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General Conference commission sets '08 dates, chooses theme

Apr. 7, 2005

NOTE: General Conference photographs and a sidebar, UMNS story #205, is
available with this report.

SCHILLER PARK, Ill. (UMNS)-The commission that plans the United
Methodist Church's top legislative assembly has chosen a theme for the
2008 gathering and has set the dates, shortening General Conference by
two days from previous years.

When the 2008 General Conference meets in Fort Worth, Texas, delegates
will gather for nine days instead of 11. With a theme of "A Future With
Hope," the nearly 1,000 delegates from around the world will meet from
April 23 to May 2 to set church policy and conduct other business.

The 17-member Commission on General Conference also reduced the
assembly's budget, in keeping with a mandate from the 2004 General
Conference to study ways of increasing efficiency and decreasing costs.
Meeting April 4-6 in Chicago, the commission reduced the General
Conference's $6.66 million operating budget by $250,000. The budget for
the 2004 assembly in Pittsburgh was $4.87 million.

"How a denomination spends its money reflects how it values its
ministries," said Sandra Lackore, the denomination's treasurer. The
commissioners were encouraged to review the purposes of General
Conference and determine what parts, processes and characteristics of
General Conference they value.

The Rev. Gail Murphy-Geiss, commission chairwoman, also asked the group
to determine how General Conference could become a better ministry for
the church rather than simply a process for rewriting the denomination's
law book, the Book of Discipline.

"I want to make sure that Christian conferencing remains before us
during General Conference," said Joel Huffman, commission member
representing the South Central Jurisdiction.

Reducing the length of General Conference was one way the commission
determined it could increase efficiency. Reducing the days should make
the conference more efficient and a better experience for the delegates
and the denomination, commissioners decided.

In an effort to strengthen the working relationships of the delegates
during General Conference, the commission is establishing a new
delegate-training program. The members voted to include input from
JustPeace, the churchwide Commission on Status and Role of Women, the
churchwide Commission on Religion and Race, and the United Methodist
Board of Global Ministries in creating the program.

Transitions in staff were also noted at the commission meeting. It was
announced that the Rev. Alan J. Morrison, pastor of Center Avenue United
Methodist Church in Pitcairn, Pa., has been selected as meeting planning
director/business manager of General Conference at the General Council
on Finance and Administration, effective July 1. He will succeed Gary
Bowen, who is retiring after 31 years at GCFA.

The commissioners were told the Rev. Gary Graves, pastor of Beaver Dam
(Ky.) United Methodist Church, has been reappointed petitions secretary
for General Conference 2008.

In other action taken for the 2008 General Conference, the commission:
-determined that a contest will be held to design a logo for the theme;
-created a sub-committee to advertise for and select a music director;
-authorized the production of The Daily Christian Advocate and Advance
edition in both a print version and an electronic version, giving
delegates a choice of media;
-planned for one morning worship service to be provided by young people;
-determined policy for advertising in all editions of the Daily
Christian Advocate; and
-authorized petitioners to include a 50-word maximum rationale for
disciplinary petitions-requests related to the Book of Discipline-that
will be placed only on the General Conference Web site.

The commission also authorized a subcommittee to examine sites in the
Southeastern Jurisdiction for General Conference 2012.

Information for the above article was adapted from a release by Marvin
Cropsey, editor of the Daily Christian Advocate and a staff member at
the United Methodist Publishing House.

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