HOW GENERAL CONFERENCE WORKS

  • Meets every four years
  • General Conference, which convenes every four years, is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. Church law states that no person or organization except the General Conference has authority to speak officially for the denomination (The Book of Discipline 1992, Par. 610.). Cost of the conference is more than $3 million.
  • Site rotates among jurisdictions
  • The meeting sites are rotated among the church's five geographic U.S. jurisdictions. The 1992 conference was held in Louisville, Ky., located in the Southeastern Jurisdiction. General Conference in the year 2000 General Conference will meet in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the North Central Jurisdiction.
  • Delegation half clergy, half lay
    Each annual conference is entitled to a minimum of two persons. Beyond that, the number is determined by the number of lay and clergy members within the conference. A total of 996 delegates will be voting at the Denver conference. A total of about 3,000 visitors are expected during the 10-day meeting.
  • Increase in number of women delegates
    Of the 996 delegates, 132 will come from Africa, Europe and the Philippines. There will be a higher proportion of women delegates and a larger number of clergy women than at any previous conference.
  • Conference revises Book of Discipline
    The conference revises The Book of Discipline (book of church law) and "Social Principles" and adopts resolutions on various current moral, social, public policy and economic issues. It also approves plans and budgets for churchwide programs for the next four years. The delegates can propose amendments to the church's Constitution but those must be ratified later in the annual conferences. General Conference also elects members of the Judicial Council, the church's "supreme court", and some members of churchwide agencies.
  • Sources of legislation
    Primary sources of legislation are petitions and proposals from church agencies and organizations. Petition deadlines vary, depending on the source, but none may be submitted less than 45 days prior to the opening of the conference. Any organization, ordained minister or lay member of the church may petition the General Conference.
  • As in the U.S. Congress, the bulk of General Conference business is conducted in legislative committees which receive petitions and proposals; debate them; and determine whether to approve, amend, combine, or disapprove them for recommendation to the full body of General Conference.
  • General (churchwide) agencies propose resolutions or changes in legislation affecting their respective policies and operations. These, along with petitions from annual conferences, are printed in the Advance Daily Christian Advocate.
  • Bishops don't vote
    Members of the Council of Bishops attend General Conference, but do not vote and cannot speak without permission from the delegates. A bishop presides at each plenary session. Each bishop usually serves during one morning, afternoon, or evening session. All bishops, active and retired, attend the entire conference.
  • Also attending the conference will be all members of the General Council on Finance and Administration, chief executive officers of all 13 general church agencies and people serving administrative and staff functions at the General Conference.