The United Methodist Churches in the Desert Southwest Conference focus upon our common vision of Loving like Jesus, Acting for justice, and United in hope. Every congregation seeks to be a vital expression of Jesus’ teaching to grow in love of God and neighbor, reach new people, and heal a broken world through our Wesleyan practices.
Paragraph 349 of the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church reminds us that ministry assessment is a continuous process and “must take place in a spirit of understanding and acceptance.” The goal of this process is to create an atmosphere where pastors and the Pastor/Staff Parish Relations Committee (P/SPRC) can talk about the pastor’s gifts for ministry, address areas of ministry where the pastor can increase his/her skills and identify areas of ministry the pastor can help the congregation focus upon in the coming year.
Steps in completing the annual pastor assessment.
Review the Responsibilities and Duties of Local Church Pastor Leadership in the 2016 Book of Discipline, ¶ 340. An addendum is included in the MS Word file.
SPRC meets to complete a single comprehensive pastor assessment, receiving input from the work of individual SPRC members.
The Pastor completes a self-assessment using the 2023 Pastor Assessment section.
The SPRC and Pastor meet to discuss the assessment and complete the Joint Pastor/SPRC Dialogue section.
Upload the comprehensive SPRC Pastor Assessment, the Pastor Self-Assessment, and the Joint Pastor SPRC Dialogue using the button below send a copy to the District Superintendent at least two weeks prior to your scheduled meeting with the District Superintendent.
Take your time as you consider and answer the following questions. These questions are intended to be open-ended and to invite the P/SPRC into a time of reflection and dialogue with the pastor. This process works best when carried out “in a spirit of trust, understanding, acceptance, and mutual support.”
For 2023 only, SPRC and the pastor may choose to utilize a different assessment format of your choosing if this one does not meet your needs. A new format for 2024 is under development.Click here to download the Pastoral Assessment MS Word form which includes the Pastor’s Self-Assessment, SPRC Assessment, the Joint Pastor/SPRC Dialogue, and the addendums mentioned.
