See Elder, Diaconal, Deacon, and Local Pastor definitions below.
323. Ministry of an Elder
The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2000
Elders are ordained ministers who, by God’s grace, have completed their formal preparation and have been commissioned and served as a probationary member, have been found by the Church to be of sound learning, of Christian character, possessing the necessary gifts and evidence of God’s grace, and whose call by God to ordination has been confirmed by the Church. Elders are ordained to a lifetime ministry of Service, Word, Sacrament, and Order. They are authorized to preach and teach the Word of God, to administer the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, and to order the life of the Church for mission and ministry. The servant leadership of the elder is expressed by leading the people of God in worship and prayer, by leading persons to faith in Jesus Christ, by exercising pastoral supervision in the congregation, and by leading the Church in obedience to mission in the world.As members of the Order of Elder, all elders are in covenant with all other elders in the annual conference and shall participate in the life of their Order.
Section II. The Nature of Diaconal Ministry
The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 1992
302. The words deacon, deaconess, deaconate, and diaconal all spring from a common Greek root—diakonia, or "service." Very early in its history the Church instituted an order of ordained ministers to personify or focus the servanthood to which all Christians are called. These people were named deacons.Those who were called to this representative ministry of service in the Church and world may be set apart to the office of diaconal minister. This ministry exemplifies the servanthood every Christian is called to live in both Church and world. Participating with elder in the leadership of worship, working in a serving-profession in the Church,and serving the needs of the poor, the sick, or oppressed, the diaconal minister embodies the unity of the congregation’s worship with its life in the world.The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2000.
366. Transitional Provisions for Those Beginning Candidacy Before January 1, 1997--1. All persons having begun candidacy for diaconal ministry, deacon’s and elder’s ordination and conference membership, or full-time local pastors prior to January 1, 1997, will be allowed to proceed under the provisions of the 1992 Book of Discipline ( 305–306, 419–421). These continuing procedures must be completed under the provisions set forth in the 1992 Book of Discipline prior to December 31, 2008, after which date the provisions of the current Book of Discipline will govern the process by which persons enter ministry. All persons continuing as diaconal ministers will be cared for under 305–317 of the 1992 Book of Discipline.2. Persons with the status of associate members in good standing as of January 1, 1997, may, upon the recommendation of the conference board of ordained ministry and election by a two-thirds vote of the clergy session, be elected full members of the annual conference and ordained elders. This option shall be available until December 31, 2004.
319. The Ministry of a Deacon
The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2000
From among the baptized, deacons are called by God to a lifetime of servant leadership, authorized by the Church, and ordained by a bishop. Deacons fulfill servant ministry in the world and lead the Church in relating the gathered life of Christians to their ministries in the world, interrelating worship in the gathered community with service to God in the world. Deacons give leadership in the Church’s life: in the teaching and proclamation of the Word; in worship, and in assisting the elders in the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper; in forming and nurturing disciples; in conducting marriages and burying the dead; in the congregation’s mission to the world; and in leading the congregation in interpreting the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world. It is the deacons, in both person and function, whose distinctive ministry is to embody, articulate, and lead the whole people of God in its servant ministry. From the earliest days of the church, deacons were called and set apart for the ministry of love, justice, and service; of connecting the church with the most needy, neglected, and marginalized among the children of God. This ministry grows out of the Wesleyan passion for social holiness and ministry among the poor.Deacons lead the congregation in its servant ministry and equip and support all baptized Christians in their ministry. The distinct ministry of the deacon has evolved in United Methodism over many years—the continuing work of the deaconess, the home missionary, and the diaconal minister. The Church, recognizing the gifts and impact of all predecessor embodiments of the diaconate and providing for the continuation of the office of deaconess, affirms that this distinctiveness is made visible and central to the Church’s life and ministry through ordination and that the ministry of the deacon is a faithful response of the mission of the Church meeting the emerging needs of the future. Deacons are accountable to the annual conference and the bishop for the fulfillment of their call to servant leadership.
The Ministry of a Local Pastor
The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2000
340. License for Pastoral Ministry
All persons not ordained as elders who are appointed to preach and conduct divine worship and perform the duties of a pastor shall have a license for pastoral ministry. The board of ordained ministry (632.2g) may recommend to the executive session of the annual conference the licensing of those persons who are:
1. Probationary members commissioned by the annual conference, or
2. Local pastors who have completed the following:
a) The conditions for candidacy certification in 306.2–4;
b) The studies for the license as a local pastor as prescribed and supervised by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry or one-third of their work for a Master of Divinity degree at a school of theology listed by the University Senate;
c) Been examined and recommended by the district committee on ordained ministry;
d) Been approved by the board of ordained ministry ( 632.2g); and
e) Provided the board with a satisfactory certificate of good health on a prescribed form from a physician approved by that board if being appointed as a full-time local pastor. This process shall be in accordance with the guidelines provided through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, Division of Ordained Ministry. The conference may require psychological and/or psychiatric tests and evaluations to provide additional information to qualify for such coverage. 341.
Authority and Duties of License for Pastoral Ministry –
1.Probationary members approved annually by the board of ordained ministry and local pastors approved annually by the district committee on ordained ministry may be licensed by the bishop to perform all the duties of a pastor (331), including the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion as well as the service of marriage (where state laws allow),25 burial, confirmation, and membership reception, while appointed to a particular charge. For the purposes of these paragraphs the charge will be defined as "people within or related to the community being served." While local pastors are not eligible for appointment to extension ministries, probationary members may be appointed to extension ministries approved by the bishop and the board of ordained ministry.