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. a) Each Annual and Missionary Conference...shall elect persons to be
submitted to a jurisdictional pool. from which
tThe Jurisdictional Nominating Committee...persons elected by
the Annual and Missionary Conferences in the United States and Puerto
Rico for inclusion in the jurisdictional pool...
b) Each Annual and Missionary Conference in the United States
and Puerto Rico shall nominate...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...
c) Each Central Conference, or a body authorized by it, shall nominate to each general program board membership at least one person...from the Central Conferences pursuant to ¶ 805.2c(1). These lists shall be sent to the General Council on Ministries for use by the general agencies in electing additional members.
d) [Second sentence] 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...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 a formula to ensure the following from each annual, missionary and central conference.
a) Five persons from each annual and missionary conference.
1.) 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, missionary and central 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:
75,000-225,000----one supplemental member
225,001 or more----a total of two supplemental members
d) Seven persons from the Iglesia Metodista Autónoma Afiliada de Puerto Rico.
e) A total of 124 additional at-large members for inclusiveness and expertise.
f) All active Episcopal leaders
g) Members identified in 805.2a-f will be elected as follows:
1) categories a and c (as applicable) shall be elected by the jurisdictional and central conferences;
a.) Category a.1 will be elected by the Women's Division process;
2) category b and c (as applicable) shall be elected by the central conferences;
3) category d shall be elected by the Iglesia Metodista Autonoma Afiliada de Puerto Rico and
4) category e shall be elected by the general agencies for inclusiveness and expertise.
5) 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 3. General Program Board
Membership.--a) Each general program board shall have the number
of members specified in ¶¶ 1106, 1204, 1412 and 1507. The total
membership of all general agencies shall not exceed 630.
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...persons with disabilities
handicapping conditions, and persons from small membership
churches....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.----Each general program board shall elect at least five (5) 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 it is recommended that at least one clergy, one layman, and one laywoman be elected.
b d) Episcopal Membership.--The
episcopal membership of the general program boards shall be
of not less than five nine (9) nor
more than ten thirteen (13) members shall
be nominated by the Council of Bishops...
c e) Additional
Membership.--(1) United Methodist.--Additional members...women and
men, persons with a disabilities handicapping
condition, and persons...There shall be not less than five nor
more than nine Each general program board shall elect at least
nine (9) additional members 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 It is also recommended that such additional members shall
maintain a membership total of at least 10% youth and/or young adults.
In addition, each board shall elect 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 two be clergy, two be laymen, and two be laywomen.
This action shall take effect immediately after the conclusion of
General Conference.
(2) Other Consultation Membership.--It is
recommended that each general program board agency
elect at least one member without vote from among the member churches of the
Consultation on Church Union other than The United Methodist Church as an
additional member.
3 4. 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 ¶ 805.3 4a. 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 Conferences to general agency membership.
Additional names may be considered in order to perfect the representation as
provided in ¶ 805.2c 3b. It is further
recommended that the membership of other general agencies maintain a membership
at least 10% youth and/or young adults..
4. [Delete.]
5. This action shall take effect immediately upon adjournment of the 1996 General Conference.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21654-GJ-805-D
1996 United Methodist General Conference