Men shall be in partnership with other general agencies and be a resource for men engaged in restorative justice and prison ministries. 
5. The General Commission will provide resources and support for the office of Civic Youth-Serving Agencies/Scouting Ministries:
   1. a) to provide training of local church, district, annual conference, and jurisdictional scouting coordinators;
   2. b) to promote and counsel with youth-serving organizations selected at the discretion of the commission; 
   3. c) to coordinate, promote, and resource as needed annual conference Bishop’s Dinners for Scouting. 

¶ 2303. Membership

1. 1. The commission shall consist of twenty (20) voting members as defined in ¶ 705.3 in the General Provisions and ¶ 537. Other paragraphs of the Discipline notwithstanding, members of the commission holding membership by office or organization, may serve a maximum of three consecutive terms. The membership shall be composed of:
   1. a) three bishops, including at least one from the central conferences, named by the Council of Bishops; 
   2. b) the five (5) jurisdictional presidents of United Methodist Men; 
   3. c) the president of the National Association of Conference Presidents of United Methodist Men; 
   4. d) two central conference members named by the Council of Bishops; 
   5. e) the president of the United Methodist Men Foundation; 
   6. f) eight (8) members at large elected by the commission 
   7. for inclusiveness, expertise, and balance, which should include at least one young person under the age of 30 and at least two members of the commission from the previous quadrennium.;
   8. g) The commission may include one representative from a men’s ministry from a Pan-Methodist Church.
2. Vacancies—Vacancies in the general commission membership shall be filled by procedures defined in ¶ 712 of the General Provisions.
3. Officers—The General Commission on United Methodist Men shall elect as its officers a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and other such officers as it shall deem necessary. In addition, the president of the National Association of Conference Presidents of United Methodist Men shall also be considered an officer.  
4. Staff—The General Commission on United Methodist Men shall elect quadrennially by ballot its general secretary, who shall provide executive, administrative, and programmatic leadership . The commission shall elect such other staff members as needs require within the General Conference mandates and the authority vested in the commission to develop policies and programs directed toward the realization of its purpose. 
5. Meetings—The general commission shall meet annually, with such additional meetings as needs demand.
6. Funding—The General Council on Finance and Administration shall make provision for the necessary support of the work of the commission by providing World Service Funds to complement the direct revenue and contributions from United Methodist Men. 
7. Advisory panel—The commission may create an advisory panel consisting of representatives of affiliated organizations.

Please direct questions to ConMin@flumc.org