Article 1. The work of the church requires the support of our people, and participating therein through service and gifts is a Christian duty and means of grace. In order that all members of the United Methodist Church may share in its manifold ministries and that the work committed to it may prosper, there is hereby created the Council on Finance and Administration.
Article 2. The Council on Finance and Administation shall be composed of representatives from each Annual Conference who shall be the chairperson of its Council on Finance and Administration. In addition, one incumbent bishop, the finance officer of the World Division of the General Board of Global Ministries and the Central Conference treasurer shall be ex-officio members. The respective annual conference treasurers shall serve as alternate members.
Article 3. The members of the Council shall serve quadrennially until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Vacancies in the membership occurring between sessions of the Central Conference shall be filled by the Coordinating Council, or the Annual Conference concerned as the case may be.
Article 4. The Council on Finance and Administration shall organize itself, on call of the bishops, by electing a chairperson, vice-chairperson and recording secretary. They shall be elected by the Council in its first regular meeting after the Annual Conferences had elected their new Council on Finance and Administration chairpersons for the new quadrennium. The officers shall serve for quadrennium until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
Article 5. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Council to be composed of the officers. In addition, one incumbent bishop and the Central Conference treasurer shall be ex-officio members.
Article 6. The employed personnel of the Council shall be selected and shall work under the direction of the executive committee. The selection shall be confirmed by the Council.
Article 7. The Council shall have the following authorities and responsibilities.
a. To submit at the quadrennial session of the Central Conference for its action and approval a budget of annual expenses for its own operation and a budget for the operation of the Central Conference agencies for the ensuing quadrennium.
b. To require annually, one month in advance of its meeting or as it may deem necessary, statements or the proposed budget of all the Central Conference agencies. The Council shall have the powers for its review in each agency budget the amount of administration, service and promotion, with the view of maintaining a proper balance among various parts of the budgets.
c. To withhold approval of any item or items for inclusion in the budget of the Central Conference agency, which in its judgment represents unnecessary duplication of activities of programs within an agency or between two or more agencies.
d. To recommend to the Central Conference, for its action and determination, a unified Central Conference program outlining the overall financial objectives of the Central Conference agencies for the ensuing quadrennium. It shall propose the ratio of distribution of funds among the participating Central Conference agencies.
e. To recommend apportionments to the Annual Conferences, subject to the prior approval of the Central Conference or the Coordinating Council as the case may be.
f. To recommend to the Central Conference or the Coordinating Council, as the case may be, after prior consultation with the incumbent bishops, the number and timing of all special days for financial appeal which are to be strictly observed in the local churches.
g. To require all Central Conference agencies to observe a uniform fiscal year, to follow a uniform accounting classification and procedure for reporting. It shall have authority to pass on the acceptability of any auditing firm or person proposed by a Central Conference agency.
h. To provide legal counsel when this is necessary in the Episcopal areas in order to protect the interests of the Church where the Council deems advisable or at the request of a bishop.
i. To deposit with the treasurer of the Central Conference such amounts and funds it may receive or collect and to disburse them only in accordance with the budget or budgets approved by the Central Conference.
j. To nominate the treasurer and assistant treasurer of the Central Conference, as well as an accountant who shall also act as bookkeeper.
k. To transmit, not less than thirty days prior to the session of each Annual Conference, to the presiding bishop thereof a statement of the apportionments of such Annual Conference to the funds of the Central Conference agencies approved by the Central Conference or Coordinating Council as the case may be.
l. To recommend to the Central Conference for its action and determination such legislations as will prosper the work of the Church as provided in Article 1.
Article 8. The treasurer of the Central Conference shall keep an account of all amounts remitted to him by the Annual Conference treasurers and from such other sources intended for the different funds authorized by the Central Conference. He shall disburse the same in the manner directed by the Central Conference or Coordinating Council, as the case may be, or by the Council on Finance and Administration. A separate account shall be kept of each fund, and none of them shall be drawn on for the benefit of the other. The Central Conference treasurer shall report annually to the Council on Finance and Administration and make full quadrennial report to the Central Conference. The books of the treasurer shall be audited annually by the certified public accountant without prejudice to the audit to be made by the accountant of the Central Conference at such times to be ordered by the Council.
Taken from Section II of The Discipline of Central Conference Administration, 2008 Handbook for Delegates United Methodist Church Philippines Central Conference.
