Welcome from the Superintendent Minister
Methodism has a long tradition of lay leadership and with the decline in numbers of Methodist ministers this becomes even more significant in our present age. Your role as a circuit trustee is to be engaged with the mission of the circuit and its governance. It is a vital role and I am grateful for your commitment.
What is Exeter Coast and Country Circuit about?
The Exeter Coast and Country Methodist Circuit is part of the Methodist Church in Great Britain, and is called to respond to God’s love in Jesus Christ by living out Christian discipleship through worship, mission, and service.
Every Methodist church is part of a circuit, which offers support, leadership, and coordination. The Exeter Coast and Country Circuit comprises 19 local churches, served by a dedicated team of ministers, lay pastors, local preachers, and lay workers. The Circuit has pastoral and administrative oversight of its churches, participates in the national stationing process to appoint ministers, and determines the churches to which each minister is assigned.
Each church contributes financially toward ministers’ stipends, housing (manses), and other shared circuit activities, including the employment of lay staff.
Through its policies, procedures, stewardship of resources, and collective decision-making, the Circuit Meeting is responsible for supporting and nurturing ministry and mission, ensuring that all parts of the Circuit are fairly and appropriately represented.
How the Circuit works
The Circuit Meeting has ultimate responsibility for all circuit matters, and makes the key decisions. It usually meets three times a year, and includes representatives from all the churches.
The Superintendent Minister has oversight over the work of the circuit. Circuit Stewards are appointed by Circuit Meeting, and together with the ministers they form the Circuit Leadership Team. There is also an Invitation Committee, a Mission and Ministry Group, a Property Group and a Finance Group.
More information about the circuit is on the circuit website at: https://exeterccmethodist.org.uk/ .
Your role
As a member of the Circuit Meeting, you share in the management of the Circuit. The Circuit is a registered charity (no. 1137450). Members of the Circuit Meeting are charity trustees, with responsibilities under the Charities Act. They act as the ‘managing trustees’ for circuit property (normally manses). Please read the following document from the Methodist Church about being a charity trustee:
The five golden rules of being a trustee
More detailed guidance about being a trustee can be accessed from the Methodist Church website at: https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/managing-trustees/
Circuit money
The Circuit’s main costs relate to providing ministers and their manses, and lay workers. It also makes a contribution to the work of the South West Peninsula Methodist District and to the connexional Methodist Church Fund. These costs are funded mainly from assessments or guided offers from each of the circuit’s churches. The circuit can thus be thought of as a joint funding arrangement for the churches to pay for the cost of their ministers and other lay workers.
If a church closes, the responsibility for the buildings moves to the circuit, and usually the property is sold. The sale proceeds can be used to support the work of the circuit, after deducting a levy for national Methodist priorities.
The Circuit’s annual budget and the assessment for each church are approved by Circuit Meeting, usually in May or September, for the Church year starting 1 September.
The Circuit’s Annual Report and its Financial Statements are approved by Circuit Meeting, usually in May. Details about the Circuit as a charity and a copy of its report and accounts can be found at the Charity Commission Register of Charities .
