703. Organization--1. Annual conferences may become severally bodies corporate, whenever practicable, under the law of the countries, states, and territories within whose bounds they are located.27
2. The bishops shall appoint the times for holding the annual conferences.
3. The annual conference or a committee thereof shall select the place for holding the conference, but should it become necessary for any reason to change the place of meeting, a majority of the district superintendents, with the consent of the bishop in charge, may change the place.
4. A special session of the annual conference may be held at such time and in such place as shall have been determined by the annual conference after consultation with the bishop, or by the bishop, with the concurrence of three-fourths of the district superintendents. A special session of the annual conference shall have only such powers as are stated in the call.28
5. The bishop assigned shall preside over the annual conference or, in case of inability, arrange for another bishop to preside. In the absence of a bishop the conference shall by ballot, without nomination or debate, elect a president pro tempore from among the traveling elders. The president thus elected shall discharge all the duties of a bishop except ordination.29
6. The annual conference at the first session following the General Conference or jurisdictional or central conferences (or, if it may desire, at the last session preceding the General, jurisdictional, or central conferences) shall elect a secretary and statistician to serve for the succeeding quadrennium. In the case of a vacancy in either office in the interim of the sessions, the bishop, after consultation with the district superintendents, shall appoint a person to act until the next session of the annual conference. (See 716 for election of the treasurer.)
7. The annual conference may designate a person who is a member in good standing of one of the local Churches and who is a member of the bar of the state as chancellor. The chancellor, who shall be nominated by the bishop and elected by the annual conference, shall serve as legal advisor to the bishop and to the annual conference.30
8. a) The conference lay leader is the elected leader of conference laity. The lay leader will have responsibility for fostering awareness of the role of the laity both within the congregation and through their ministries in the home, work place, community, and world in achieving the mission of the Church, and enabling and supporting lay participation in the planning and decision-making processes of the annual conference, district, and local church in cooperation with the bishop, district superintendents, and pastors. The lay leader is a member of the annual conference, the conference council on ministries, the conference committee on nominations, the conference committee on episcopacy, and the executive committee, if any, of the conference council on ministries, and may serve on the committee planning annual conference sessions and may be designated by virtue of office to membership on any conference agency by the annual conference.
b) The conference lay leader shall be the chairperson of the conference board of laity, or its equivalent, and shall relate to the organized lay groups in the conference such as United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women, and United Methodist Youth, and support their work and help them coordinate their activities. The conference lay leader shall also have the general responsibility in (1) developing the advocacy role for laity in the life of the Church, (2) increasing the participation of laity in the sessions and structure of the annual conference, and (3) encouraging lay persons in the general ministry of the Church.
c) The conference lay leader shall be elected by the annual conference as the annual conference may determine. The method of nomination and term of office shall be determined by the annual conference. Associate lay leader(s), to work with the conference lay leader, may be elected by the annual conference as it may determine.
27See Judicial Council Decision 108.
28See Judicial Council Decision 397.
29See Judicial Council Decisions 367, 373.
30See Judicial Council Decision 570.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 703
1996 United Methodist General Conference