wfn.org | Constitutional Amendments Approved

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (504
notes).

Note 502 by UMNS on Dec. 11, 1997 at 16:06 Eastern (2319 characters).

CONTACT: Thomas S. McAnally				690(10-71B)502
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470	Dec. 11, 1997

Bishops announce approval of seven
amendments to church’s constitution

	NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) – The Council of Bishops has announced the approval
of seven amendments to the church’s constitution.
	The seven changes were proposed by the 1996 General Conference in Denver,
with a required two-thirds majority vote.  The recommendations then went to
the annual (regional) conferences of the church where a two-thirds affirmative
vote of the aggregate members is required for approval.  Only two of the
amendments (I and VI) received more 2,800 negative votes while affirmative
votes ranged from 35,738 on Amendment I to 37,622 on Amendment IV.
	A summary of the amendments follows.
	I – Adds the words "and covenantal relationships" to Division One, Para. 5,
Article V.
	II - Decreases the number of delegates to the British Methodist Conference
from four to two in Division two, Section II, Para. 12.3.
	III - Adds "to allow the annual conferences to utilize structures unique to
their mission, other mandates structures notwithstanding" after Para. 15.4 in
Division two, Section II, Para. 15.
	IV - Adds "the chair of the annual conference college student organization"
as a member of Annual Conference in Division two, Section VI, Para. 30,
Article I.
	V - Adds "the active deaconesses under episcopal appointment within the
bounds of the Annual Conference" as a member of Annual Conference in Division
two, Section VI, Para. 30, Article I.
	VI - Adds "except that the lay members of the Conference Board of Ordained
Ministry may vote on matters of ordination character, and conference relations
of clergy, with the further exception that lay members of the District
Committee on the Ordained Ministry be full participating members of the
District Conference on the Ordained Ministry with vote" to Division Two, VI,
Para. 31, Article II.
	VII - By addition/deletion changes Division two, Section VI, to read: "The
ordained ministerial delegates to the General Conference and to the
jurisdictional or central conference shall be elected by and from the ordained
ministerial members in full connection with the annual conference or
provisional annual conference."
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