In the United Methodist system of polity, the Council of Bishops is the executive branch of the church's government.
[1] The bishops of the United Methodist Church, both individually and collectively through the Council of Bishops, provide spiritual leadership to more than 11 million United Methodists across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
As with all United Methodist clergy itinerate within the Annual Conference of which they are members, once elected, bishops itinerate within the jurisdiction they are members of, serving a specific Annual Conference for 4 year terms.
Bishops are responsible for supervising the ordination and character of the clergy under their leadership, and for fixing the appointment of each clergy member of an Annual Conference each year to a particular congregation, charge, circuit or other place of ministry and mission.
While the Council of Bishops is the executive branch of church government, it is ultimately the General Conference of the church which constitutes its legislative branch, and that speaks for and sets the policies, missions and ministries of the church through its authority to maintain and change the United Methodist Discipline, the book that structures and rules United Methodism.