Adistrict superintendent (DS), also known as apresiding elder, in manyMethodist denominations, is aminister (specifically an elder) who serves in asupervisory position over a geographic "district" of churches (varying in size) providing spiritual and administrativeleadership to those churches and their pastors.
District superintendents were once calledpresiding elders and this is the term still employed in some Methodistdenominations such as theAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church, theAfrican Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and theChristian Methodist Episcopal Church.[1] In the 20th century, in theMethodist Episcopal Church (the forerunner of theUnited Methodist Church) and theFree Methodist Church, the termdistrict superintendent supplanted the former term.[2]
In theAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church, "Presiding Elders are ministers who have been ordained elders, who are appointed by the bishop to supervise the work of a given number of churches and ministers within an annual conference."[3]
TheBook of Discipline of theFree Methodist Church says that "Bishops, together with superintendents, give oversight to the ordained ministry through appointment, guidance and discipline."[4]
TheBook of Discipline of thePrimitive Methodist Church states that "The District Superintendent is the highest authority within the District and is responsible for the harmony and unity within the district. He shall provide leadership and direction for denominational activities and policies within his area."[5]
According to theBook of Discipline of theUnited Methodist Church "The offices ofbishop anddistrict superintendent exist in The United Methodist Church as particular ministries. Bishops are elected and district superintendents are appointed from the group ofelders who are ordained to be ministers ofWord,Sacrament, andOrder and thereby participate in the ministry of Christ, in sharing a royal priesthood which has apostolic roots (I Peter 2:9;John 21:15-17;Acts 20:28;I Peter 5:2-3;I Timothy 3:1-7)."[6]
The length of office for a district superintendent in the UMC is usually up to six years but he may serve eight consecutive years. She or he may serve no more than eight years in any consecutive eleven years and no more than fourteen years in her or his lifetime.[7]
The officice of presiding elder, now called district superintendent in the UMC, was developed in the MEC as an extension of the superintending function of bishops.