In fulfilling this responsibility, five members of the General Council on Ministries plus the general secretary and an additional staff person were assigned to the twenty-one member Planning Committee for the New Annual Conference Cabinet Member Training Event. Six members of the Council of Bishops plus five members and three staff persons of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Division of Ordained Ministry also served on the Planning Committee.
The basic responsibility of the Planning Committee was to design and implement the annual five-day training experience for newly appointed district superintendents and conference council directors.
Each year the training events were held at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina during the last week of July or August. Worship, spiritual formation, role identity, clarification of responsibilities, information sharing, skill training, self-care, and development in management and administrative techniques composed the core curriculum for each event. On average, thirteen conference council directors and ninety-six district superintendents attended each annual training session.
Early in the planning process, the Design Team and the full Planning Committee determined that emphasis should be placed on self-care to enhance spirituality and develop more effective ways for modeling leadership that is holistic. A global awareness of The United Methodist Church was recognized as a valid aspect of the training event. The Planning Committee reflected on and had conversation with central conference representatives and determined more study was needed before this could be implemented.
Workshops were designed to include a sensitivity to inclusiveness with an emphasis on racism, use of language, clergy appointments and staff employment.
Twenty-eight persons were recruited as faculty each year. These persons were selected for their expertise and experience as bishops, district superintendents, council directors, general board or annual conference staff, and management consultants. Inclusiveness of women and racial ethnic persons in the faculty leadership team was an intentional goal throughout the quadrennium.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21706-GJ-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference