Covenant for CHUMC Leaders
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for
you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
1. We seek to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
2. We seek to be faithful to the mission of The United Methodist Church in helping God to
make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation and reconciliation of the world.
3. We participate in God’s mission as partners in ministry, recognizing that our God-given
gifts, experiences, and resources (be they spiritual, missional or financial) are of equal
value (paraphrased from Book of Discipline, Section 1, paragraph 125).
4. We will be intentional to communicate about our ministries to each other including
accomplishments, needs, struggles, fears, dreams, etc.
5. As guiding principles in our decision-making, we will honor diversity of thought, strive to
find common ground, and not allow the perspectives of our marginalized communities to
be kept in the margins - we will bring them to the center.”
6. We will be intentional about discerning, naming, and inviting members of our CHUMC
community to live out our calls and gifts in the life of the church with our support.
7. We will lead with grace and love (as understood by 1 Corinthians 13), giving others the
benefit of the doubt. In all our interactions, we will seek to embody the fruit of the spirit:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control
(Galatians 5:22-23). When appropriate, we will use the principles of Matthew 18 to lead
us to conflict resolution with one another. In the event a conflict leads to statements or
conduct that inflicts racialized harm or discrimination of any kind (whether intended or
unintended), that behavior and harm must be addressed at the moment that it is
perpetuated. By doing this, we live out our baptismal vow to resist injustice and
oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.
8. We seek to be faithful financial stewards, committed to seeing all the needs of the
church. We will work with Finance and Invested Funds Committees and follow financial
policies and guidelines.
9. Above all, we will pray for Capitol Hill United Methodist church, its ministries, leaders,
and congregation regularly. We will pray that we can truly be ”the heart of God” in the
broader community and we will pray for the people who are not yet a part of our
community that God may want us to connect with in the future.
Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus Philippians 2:4-5
CODE OF CONDUCT
We each commit to:
● Upholding the church’s governance responsibilities without engaging in day-to-day
management
● Ensuring the church operates in alignment with its mission and strategic goals
● Holding pastors and clergy accountable to the church’s mission, vision, and objectives,
in partnership with the District Superintendent
● Attending and actively participating in monthly [one board - name TBD] meetings as
much as possible, coming with an open mind and being fully present
● Participating in an annual Leadership and Strategic Planning retreat to align on vision
and strategies
● Promoting a culture of accountability by identifying needed resources, providing support
and encouragement, and facilitating clarity in decision-making
● Participating in all board decisions with prayerful discernment and thoughtful discussion,
understanding that there may be differences among members. To the congregation, we
will support board decisions and respect its collective work.Engaging in broad thinking to
discern future ministry needs and opportunities for congregational growth
● Leading and organizing short-term work teams as needed to fulfill specific goals
● Managing church assets, personnel policies, and building safety
● Giving criticism kindly and taking criticism gracefully
● Reading materials in advance and coming prepared to board meetings
● Reading and responding to board emails in a timely manner
● Maintaining confidentiality, as appropriate
● Worshipping regularly
● Praying daily for the church, its leaders, and its ministries
● Giving of our time, talents, gifts, services, and witness
● Playing both a visible role in worship (e.g., greeter, usher, liturgist) and a less visible role
(e.g., offering counter, signing checks)
● Inviting new people to CHUMC
● Growing in our faith through a small group, short-term study, or accountability partner
● Financial pledging and giving to church, seeking to increase what we give each year
● Honoring diversity of thought, striving to find common ground, and not allowing the
perspectives of our marginalized communities to be kept in the margins - we will bring
them to the center.
● Holding each other accountable for our commitment to this covenant