¶ 702. Composition and Character--1. The clergy membership of an annual conference (412) shall consist of members in full connection (422), probationary members (413), associate members (419), affiliate members (1432.5a), and local pastors under full-time appointment to a pastoral charge (408.1).23 (See also 35.)
a) Clergy members in full connection shall have the right to vote on all matters in the annual conference except in the election of lay delegates to the General and Jurisdictional or central conferences and shall have sole responsibility for all matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy.
b) Probationary clergy members shall have the right to vote in the annual conference on all matters except constitutional amendments, election of clergy delegates to the General and jurisdictional or central conferences, and matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy.
c) Associate and affiliate clergy members shall have the right to vote in the annual conference on all matters except constitutional amendments, election of clergy delegates to the General and jurisdictional or central conferences, and matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy.
d) Local pastors under full-time appointment to a pastoral charge shall have the right to vote in the annual conference on all matters except constitutional amendments, election of delegates to the General and jurisdictional or central conferences, and matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy.
e) Under special conditions, and for missional reasons, an annual conference may, by a two-thirds majority vote of its members present, allow local and student part-time pastors under appointment to a pastoral charge the right to vote at annual conference on all matters except constitutional amendments, election of clergy delegates to General and jurisdictional or central conferences and matters of ordination, character and conference relations of clergy.
2. The following shall be seated in the annual conference and shall be given the privilege of the floor without vote: part-time and student local pastors; official representatives from other denominations, especially from member churches of the Consultation on Church Union, invited by the annual conference; missionaries regularly assigned by the General Board of Global Ministries and serving within the bounds of the annual conference; lay missionaries regularly appointed by the General Board of Global Ministries in nations other than the United States and certified lay missionaries from nations other than the United States serving within the bounds of the annual conference.
3. Diaconal ministers are lay members of the annual conference. Also, by authorization of a central conference national diaconal ministers may be given the same privileges.24
4. The lay member or alternate, whoever was last seated in the annual conference, shall be seated in a special session of the annual conference when convened; provided that no local charge shall be deprived of its lay member due to death, serious illness, or cessation of membership. Under such circumstances another lay member may be elected by the charge conference.25 (See 35.)
5. The lay members of the annual conference shall participate in all deliberations and vote upon all measures except on the granting or validation of license, ordination, reception into full conference membership, or any question concerning the character and official conduct of ordained ministers. Lay members shall serve on all committees except those on ministerial relations and for the trial of clergy.26
6. When at any time a lay member is excused by the annual conference from further attendance during the session, the alternate lay member may be seated instead. The lay member, or the alternate, shall be the lay member of the annual conference, and it shall be the duty of the lay member to report to the local Church on actions of the annual conference.
7. It is the duty of every member and all probationers and local pastors of the annual conference to attend its sessions and furnish such reports in such form as the Discipline may require. Any such person unable to attend shall report by letter to the conference secretary, setting forth the reason for the absence. Should any minister in active service be absent from the session of the annual conference without a satisfactory reason for the absence, the matter shall be referred by the conference secretary to the Board of Ordained Ministry.
23See Judicial Council Decisions 341, 371, 477, 552, 584.
24See Judicial Council Decision 505.
25See Judicial Council Decision 319.
26See Judicial Council Decisions 109, 505, 592.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 702
1996 United Methodist General Conference