Circuit Shepherd / Circuit Elders — History and Purpose

By 2012, after the reduction of Districts and DSs from 12 to 9 and plans to reduce DSs further, the ARUMC began plans to recruit and train Circuit Elders to “share responsibility with DS in assisting local pastors and churches”. The first class of 95 elders was trained in the Spring of 2012.

The newest evolution is focused on the relational aspects of the role - pastors and churches

  • Groups are primarily geographic

  • Use of elders to assist with charge conference responsibilities

  • The ARUMC Circuit Elder Initiative is now on its 3rd evolution (2012, 2018, 2023)

Identified Challenges:

  • “Pastor to Pastors”

  • As avg went from 30 to 55, cracks in the relationally-focused “pastor to pastors” model began to show.

  • The (outdated) relational model would be unsustainable when avg moved to 100-150.

Strategic Mindset:

  • Moving to a model of chief missional strategist

  • Different selection process/values for the DSs.

  • Moving from making churches happy to fruitful congregations

Legal and Supervisory Concerns:

  • Sharing the DS role is difficult and can cause BOD and relational problems

  • A stray word, confusion about who is involved in supervision or appointment-making, or land/property matters require clerity of authority.

Outcomes of a healthy & vital Circuit Elder Initiative:

  • Local pastors and lay supply preachers will experience encouragement in their ministry.

  • Congregations and clergy will experience the richness of connectional relationships.

  • Circuit Elders will gain experience and equipping as leaders in their circuits and in their appointments.

So what are circuit Elders? They EQUIP AND CONNECT

  • Circuit Elders serve as extensions of the office of District Superintendent, to assist District Superintendents in equipping local church leaders for ministry and by encouraging connections for ministry beyond the local church. 

  • Circuit Elders are not supervisors and they do not have a role in the appointive process.  Instead, the work of Circuit Elders is focused on equipping and connecting leaders and local congregations so that local churches make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. 

  • Each Circuit has 4-8 Churches/Charges

Benefits of a Circuit Elder Initiative to Congregations and Communities

  1. Collaboration in maintaining relationships

  2. Peer-created congregational cooperation and shared ministries - round-robin services, youth, VBS, shared mission, etc.

  3. Circuits can provide an avenue for receiving conference support and resources

  4. Since many of the CEs serve the county seat and smaller/mid size churches, the CEs themselves can be a group that would benefit greatly from equipping opportunities, such as coach approach training, hybrid worship, leadership development, etc., benefitting not only the circuit, but the ministry of the CE’s church.

  5. Create and form holy habits - a community of practice/ Wesleyan band/class

Benefits of a Circuit Elder Initiative to the DS/Conference

  1. Collaboration in maintaining relationships

  2. Serve as presiding elders at Charge Conferences

  3. CEs can offer strategic help to the DS since they serve closer to local contexts

  4. DSs can use the gathered CEs as a space for conversation, learning, and group wisdom

  5. Conference Staff can deploy programs/initiatives though the CEs, and use them as conversation partners about ministry

The Arkansas Conference (UMC) Trajectory

Creating vital congregations that make disciples of Jesus Christ, who make disciples equipped and sent to transform lives, communities and the world.