1702. Organization--The General Board of Publication, hereinafter called the board, shall consist of up to fifty members, including two bishops selected by the Council of Bishops. A maximum of ten of these members shall be elected by the board, with consideration given to representation of women and racial and ethnic groups not elected by the jurisdictions, and to special knowledge or background in publishing, marketing, graphic arts manufacturing, production of audiovisuals or electronic media, or other business fields. Thirty-eight members shall be elected by the jurisdictional conferences on a ratio providing for an equitable distribution among the various jurisdictions, based on the memberships thereof; provided that no jurisdiction shall be represented by fewer than two members. It is recommended that persons elected by each jurisdiction be inclusive of women and ethnic groups--Asian American, Black American, Hispanic American, Native American, and Pacific Islanders. Membership on the board shall be equally divided, as far as practicable, between ordained ministers and lay persons. Other paragraphs of the Discipline notwithstanding, membership shall also be by classes based on term of office for one, two, or three quadrenniums, attention being given to the principle of rotation so that, as far as practicable, one-third of the membership shall be elected each quadrennium.55 The principle of rotation is also applicable to the executive committee. At least two young adults, at the time of their election, shall be elected each quadrennium. It shall be the duty of the secretary of the General Conference to inform the various jurisdictional secretaries of the number of members to be elected from their jurisdictions, the ratio of such representation being computed on the basis of the latest official membership statistics available. In case a vacancy occurs between sessions of the jurisdictional conferences for any cause, the board shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term from that jurisdiction in the representation of which the vacancy occurs, except in the case of members elected by the board where such vacancies would be filled by the board in the prescribed manner without regard to geographic or jurisdictional relationship. The publisher of The United Methodist Church (1714) shall be an ex-officio member of the board without vote.
55See Judicial Council Decision 593.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 1702
1996 United Methodist General Conference