The Documents That Guide the Connection

The full governing code of the Connection — governance, episcopal leadership, boards, departments, and decision authority — across thirty-one articles with the Decision Authority Matrix, Organizational Reporting Structure, and Department & Board Charter Standards.

• Executive Council as the corporate Board of Directors
• Presiding Bishop & Chief Servant — office and authority
• Board of Presbyters / Covenant Council
• Decision Authority Schedule and governance appendices

The charter of the Corporation, organized as a religious nonprofit corporation under the South Carolina Nonprofit Corporation Act — the covenant of autonomy, purposes, governance, safeguarding, and dissolution provisions that found the Connection.

• Religious, charitable, and educational purposes
• Covenant connection and autonomy of affiliated churches
• Corporate governance and ecclesiastical leadership
• Safeguarding, ethics, and ministry integrity

The Connection’s introduction to itself — welcome, identity, the connectional model, executive and regional leadership, Church Development Centers, Kingdom Collaboratives, Impact Commissions, spiritual life, and the pathway to connection.

• Our identity, purpose, vision, and covenant values
• Executive, regional, and local leadership
• Centers, collaboratives, commissions, and ministries
• Pathway to connection and the covenant of autonomy

The ecclesiastical operating code of the Connection — the Vade Mecum, Book of Order, governing the order and polity of UDCA through its code of canons, rules, regulations, and protocols. It sets forth episcopal governance, worship, credentials, protocol, safeguarding, and administration in one volume, promulgated from the Office of the Presiding Bishop & Chief Servant.

• Ecclesiastical order, episcopal governance, and connectional discipline
• Worship, credentials, protocol, and safeguarding canons
• Finance, property, records, and communications
• Holy Convocation, assemblies, elections, and promulgation