For two weeks, beginning April 16, 996 delegates, elected from their respective annual conference, will gather in Denver, Colo., as the 1996 General Conference of The United Methodist Church.
General Conference, which convenes every four years, is the denomination's top policy-making body, and the only organization that may speak on behalf of the entire church.
When they arrive, the delegates will meet first in 10 legislative committee to review, sort and refine legislative proposals, and forward those proposals to plenary sessions for final action. No action is final until taken by the General Conference in plenary session.
Voting delegates to General Conference are clergy and lay people who are by their respective annual conferences from around the world. Each annual conference is entitled to a minimum of two persons.
Of the 996 delegates, 132 will come from Africa, Europe and the Philippines. There will be a higher proportion of women delegates and a larger number of clergy women than at any previous conference. Beyond that, the number is determined by the number of lay and clergy members within the conference. A total of 996 delegates will be voting at the Denver conference.
Members of the Council of Bishops attend General Conference, but do not vote and cannot speak without permission from the delegates. A bishop presides at each plenary session. Each bishop usually serves during one morning, afternoon, or evening session. All bishops, active and retired, attend the entire conference.
Also attending will be all members of the denomination's top fiscal agency, the General Council on Finance and Administration, and chief executive officers of all 13 general church agencies, along with people serving administrative and staff functions at the conference. In addition, about 3,000 visitors are expected.
In their plenary session, delegates can vote to approve petitions, deny petition, or refer them for further study. General Conference revises The Book of Discipline (book of church law) and "Social Principles" and adopts resolutions on various current moral, social, public policy and economic issues, which are included in The Book of Resolutions.
General Conference also approves plans and budgets for churchwide programs for the next four years. The delegates can propose amendments to the church's Constitution, but those must be ratified later in the annual conferences. General Conference also elects members of the Judicial Council (the church's "supreme court") and some members of churchwide agencies.
Primary sources of legislation are petitions and proposals from church agencies and organizations. Petition deadlines vary, depending on the source, but none may be submitted less than 45 days prior to the opening of the conference. Any organization, ordained minister or lay member of the church may petition the General Conference.
According to petitions secretary Odell Thompson, more than (call 608-362-8444) petitions from individual members and non-agency groups were submitted to the 1996 General Conference.
As in the U.S. Congress, the bulk of General Conference business is conducted in legislative committees which receive petitions and proposals; debate them; and determine whether to approve, amend, combine, or disapprove them for recommendation to the full body of General Conference.
General (churchwide) agencies propose resolutions or changes in legislation affecting their respective policies and operations. These, along with petitions from annual conferences, are printed in the Advance Daily Christian Advocate.
African Americans. . . . . .319,165
Hispanics. . . . . . . . . . 42,797
Native Americans . . . . . . 17,457
Asian Americans. . . . . . . 45,271
Pacific Islanders. . . . . . .7,220
Delegates elected by '95 annual conferences.Petitions come from individuals, groups and official agencies
Petitions secretary forwards proposals to delegates
Legislative committees--comprised of delegates--review, revise and make recommendations
In plenary sessions delegates debate, modify, refer, accept, reject petitions
Decisions become part of the Book of Discipline, Book of Resolutions, Social Principles or are assigned to specific church agencies
Wednesday, April 17
Laity Address by James W. Lane,
Little Rock, Ark.
dollar bill---setting budget for the next four years, debating the apportionment system
minister--proposal to create two permanent ordination tracks: elder and deacon, and a new lay ministry steward office. Some conferences calling for end to or modification of guaranteed appointments for clergy.
moving van--Will the Board of Global Ministries be moved from new York to Reston, Va.?
church--local-church structure issues. Will the denomination restructure itself to focus more on ministry and give local churches more flexibility?
Print and Audio News
United Methodist Communications will operate a newsroom in Denver April 16-26, and will assist your annual conference communicators--and secular media from your area--to get the news as it happens.
Help enhance coverage of the conference by calling your local newspaper or TV station and urging them to cover the conference in person, or by watching for coverage from major wire services such as Associated Press.
InfoServ, the toll-free hotline, will offer daily audiotaped summaries of General Conference proceedings beginning on April 16. The numbers and their hours of operation are:
At caller's expense
English (615) 742-5432 (taped summary, 24 hours at day)
or call (800) 251-8140 between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. with specific questions.
Toll free
Spanish, Korean and TTD Users may call (800) 251-8140 (8 a.m.-4 p.m. CDT)
InfoServ will also offer its regular information services, available toll free (800) 251-8140.
Via Computer
Follow the proceedings of the 1996 General Conference via the World Wide Web. Starting now, United Methodist Communications has a special section on the Web dedicated to General Conference. Follow proceedings or download United Methodist News Service releases. All you need is a computer with modem and access to Internet. The address is: http://www.umc.org/genco.html
While you're browsing, visit UMCom's home page on the Web at http://www.umc.org
Circuit Writer will also carry news and information from General Conference. To subscribe to this online service, call Susan Peek (615) 742-5444.