District Superintendent (Methodism)

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term gamnisa means "one who oversees (監) and governs (理)." Methodist churches group congregations into regional units called districts, and districts are in turn grouped into annual conferences. The district superintendent is the pastor responsible for a district; the Korean title corresponds to the English "district superintendent." The office connects the administrative work and pastoral care of the bishop, who represents the annual conference, with the pastors in charge of individual congregations.

Biblical and Historical Background

The title of district superintendent does not appear in Scripture. Methodists explain the office as an arrangement that divides the church's function of oversight and care (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Acts 20:28) and entrusts it to leaders on a regional basis.

The system originated in the organization through which John Wesley grouped and supervised itinerant preachers. In American Methodism, the officer who supervised the preachers of a region was called a "presiding elder." Early in the twentieth century this title was changed to "district superintendent." In early Korean Methodism, likewise, the term jangnosa (presiding elder) was reportedly used before gamnisa became established.

Practice in Korean Churches

In the Korean Methodist Church, the district superintendent represents the district conference. The superintendent is usually elected by the district conference from among ordained pastors in full connection who meet certain qualifications, and the term of office is reportedly often kept short. The district superintendent holds this position while continuing to serve as a pastor in charge. The principal duties are as follows:

• Convening and presiding over the district conference.
• Overseeing the meetings and administration of the churches in the district and attending to the circumstances of their pastors.
• Assisting the bishop by handling the practical work of pastoral appointments and district administration.
• Helping to mediate disputes that arise within the district.

Unlike Presbyterian churches, in which a congregation calls its pastor, Methodism has maintained a tradition in which the bishop appoints pastors to churches. Within this system, the district superintendent serves as the link between the bishop and the local churches. In Korean Methodist churches today, however, the wishes of the congregation carry considerable weight in determining who will serve as pastor in charge.

In comparison with other denominations, the role partly overlaps with that of the moderator of a Presbyterian presbytery or the head of a visitation district. Because the structures of church polity differ, however, a direct equivalence is difficult to draw. Some denominations, such as those in the Holiness (Sungkyul) tradition, also have an organization called a district conference, but its leader is reportedly often called the district conference president or a similar title rather than district superintendent. The method of election, term of office, and qualifications for district superintendents vary according to each denomination's book of discipline (church law) and are subject to revision.