wfn.org | More women may be elected delegates to General Conference

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

Feb. 26,  1999	Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-21-71B{109}

NOTE: This may be used as sidebar to UMNS story #108.  Editors may wish to
use a copy of the General Conference logo with this story.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- It is likely that more clergywomen will be
elected delegates to the 2000 General and jurisdictional Conferences due to
a shift in the status of people who were previously diaconal ministers.

A large percentage of the 1500 diaconal ministers in 1996 were women. Of
that group, approximately 24 women and 9 men were elected as lay delegates
to the 1996 General Conference.

The 1996 General Conference, meeting in Denver, took action creating a new
order of deacon and eliminating diaconal ministry as an option for new
candidates. Subsequently, 767 diaconal ministers became deacons in full
connection and are eligible for election as clergy delegates to the 2000
conferences.

Today, 75 percent of both deacons and diaconal ministers are women,
according to Jimmy Carr, director of the deacon and diaconal ministries
section of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. 
# # #

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