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BY DAVID BOHNERT
UMCONNECTION CORRESPONDENT

The Baltimore-Washington Conference took a dramatic step to better resource local churches for ministry, by voting May 28 to streamline the conference structure and shift the focus of its efforts to empower the Discipleship Adventure.

The driving vision for these changes is the mandate to 'Become like Christ through our congregations/ministries.'

In a report by the Commission on Planning, Research and Evaluation, delivered by chairman, the Rev. Anders Lunt, the new organizational plan and strategic vision were announced.

The new structure centers around freeing staff and leaders to work directly with congregations, which will be the

primary entity for the mission of calling, equipping, sending and supporting discipling leaders.

A Connectional Table, designed to interpret and promote the vision and mission of the conference, will coordinate strategic work between the four councils: discipleship, leadership, communication and stewardship development.

Each of the four councils will oversee and support the cooperative efforts of church and conference leaders and staff to resource congregations as they engage in the discipleship journey. That journey, also known as the Discipleship Adventure, includes five key components: celebrating, connecting, developing, serving, and sharing the faith.

The Discipleship Council will replace the current Council on Ministries, providing resources for all five components of the Discipleship Adventure. All other areas will support this ministry to make disciples for the transformation of the world.

The Leadership Council, taking on most of the Council on Human Resource Development?s work, will include the boards of Laity and Ordained Ministry; the orders of Elders and Deacons; the Fellowship of Local Pastors; the Commission on the Status and Role of Women; and lay and clergy leadership development.

The Communications Council, like the current Commission on Communications, will oversee reporting of news and information, public relations, marketing, training and resources for local church communicators.

The Stewardship Council, currently the Council on Finance and Administration, will oversee development and management of financial resources, including apportionments, stewardship education, investments and planned giving, the conference?s affiliated foundation, and the boards of Trustees and Pensions and Health Benefits.

The four new councils will support and evaluate the work of some existing boards and committees ? such as Ordained Ministry and Trustees.

Many of the other groups will now be called ministry teams, that will bring together diverse people who share a passion and a sense of calling to develop strategies and activities to engage congregations in the Discipleship Adventure.

Conference staff will focus more on providing resources for clergy and congregations, and less time staffing the organizational structure.

One goal of the reorganization would be to reduce the number of governing boards and committees in the conference ? as well as the size of their memberships ? in favor of more ministry teams. Another goal would be to reduce the number of meetings.

At the annual conference session, the new structure was passed in principle and will be revised as the conference 'lives into it.' Adjustments to the plan will be presented at the 2006 annual conference.

The new structure is required to be reviewed by the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church ? the denomination?s 'Supreme Court' ? to ensure that it is in keeping with the denomination?s book of Discipline, or church law.

Additional information on the Discipleship Adventure and the conference?s new structure can be found at the conference Web site at www.bwcumc.org.