Creating/Disbanding Committees & Task Forces

Under each of the five commissions at CMC, we have various committees that carry out that commission’s work. Additionally, we sometimes create task forces. This document lays out the process for creating or disbanding a committee or a task force.

A Task Force:

  • Is created by Council to address a specific, short-term need.
  • Reports to Council directly, and typically has a designated Council member who serves as their liaison.
  • Is time-limited by design.
  • Will generally not last more than a year.
  • Disbands when its task is complete or its time runs out.
  • Examples:
    • A task force to select an artist for the stained glass window in the Fellowship Hall
    • A task force to review our emergency plan and advise about potential improvements
  • Note: We will no longer be using the term “ad hoc committee” as a synonym for “task force,” as this is unnecessarily confusing.

A Committee:

  • Is created under a Commission.
  • Has an indefinite lifespan.
  • Has at least three members/positions.

To create a committee:

  1. People who are interested in starting the committee should come to council with a proposal, which should include:
    1. A mission statement
    2. The commission it would be a part of
    3. All job descriptions
    4. A budget for the first year
    5. The name of the first chair of the committee–one of the people proposing it should volunteer to chair it at the beginning for at least a year
  2. Council will consult with Gifts Discernment before approving any new committee regarding the following questions:
    1. Will Gifts Discernment commit to filling these positions?
    2. Does another committee in the church fulfill a similar purpose?
  3. Council will vote on approving the committee.
  4. If approved, Council will reevaluate the committee after six months to see if it is being effective and serving its purpose.

To dissolve a committee:

  1. A commission chair or gifts discernment representative brings the recommendation to dissolve a committee to Council.
  2. Council notifies the chair of the committee about the recommendation before it is dissolved in case they would like to respond.
  3. Council votes on dissolving the committee.
  4. Unused budget for the committee may be incorporated into the commission under which the committee operates.
  5. The commission chair works with the committee to ensure that any vital part of their work is absorbed into another committee.

Approved on October 20, 2016, by CMC Council.