icle II. Name.--The name of the Church shall be The
Section VII. Annual Conferences.
35. Article I.--The annual conference shall be composed of ministerial membersas defined by the General Conference, together with a lay member elected by each charge, the diaconal ministers, the conference president of United MethodistWomen, the conference president of United Methodist Men, the conference lay leader, district lay leaders, the president or equivalent officer of the conference young adult organization, the president of the conference youth organization, and two young persons under twenty-five (25) years of age from each district to be selected in such a manner as may be determined by the annual conference.47 In the annual conferences of the central conferences, the four-year participation and the two-year membership requirements may be waived by the annual conference for young persons under twenty-five (25) years of age. Such persons must be members of The United Methodist Church and active participants at the time of election.48 Each charge served by more than one minister shall be entitled to as many lay members as there are ministerial members. The lay members shall have been for the two years next preceding their election members of The United Methodist Church49 and shall have been active participants in The United Methodist Church for at least four years next preceding their election.50
If the lay membership should number less than the ministerial members of the annual conference, the annual conference shall, by its own formula, provide for the election of additional lay members to equalize lay and ministerial membership of the annual conference.51
47Amended 1968, 1970, 1980, 1984.
48Amended 1992.
49Amended 1972.
50Amended 1976.
51See Judicial Council Decisions 24, 113, 129, 349, 378, 479, 495, 511, 553, 561, and Decision 7, Interim Judicial Council.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 35
1996 United Methodist General Conference