There’s been a lot of buzz lately about Parent Affiliated Churches. But as with any new endeavor, leaders who are opening PAC’s are encountering a learning curve. Here are some frequently asked questions:

• What is a PAC? A Parent Affiliated Church (PAC) is an outreach of an existing General Council Affiliated Church or duly authorized District Council Affiliated Church resulting in a worshipping community with a congregational life distinct from the Parent Church. A PAC is subject to the ecclesial supervision and authority of the PC, in such manner, and upon such terms and conditions, as are determined by the PC.
• How is a PAC chartered? A PAC may be chartered by any General Council church or any District-approved District Council church. The charter form can be accessed here. Once you’ve completed the charter, send it to your district office and they will send it on to the Office of the General Secretary.
• How are parent churches organizing their relationship with their PAC churches? Many are finding it helpful to have a clarifying discussion to define the terms of their relationship to minimize future confusion. Five questions that should be explored and agreed on by both the parent church and the PAC are: 1) What will the ministry style of the PAC be? 2) How will decisions that impact the PAC be made? 3) How will the finances be managed? 4) How we know if the PAC is successful? For more sample questions and information about the clarifying discussion, click here. Some churches have developed memorandums of understanding to document their answers to these questions. Click here for a sample memorandum of understanding.

The CMN team is available to help you with other PAC questions you may have. Contact us at churchmultiplication@ag.org or call us at 417-862-2781 x3500.