GOVERNANCE UPDATe

On February 25, 2025, the Asbury Administrative Council voted to expand its voting membership from ten members to thirteen members. With this change, the Ad Council is consolidating the three governance subcommittees that were a legacy of our membership in the United Methodist Church into one Church Council that will oversee and be responsible for Asbury’s faithfulness and fruitfulness.

This change is another step in a series of changes that were set in motion when we made the decision to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church.

1. We officially disaffiliated in November 2022.

2. Then, we moved from a calendar year to a fiscal year reporting model for our finances in July 2024.

3. We will move to this newly expanded and consolidated Church Council governance structure on July 1, 2025.

The Asbury Church Council is the final decision-making and authoritative body in our church and its responsibilities include every aspect of Asbury’s ministry, including hiring, evaluating, and providing oversight and accountability to our senior pastor. 

We believe that God isn’t finished yet with Asbury, and we believe that these recent governance changes are putting us in the position to move confidently into the future God has for us. Let’s go!

Below are a series of questions and responses that will provide more details about this change in our governance structure.

In addition to the information below, the Ad Council will be hosting one more Q&A session in the CLC on Sunday (6/1), 10:15–10:45 AM.

What are the benefits of this change?

This move to one consolidated Church Council will ensure that all decision-makers are in the same room at the same time every time decisions are made. We believe this will add increased accountability and skin-in-the-game from our church leaders.

Is this change compatible with denominational membership?

Yes. In fact, it would have been possible for Asbury to make this change while still in the United Methodist Church, and there is nothing about this change that would preclude Asbury from joining a denomination in the future.

Does the senior pastor have a vote on the Church Council?

No. The Senior Pastor and Executive Director are non-voting members of the Asbury Church Council. No employees of Asbury Church have voting membership on the Church Council.

How long are the terms for Church Council members?

The terms will be for three years, with the possibility for a term to be renewed one time, giving a member a potential six years of service. After six years of service, a member must leave the Church Council for a period of at least one year before being eligible for nomination again.

Will term lengths be different for the initial members of the Church Council?

Yes. For the first year of the new Church Council, members are divided into three groups, with one group serving for one year, one group serving for two years, and one group serving for three years. After those initial terms are completed, future Church Council members will serve three year terms, as explained above.

Who will be on the initial Church Council and how were they selected?

The Ad Council established an ad hoc working group that was tasked with amending our bylaws to reflect the changes to Asbury’s governance structure, and to identify, screen, and nominate the Church Council members. The nominees had to be members in good standing, active in worship, active in missions or ministry, and give regularly to Asbury. The Ad Council then reviewed the nominations and voted to approve the names. The Church Council is made up of Asbury members who either are currently or have previously served in governance at Asbury Church. 

Here are the members of the Church Council:

NOTES:

1. P&R is the Property and Risk Sub-Committee
2. Classes reach the end of their term on June 30 of the year noted in the table.
3. * Denotes Executive Committee 

How will future members of the Church Council be selected?

The Church Council will have a standing subcommittee on Nominations and Leadership, and that group will be responsible for raising up a slate of nominees each year from among the church body to present to the Church Council for ratification. 

What are the standing subcommittees of the Church Council?

Nominations and Leadership, Finance, Property and Risk, and the Executive Subcommittee. The Nominations and Leadership Subcommittee will be responsible for recruiting and raising up future members of the Church Council; the Finance Subcommittee will be responsible for the fiscal health of the church; the Property and Risk subcommittee will be responsible for the church’s assets and insurance coverage; the Executive Subcommittee will be responsible for the evaluation and compensation of Asbury’s Senior Pastor and Executive Director. 

What about the Asbury Preschool, Asbury Classical School, and the Asbury Foundation boards?

The Asbury Preschool, Asbury Classical School, and the Asbury Foundation are separate legal entities and will therefore continue to have separate boards of governance. However, members of the Church Council will have seats on each of those respective boards. 

FY2025 – Q3 Update 

Asbury Church moved its financial reporting cycle from a calendar year to a financial year in 2024. That allows us to record our largest giving month in the middle of the year as opposed to the very end which enables better planning and forecasting. 

As such, our latest update covers the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2025 which occurs from January 2025 through March 2025. “Year-to-date” (YTD) financial information covers the period July 2024 through March 2025.

Click Here to View the FY2025 - Q3 Update 

As you can see, the data in this update speaks for itself: Our congregation is incredibly generous! God is blessing our church with more people and resources with each passing year.