Question: Can paid staff persons vote on the church council or other committees?
Answer: Although most committee meetings of the local church are open, only members of the commitee are able to vote. The charge conference sets the membership of the church council. If a paid staff person was elected by the charge conference as a member of the church council, then he would have a vote just like any other member. (To be a member of the church council, a person must be a member of the local church.) If a staff person is attending the meeting to give input related to his job and is not a member of the council, then he does not vote.
Paid staff persons cannot serve on the pastor parish relations committee. (¶ 258.2a, 2008 Book of Discipline)
With the exception of the pastor, when paid employees serve on the committee on finance (i.e. financial secretary, treasurer or business administrator), they serve without vote. (¶ 258.4, 2008 Book of Discipline)
