632. Jurisdictional Youth Ministry Organization Convocation--There shall be a Jurisdictional Youth Ministry Organization Convocation to be held every other year in each jurisdiction (alternating years with the National Youth Ministry Organization Convocation 1305). Among the membership of the convocation for the purpose of the election of steering committee members, there shall be four voting representatives from each conference: the conference coordinator of youth ministries or designate; the conference council on youth ministry chairperson or designate; two youth at large, to be elected as shall be determined by the conference council on youth ministry. It is recommended that at least two members from each annual conference be racial/ethnic persons. Each youth shall be a member (full or preparatory) of The United Methodist Church. Other persons may be added by jurisdictions according to their respective operational guidelines provided that the above categories are cared for and the recommended 50/50 racial/ethnic representation is observed. The expenses of the jurisdictional youth ministry organization convocation shall be borne by the participating annual conferences or the jurisdiction.
There shall be a Jurisdictional Youth Coordinator who shall be accountable to the jurisdictional council on ministries and the jurisdictional youth ministry organization. This coordinator may or may not be the same person as the adult representative to the national youth ministry organization steering committee (1307). This decision is to be determined by the representatives of the jurisdictional youth ministry organization convocation, or the jurisdictional youth ministry organization.
A responsibility of the jurisdictional youth ministry organization shall be to elect youth members to the national youth ministry organization steering committee (see 1307). It is strongly recommended that two youth shall be elected from each jurisdiction, insofar as possible at least one of whom shall be a racial/ethnic person. Youth shall be sixteen years of age entering into the eleventh grade or younger; if not in school their age shall be sixteen or under at the time of their selection. Nominations shall come from annual conference councils on youth ministry. The nominating process followed by the conference councils on youth ministry shall include the solicitation of nominations from local churches, subdistricts, and districts. As far as possible members of the National Youth Ministry Organization Steering Committee from each jurisdiction shall be from five different annual conferences in that jurisdiction.
In addition to enabling the election of its two steering committee youth members, the following are suggested responsibilities for the jurisdictional youth ministry organization:
1. To initiate and support jurisdictional events (camps, conferences, workshops, etc.).
2. To recommend priorities, concerns, and/or policies to the National Youth Ministry Organization Steering Committee.
3. To promote the establishment and awareness of racial/ethnic needs, concerns, issues, etc., through caucuses, camps, consultations, etc.
4. To promote the spiritual growth of participants in the jurisdictional youth ministry organization convocation.
5. To promote an evangelistic outreach to and through youth.
6. To provide training and supportive experiences for conference youth personnel.
7. To enable communication between general and conference levels of youth ministry.
8. To nominate the jurisdictional youth member to the General council on ministries (1007.1[3]) in the years that jurisdictional conference meets.
9. An additional responsibility of the jurisdictional youth ministry organization convocation will be to elect a steering committee or executive body to carry out the functions and suggested responsibilities of the convocation during the interval between convocations. The convocation shall determine the representation of such body, the manner of election, any funding thereof and the relationship of the body to the annual conferences and to the jurisdictional council on ministries or equivalent.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 632
1996 United Methodist General Conference