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Annual conferences to consider changes to church constitution

Apr. 5, 2005

NOTE: A file photograph from General Conference is available at
http://umns.umc.org.

By Linda Green

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)-Eight proposed changes to the United Methodist
Church's constitution are being considered this year by annual
(regional) conferences meeting throughout the world.

The changes must be ratified by an aggregate two-thirds vote of the 63
U.S. annual (regional) conferences meeting this spring and the 52
conferences meeting throughout the year in Europe, Africa and the
Philippines.

Delegates to the United Methodist Church's General Conference proposed
the eight amendments during their meeting last May in Pittsburgh. If the
annual conferences approve the changes, the amendments will go to the
Council of Bishops for final ratification.

The denomination has more than 10 million members worldwide, including
8.3 million in the United States.

One of the proposed amendments would make possible the adoption of
enabling legislation at the same General Conference where an amendment
is voted upon. Such adoption would be contingent on the required
ratification by the various annual conferences. Currently, enabling
legislation cannot be introduced until at least the General Conference
following the adoption, and subsequent ratification, of a constitutional
amendment.

Another amendment states that a fair and open process must be used for
the election of General Conference delegates.

Two amendments relate to home missioners. If the changes are approved,
General Conference would have the authority to define and fix the powers
and duties of home missioners, and home missioners would be appointed by
bishops as members of the annual conference.

Other amendments also address conference membership. One defines clergy
members of an annual conference.

Another calls for the people responsible for promoting the work of the
United Methodist Board of Global Ministries to be members of the annual
conference. The rationale for the amendment states that about 30 percent
of conference secretaries of global ministries are laity. Currently,
unless elected by his or her home church or included under the
conference's equalization rule, the secretary is not a member of the
annual conference.

The 2000 General Conference passed legislation listing the lay members
of the annual conference. The 2005 annual conference delegates will
consider an amendment to add the conference director of lay speaking
ministries to the list of lay members in Paragraph 602.4 of the United
Methodist Book of Discipline.

The final amendment calls for the deletion of the phrase "and provided
further that this provision shall not apply to annual conferences of the
former Evangelical United Brethren Church during the first three
quadrenniums after union." The phrase is found in the 2000 Book of
Discipline, Division Two, Section IV, Paragraph 25.4, Article V, and in
the 2004 Book of Discipline, Division Two, Section IV, Paragraph 27.4,
Article V. The phrase, proposed to be deleted, applied to annual
conferences in existence before 1981, making it now obsolete.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in
Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

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United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org