wfn.org | Conferences to consider amendments to church's constitution

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

March 7, 2001 News media contact: Linda Green·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{114}

NOTE: For related coverage, see UMNS story #113.

By Linda Green*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Eleven proposed changes in the constitution of the
United Methodist Church are being considered this year by annual (regional)
conferences meeting throughout the world.  

To be approved, the changes must be ratified by an aggregate two-thirds vote
of the 65 U.S. annual (regional) conferences meeting this spring and the 52
conferences meeting throughout the year in Europe, Africa and the
Philippines.  

The amendments were proposed by delegates to the church's General Conference
meeting in Cleveland last May. If approved by the annual conferences, the
Council of Bishops will formally ratify the amendments. The denomination has
8.4 million members in the United States and more than a million elsewhere.

Four amendments update language regarding the denomination's name following
union of the Evangelical United Brethren and Methodist churches in 1968.  

One amendment deals with the inclusiveness of the church. If approved, all
people would be eligible to be admitted as baptized members of the church
upon baptism, and they could become professing members "upon taking vows
declaring the Christian faith." This amendment would help bring the
denomination's baptism ritual, "By Water and the Spirit," and the church's
Book of Discipline into agreement regarding membership. It names and defines
the two categories of church membership that the official document calls for
and makes clear the relation between baptism and church membership. 

Another amendment addresses racism. General Conference delegates
participated in an act of repentance and confessed to the sin of racism
within the denomination when they met in May. They also approved a
constitutional amendment calling for the elimination of racism in every
aspect of the church's life. The amendment decries racism and promotes
racial justice throughout the world. It highlights more clearly and
emphatically the urgency of Christ's call to love and justice for all people
of all races.

The five remaining amendments seek to clarify categories of membership. The
purpose of each of these amendments is to stipulate that only professing
members are eligible to participate in matters of church governance.

One amendment specifies the category of membership used when calculating
numbers of General Conference delegates. Membership categories for election
of lay members as delegates to general, jurisdictional and central
conference are declared in another amendment. Another defines the membership
category for electing the lay members of the annual conference.

An amendment distinguishes the categories from which young people in each
district are to be selected for membership in the annual conference and
raises the upper age limit from 25 to 30.

The last amendment makes clear the membership category of those eligible to
elect the officers of a church or a charge (one or more churches).

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*Green is the news director of the Nashville, Tenn.,-based office of United
Methodist News Service.

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United Methodist News Service
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