Residing in the office of the bishop and extending to the district superintendent, the task of overseeing the work of The United Methodist Church. Those who superintend carry primary responsibility for ordering the life of the church. The superintendency is to enable the church to be effective in worship and outreach and in its program and organizational life as a whole. A method for carrying this out is in the careful deployment of ministers to local churches through the appointment process. The Book of Discipline states: "The formal leadership in The United Methodist Church, located in these superintending offices, is an integral part of the system of an intinerant ministry."
Source: A Dictionary for United Methodists, Alan K. Waltz, Copyright 1991, Abingdon Press. Used by Permission.
