1. In each Annual Conference there shall be a Commission on Communications or equivalent structure which shall include persons with skills in communications nominated for membership in a manner determined by the conference, in accordance with ¶ 707.4.
The commission shall be a service agency to meet the communication, publication, multimedia, public and media relations, interpretation and promotional needs of the Annual Conference. It shall be responsible for providing resources and services to conference agencies, districts and local churches in the field of communication. The commission shall have a consultative relationship with all agencies and bodies within the conference structure.
2.a) The commission shall include at least seven voting members. The following shall be ex- officio members of the commission in addition to the number set by the Annual Conference:
(1) the conference director of communication (if employed, without vote); (2) any member of the General Commission on Communication or the General Board of Publications who resides within the bounds of the conference, with vote, unless voting membership is in conflict with another provision of the Book of Discipline, in which case his/her membership shall be without vote; (3) the presiding bishop, without vote; (4) a district superintendent, chosen by the cabinet, without vote; (5) the conference treasurer/director of administrative services, without vote; and (6) the conference council director, without vote.
b) Two or more conferences may decide to have a single Commission on Communications, in which case each Annual Conference shall be represented as stated in the preceding paragraph and each shall elect an equal number of voting members.
3. The responsibilities of the Commission on Communications, unless the Annual Conference has designated another agency to carry any of these responsibilities, shall include:
(a) To consult and cooperate with the conference Council on Finance and Administration in providing district superintendents, pastors, and appropriate officers of the local churches and charge conferences with interpretive aids or materials to assist in gaining understanding and support of the conference budget and other approved causes.
(b) To interpret and promote the programs and benevolences of the general Church, the Jurisdictional or Central Conference, and the Annual Conference to the local churches in consultation with other general Church and conference agencies.
(c) To develop, implement and maintain a comprehensive internal communication network among clergy and laity within the Annual Conference, districts and local churches.
(d) To guide radio, television and telecommunications ministries in the Annual Conference.
(e) To assist other agencies of the Annual Conference, districts, and local congregations in the use of computers and computer networks for communication purposes.
(f) To provide oversight for all periodicals (print and electronic) of the Annual Conference.
(g) To facilitate training opportunities in communication for Annual Conference agencies, districts, and local churches.
(h) To provide oversight of conference multimedia resource collections shared among Annual Conference agencies, districts, and local churches.
(i) To develop and coordinate, in consultation with the bishop, cabinet and other appropriate Annual Conference and general Church agencies, disaster and crisis communication plans for the Annual Conference.
(j) To provide a liaison between the Annual Conference and The United Methodist Publishing House.
(k) To raise public awareness within the geographical region of the Annual Conference of the programs and policies of The United Methodist Church; to be the primary source of information services on behalf of the Annual Conference to the general public; and to perform public and media relations functions for the conference.
(l) To recommend the effective use of emerging communication technologies and methods.
(m) To perform such other communication services as the Annual Conference may assign.
4. An executive officer, to be known as the director of communications, shall be designated by one or more Annual Conferences to assist the commission in carrying out its responsibilities.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 20518-CO-700-D$
1996 United Methodist General Conference