The Committee recommends concurrence as amended as follows:
Amend ¶ 805:
Amend Paragraph 805 as follows:
¶ 805. General Agency Membership.-- All provisions
pertaining to the nomination and election of general agency members shall take
effect immediately upon the adjournment of the General Conference which enacts
them. The secretary of the General Conference shall coordinate the processes
pertaining to nominations and elections of general agency members.
The people of God are called to faithful discipleship in the name of Jesus Christ. "The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ..." (Ephesians 4.11-12 NRSV)
In response to God's call, some are called forth from local congregations to fulfill the common mission of The United Methodist Church as an expression of the Church made visible in the world. This call includes the invitation to some to be in ministry with others who together seek to fulfill the vision for the Church as members of general agencies. Such persons come to this ministry as servants of the whole church.
The following provisions shall govern the nomination and election of the voting membership of those general agencies to which the Jurisdictional Conferences elect and Central Conferences nominate members:.6 All provisions pertaining to the nomination and election of general agency members shall take effect immediately upon the adjournment of the General Conference which enacts them. The secretary of the General Conference shall coordinate the processes pertaining to nominations and elections of general agency members.
1. Nominations by Conferences.--a) Each Annual and Missionary Conference in
the United States and Puerto Rico, upon recommendation from a
committee composed of the bishop and the General and Jurisdictional Conference
delegation, and having allowed opportunity for nominations from the floor,
shall elect persons to be submitted to a jurisdictional pool.
from which T the Jurisdictional Nominating Committee
shall select persons for election to the following general agencies: General
Council on Ministries; General Board of Church and Society; General Board of
Discipleship; General Board of Global Ministries; General Board of Higher
Education and Ministry; General Board of Pension and Health Benefits; General
Board of Publication; General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious
Concerns; General Commission on Communication; General Commission on Religion
and Race; and General Commission on the Status and Role of Women.
Jurisdictional Conferences may decide that persons elected by the Annual and
Missionary Conferences in the United States and Puerto Rico
for inclusion in the jurisdictional pool shall not serve as members of the
Jurisdictional Nominating Committee.
b) Each Annual and Missionary Conference in the United States and
Puerto Rico shall nominate the persons most recently elected as
delegates to the General Conference to the jurisdictional pool. In addition, it
shall nominate at least fifteen and not more than forty
forty-five (45) persons to the jurisdictional pool, including, where
available, at least two (2) racial and ethnic persons from each of the
ethnic groups--Asian American, African American, Hispanic American, Native
American, Pacific Islanders; and where available at least one and not more
than five persons in each of the following eight seven
categories: (1) clergy (including at least one woman), (2) laywomen, (3)
laymen, (4) racial and ethnic persons (at least one from each
ethnic group--Asian American, Black American, Hispanic American, Native
American, Pacific Islanders), (5) (4) youth
(¶ 264.2), (6) (5) young adults (¶
264.3), (7) (6) older adults (¶ 264.5), and
(8) (7) persons with a handicapping
condition disabilities . Eligibility to be nominated in one
category does not preclude being nominated in another category as long as the
nominee is nominated only once.
c) Each Central Conference, or a body authorized by it, shall nominate to each
general program board membership at least one person from each of
the following three categories: (1) clergy, (2) laymen, and (3)
laywomen, to form a pool from which each board is to elect the additional
members that are to come from the Central Conferences pursuant to ¶
805.2c(1) 805.3c. These lists shall be sent to the
General Council on Ministries for use by the general agencies in electing
additional members.
d) All nominees shall list one to three preferences for agency membership. In
addition all nominees shall prepare an up-
to-
100-
word
biographical statement listing experience, gifts, and
training, and other qualifications which qualify
him/her for general agency membership. Biographical statements for all
persons in the central and jurisdictional conference pools
shall be given to each member of the nominating committee. Names and
biographical data of all persons nominated by the Annual and Missionary
Conferences in the United States, Puerto Rico or the
central conferences but not elected by the jurisdiction
shall be forwarded by the Jurisdictional or Central Conference secretary
to the G g eneral Council on Ministries
agencies to be used by the general agencies as
in a pool from which additional members may be elected
(¶¶ 805.3e, 4b 805.2c, 3b).7
2. Members of the General Agencies shall be elected using the following
formula:
a) Five persons from each annual and missionary conference
in the United States. At least thirty (30) of these persons will be women elected by the Women's Division process as members on the General Board of Global Ministries.
b) Five persons from each Central Conference.
c) Supplemental members--Each annual and missionary conference whose membership exceeds 75,000 (as determined by the official records of the denomination on December 31 of the year immediately preceding the General Conference), shall have the following supplemental members of General Agencies:
75,001-150,000 one supplemental member
150,001 - 225,000 a total of two supplemental members
225,001 or more a total of three supplemental members
d) Seven persons from the Iglesia Metodista Autónoma Afiliada de Puerto Rico.
e) A total of 119 additional at-large members for inclusiveness and expertise.
f) 51 effective episcopal leaders.
g) The total membership of all general agencies shall not exceed 640.
h) It is recommended that the membership of general agencies include both youth (¶ 264.2) and young adults (¶ 264.3). It is recommended that, wherever possible, at least 10 percent of the membership of each general agency be equally divided between youth and young adults.
I) It is recommended that the membership of each of the general agencies seeks to be inclusive based on gender, race/ethnic, age, ability and size of church. In order to ensure adequate representation of racial/ethnic persons (Asian American, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders), it is recommended that a jurisdiction's membership on each general agency be at least 30 percent racial/ethnic persons, and incorporate one-third clergy, one-third laymen, and one-third laywomen (except as provided in ¶1204, ¶1412). The episcopal members shall not be counted in the computation of the clergy membership.
j) It is recommended that each general agency elect at least one member without vote from among the member churches of the Consultation on Church Union in addition to members otherwise specified in ¶ 805.2 (a-h) above.
3. Members identified in 805.2a-f will be elected as follows:
a) categories a and c (as applicable) shall be elected by the jurisdictional and central conferences, except for the members elected by the Women's
Division process.
b) category b and c (as applicable) shall be elected by the central conferences;
c) category d shall be elected by the Iglesia Metodista Autónoma Afiliada de Puerto Rico and
d) category e shall be elected by the general agencies for inclusiveness and expertise.
e) The secretary of the General Conference shall assign the number of members to be elected to each general agency by each Jurisdictional Conference and the Central Conferences. The number of members will be determined on an equitable basis taking into consideration the total number to be elected by each jurisdiction and Central Conference.
2 4. General Program Board Membership.--a) Each
general program board shall have the number of members specified in
¶¶ 1106, 1204, 1412 and 1507.
b) Basic Jurisdictional Membership.--Each jurisdiction
shall elect the number of persons listed in the specific legislation for
membership on each of the four General Program Boards. one person
from each of its Annual and Missionary Conferences to each program
board.
In the jurisdictional nominating process for membership on those boards,
special attention shall be given to the inclusion of clergywomen, youth,
(¶ 264.2), young adults (¶ 264.3), older adults (¶ 264.5),
persons with disabilities handicapping conditions, and
persons from small membership churches.
In order to ensure adequate representation of racial and ethnic persons (Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders), it is recommended that at least 30 percent of a jurisdiction's membership on each general program board be racial and ethnic persons.
It is further recommended that the jurisdiction membership on each program board incorporate one- third clergy, one- third laymen, and one- third laywomen (except as
provided in ¶¶ 1204.1, 1412.2. See also ¶¶ 1412.6, 1507.). The episcopal members
shall not be counted in the computation of the clergy membership. 8
Provided, however, that effective immediately when a new Annual
Conference or
conferences are created by a Jurisdictional Conference and come into
being following the Jurisdictional Conference, each such new Annual
Conference or conferences shall
be authorized to elect one person directly to General Council on
Ministries and each general program board on which no person from the new
Annual Conference already has been elected by the Jurisdictional Conference
under the provisions of this paragraph.9
c) Central Conference Membership In addition,
E each general program board shall elect at
least four (4) six persons from the Central Conferences,
and one alternate for each who may attend if the elected member cannot attend.
In the election of the Central Conference members, it is recommended that at
least one two be clergy, two be one
layman, laymen, and one laywoman be elected,
two be laywomen
as specified in general agency paragraphs.
This action shall take effect immediately after the conclusion of
General Conference.
b d) Episcopal Membership.--The episcopal membership
of the general program boards shall be of not less than
five six (6) nor more than ten
eight (8) members shall be nominated by the Council of
Bishops and elected by the General Conference (see exception, ¶ 1412.6).
At least one of the episcopal members of each general program board shall be a
Central Conference bishop.
e c ) Additional Membership.--(1) United
Methodist.--Additional members shall be elected by each general
program board in order to bring into the board persons with special knowledge
or background which will aid in the work of the agency, to consider differing
theological perspectives, and to perfect the representation of racial and
ethnic persons, youth (¶ 264.2), young adults (¶ 264.3), older adults
(¶ 264.5), women and men, persons with a
disabilities handicapping condition, and persons from
small-
membership
churches, and distribution by geographic area.
There shall be not less than five nor more than nine Each
general program board shall elect additional members as specified in
general program board membership paragraphs of each general program
board . In so far as possible no more than one person shall be
elected from each episcopal area. It is recommended that such additional
membership shall maintain the one-
third
laymen, one-
third
laywomen, and one-
third
clergy balance.10
3. 5. Other General Agencies.--a) Each
Jurisdictional Conference shall elect
members from the jurisdictional pool nominated by the Annual and Missionary
Conferences in the United States and Puerto Rico (¶
805.1) in accordance with the specific membership provisions of those agencies
as set forth in the Book of Discipline:
General Council on Ministries (¶ 1007), General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (¶ 1602.1a), General Board of Publication (¶ 1702), General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (¶ 2006), General Commission on Communication (¶ 1907), General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (¶ 2204), and the General Commission on Religion and Race (¶ 2103)
b) Episcopal and additional members, if any, of the general agencies listed in
¶ 805.3 4a shall be nominated and elected by the
procedures specified in the paragraphs listed in ¶ 805.3a
1b, 805.1d. The agencies shall consider names forwarded to them by the
jurisdictions General Council on Ministries as having
been nominated by the Annual and Missionary Conferences in the United States
and Puerto Rico or the Central Conferences but not
elected by the Jurisdictional these
Conferences to general agency membership. Additional names may be considered in
order to perfect the representation as provided in ¶
805.2c 3b.
4. The membership of all agencies of The United Methodist Church,
at the level of General and Jurisdictional Conferences shall ensure
adequate representation of racial and ethnic groups-
Asian
American, Black American, Hispanic American, Native American, and Pacific
Islanders; all such boards, committees, and agencies whose membership is set
forth in the Discipline shall be authorized to elect as many additional members
as necessary to meet this requirement.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Calendar Item Text: 856-8051996 United Methodist General Conference