wfn.org | Election of delegates to 2000 gatherings on annual conference

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

agendas

Feb. 26, 1999	Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-21-71B{108)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  You may wish to use the General Conference logo with this
story.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- Election of clergy and lay delegates to the 2000
General and jurisdictional conferences will be a  major agenda item for the
United Methodist annual (regional) conference sessions this year.

The 66 U.S. conferences, meeting during May and June, will elect 415 clergy
delegates and 415 lay delegates to the denomination's highest legislative
body in Cleveland May  2-12, 2000. The 31 conferences in Europe, Africa and
the Philippines will elect a total 152 delegates to the General Conference
that is held every four years.

Red Bird Missionary Conference will be the first of the U.S. conferences,
meeting May 14-15 in Coalgood, Ky., May 14-15 in Coalgood, Ky., followed by
the New Mexico Annual Conference meeting  May 19-22 in Glorieta, N.M. The
first Central Conference session will be Bicol Philippines Provisional,
meeting April 8-10 in Naga City.  U.S. sessions conclude on June 24 with the
adjournment of the Virginia Annual Conference.  The last central conference
meets Dec. 25-31 in Taraba, Nigeria. 

In addition to elections of delegates, annual conferences will take actions
on petitions from individuals and groups wanting to change policies,
procedures and practices of the United Methodist Church for submission to
the General Conference. Actions of the General Conference are included in a
revised Book of Discipline  and Book of Resolutions.

General Conference delegates can change anything in the Book of Discipline
except the church's Constitution. Any recommended changes in the
Constitution must be ratified by the annual (regional) conferences. 

Petitions must be postmarked  by Dec. 3, 1999, which is 150 days before the
opening day of the General Conference. Petitions secretary for the 2000
conference is Sheila McGee, associate editor of  Circuit Rider, a magazine
for United Methodist clergy, produced by the United Methodist Publishing
House. 

Annual conference members, including lay and clergy representatives from
every local church,  will also approve budgets, receive reports from
conference boards and agencies, adopt programs of mission and ministry, and
pass resolutions.  

Each conference session will be presided over by a bishop.  One-year
appointments of all clergy members of the conference will also be announced,
new deacons and elders will be ordained, and candidates for ordination will
be approved. 

U. S. annual conference meeting dates and places are:

North Central Jurisdiction
Dakotas, June 3-6, Bismarck, N.D.
Detroit,  May 21-24, Adrian, Mich.
East Ohio, June 14-18, Lakeside, Ohio
Illinois Great Rivers, June 6-9, Collinsville, Ill.
Iowa, June 4-7, Ames, Iowa
Minnesota, June 2-5, St. Cloud, Minn.
North Indiana, June 2-5, West Lafayette, Ind.
Northern Illinois, June 5-8, DeKalb, Ill.
South Indiana, June 9-12, Bloomington, Ind.
West Michigan, June 3-6, Grand Rapids, Mich. 
West Ohio, June 6-10, Lakeside, Ohio
Wisconsin, June 3-6, Stevens Point, Wis.

NORTHEASTERN JURISDICTION
Baltimore-Washington, June 10-13, Washington, D.C.
Central Pennsylvania, June 10-13, Grantham, Pa. 
Eastern Pennsylvania, June 3-5, King of Prussia, Pa.
New England, June 3-6, Wenham, Mass
New York, June 10-13, Hempstead, N.Y.
North Central New York, June 3-5, Liverpool, N.Y.
Northern New Jersey, June 2-4, Hackettstown, N.J
Peninsula-Delaware, June 11-13, Dover, Del.
Southern New Jersey, June 8-11, Ocean City, N.J.
Troy, June 10-13, Poultney, Vt.
West Virginia, June 9-13, Buckhannon, W.Va.
Western New York, June 10-13, Houghton, N.Y.
Western Pennsylvania, June 10-13, Grove City, Pa.
Wyoming, June 3-6, Scranton, Pa.

SOUTH CENTRAL JURISDICTION
Central Texas, June 6-9, Waco, Texas
Kansas East, June 2-5, Baldwin City, Kan.
Kansas West, May 26-29, Wichita, Kan.
Little Rock, June 9-12, Pine Bluff, Ark
Louisiana, June 7-10, Shreveport, La.
Missouri East, June 11-14, Columbia, Mo.
Missouri West, June 4-7, Columbia, Mo.
Nebraska, June 3-6, Lincoln, Neb.
New Mexico, May 19-22, Glorieta, N.M.
North Arkansas, June 2-5, Conway, Ark. 
North Texas, June 6-9, Wichita Falls, Texas
Northwest Texas, June 1-4, Amarillo, Texas
Oklahoma, May 23-26, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Oklahoma Indian Missionary, June 3-6, Antlers, Okla.
Rio Grande, June 10-13, Georgetown, Texas
Southwest Texas, June 2-5, Corpus Christi, Texas
Texas, May 31-June 1, Houston, Texas 

SOUTHEASTERN JURISDICTION
Alabama-West Florida, May 30-June 2, Montgomery, Ala.
Florida, June 1-5, Lakeland, Fla.
Holston, June 13-16, Lake Junaluska, N.C.
Kentucky, June 10-13, Lexington, Ky.
Memphis, June 6-9, Jackson, Tenn.
Mississippi, June 14-17, Hattiesburg, Miss.
North Alabama, June 6-10, Birmingham, Ala.
North Carolina, June 9-13, Fayetteville, N.C.
North Georgia, June 14-18, Athens, Ga.
Red Bird Missionary, May 14-15, Coalgood, Ky.  
South Carolina, May 23-27, Spartanburg, S.C.
South Georgia, June 14-17, Savannah, Ga.
Tennessee, June 13-16, Brentwood, Tenn.
Virginia, June 20-24, Norfolk, Va.
Western North Carolina, June 9-13, Lake Junaluska, N.C.

WESTERN JURISDICTION
Alaska Missionary, June 3-6, Seward, Alaska.
California-Nevada, June 16-20, Sacramento, Calif.
California-Pacific, June 16-20, Redlands, Calif.
Desert Southwest, June 9-13, Mesa, Ariz.
Oregon-Idaho, June 9-12, Salem, Ore.
Pacific Northwest, June 17-20, Moscow, Idaho.
Rocky Mountain, June 3-6, Fort Collins, Colo.
Yellowstone, June 17-20, Billings, Mont.

OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES (some dates unavailable)
Austria Provisional, June 9-13, Linz, Austria
Bicol Philippines Provisional, April 8-10, Naga City, Philippines
Bulacan Philippines,  May 19-23, Bulacan, Philippines
Bulgaria Provisional, Sept. 23-26, Varna, Bulgaria
Central Congo, July 4-11, Wembo-Nyama, Dem. Rep. of Congo
Czech & Slovak Republics, May 6-9, Prague, Czech Republic
Denmark, June 30-July 4, Holstebro, Denmark
East Africa (Held Dec. 30,1998)
East Congo, June 16-23, Kindu/Maniema, Dem. Rep. of Congo
Estonia, June 17-20, Tallinn, Estonia
Finland-Finnish Provisional, July 7-11, Turku, Finland
Finland-Swedish Provisional, June 9-13, Jakobstad, Finland
Germany East, June 9-13, Lauter, Germany
Germany North, April 20-25, Hamburg, Germany
Germany South, June 22-27, Kornwestheim, Germany
Germany Southwest, June 2-6, Braunfels, Germany
Hungary Provisional, June 1-5, Budapest, Hungary
Liberia, (held Jan. 11, 1999)
Macedonia-Yugoslavia Provisional, Oct. 13-17, Kisac, Yugoslavia
Middle Philippines, April 21-25, Valenzuela, Philippines
Mozambique, Dec. 8-12, Maputo, Mozambique
Nigeria, (Held Jan. 25-31, 1999)
North Katanga, July 2-6, Kamina, Zambia
Northwest Katanga, July 11-15, Katanga, Zambia
Norway, June 23-27, Bergen, Norway
Oriental & Equator, June 2-9, Kisangani, Dem. Rep. of Congo
Philippines, May 26-30, Manila, Philippines
Philippines East, May 12-16, Quezon City,  Philippines
Poland, April 22-25, Poznan, Poland
Southern Congo, July 25-28, Lubumbashi, Zambia
Southwest Katanga, July 18-21, Mulungwishi, Zambia
Sweden, May 12-16, Vasteras, Sweden
Switzerland-France, May 26-30, Basel, Switzerland
Tanganyika-Tanzania, July 13-17, Manono, Zambia
West Angola, July 20-25, Luanda, Angola
West Congo, May 19-26, Kinshasa,  Dem. Rep. of Congo 
West Middle Philippines, April 14-18, Olongapo City, Philippines
Zimbabwe, Dec. 8-12, Harare, Zimbabwe.

	#  #  #

______________
United Methodist News Service
http://www.umc.org/umns/
newsdesk@umcom.umc.org
(615)742-5472