Strengthening & Uniting the Power of Women in OUR Global Church through General Conference

1. Strengthening & Uniting the Power of Women in OUR Global Church through General Conference

2. General ConferenceandUnited Methodist Women May 5 – 15, 2020 Minneapolis, MN

4. ROLE & TASK of General Conference1. Top policymaking body of the worldwide United Methodist Church2. Only body that officially speaks for the 12 million-member denomination3. Delegates will revise The Book of Discipline and The Book of Resolutions4. Approves plans and budgets for church- wide programs for the next 4 years

8. Delegates 1. Each annual conference elects lay and clergy delegates2. The Book of Discipline limits the total number of delegates to 1,0003. In 2020 – will be total of 862 delegates

10. Bishops 1. No vote and No voice2. Preside over business sessions and serve as parliamentarian

13. Officials1. The secretary of the General Conference 2. The treasurer3. The business manager

14. Judicial Council 1. A nine-member council, acts as the denomination’s “supreme court”2. Addresses questions related to constitutionality of matters during General Conference

16. LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES

18. Proposals from United Methodist individuals, congregations, annual conferences, official caucuses, agencies and councils to CHANGE, ADD TO, DELETE or (in the case of resolutions) RETAIN all or part of the official policies, doctrines, statements, program and mission priorities and “law” of The United Methodist Church. WHAT IS A LEGISLATION?

19. 1. Church doctrine and law (Book of Discipline)2. Social Principles (moral conscience of the church, which guides thoughts and actions on social, moral, political issues)3. Policy statements on current issues (Book of Resolutions) adopted by each General Conference, effective for 8 years.4. Church-wide budget: Sets quadrennial financial priorities. Four MAIN TYPES OF LEGISLATION

20. 1.Identifying need for policy and program changes.2. Talking with members and colleagues within the church about concerns.3. Reviewing time-dated resolutions for changes, retention or deletion (eight-year maximum).4. Developing new legislation/resolutions and reports to General Conference based on current work. LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

21. 1. Church and Society 12. Church and Society 23. Conferences4. Discipleship5. Faith and Order6. Financial Administration LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES

22. 7. General Administration8. Global Ministries9. Independent Commissions10. Judicial Administration11. Local Church12. Higher Education and Superintendency LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES (Cont’d)

23. Spring 2018/9 – Annual conferences elect delegates April 2019 – Petition Submission Start Date August 2019 – Agency Reports Submission September 2019 – Agency Petitions Submission October 15, 2019 – Petitions Deadline February 2020 – ADCA Received by Delegates LEGISLATIVE TIMELINE

24. 1. Recommendations reviewed in legislative committees 2. Worship and Reports in plenary sessions FIRST WEEK of General Conference

25. 1. Final actions taken on petitions in plenary sessions2. If legislation involving funding is approved, that action is referred to the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) and the Connectional Table for their advice and review3. The groups bring the legislation back to the plenary with specific recommendations about sources and amounts SECOND WEEK of General Conference

26. Becoming a Delegate to General Conference

27. Become active in your local church • Teach a Sunday school class • Lead a Bible study • Become a youth leader • Serve as a chair of at least one committee or board[To be a delegate you must have been a member of the UMC for two years and active in a United Methodist congregation within the bounds of the annual conference for four years.]

28. Become an annual conference member Your church is allowed one lay annual conference member for each clergy appointed to your church. Tell your pastor that you would like to be considered a member of the annual conference. Speak with members of the committee on lay leadership to let them know of your interest. Elections for all church offices are held at the church/charge conference in the fall.

29. Get Involved in the larger church After being elected a member of the annual conference, attend conference events and let your district superintendent know you’d like to serve on conference boards or committees Volunteer to take minutes Join work teams Write articles for the conference newspaper

30. Read rules for electing General Conference delegates The conference journal for your area includes the rules for electing delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conferences. Call your annual conference secretary for information on election procedures. Annual conference procedures differ and you may need to declare your interest many months in advance.

31. Publicize your interest Check with former delegates. Some conferences require a biographical sketch. Some allow candidates to prepare brochures or other campaign materials. Get samples of materials from previous elections to give you some hints on what works in your conference.

32. Seek the counsel of others Introduce yourself to the conference district lay leaders. Tell them of your interest in being a delegate to General Conference and seek their advice. Seek support from friends you have made while serving on conference committees. Ask them to speak to others on your behalf. Evaluate the benefits and liabilities of support from a caucus or other political action group within your conference

33. Campaign at annual conference Prior to the conference read through Paragraphs 601-657 of the 2016 Book of Discipline (operating rules) Arrive early and introduce yourself to members

34. Table Discussion:Strategic PlanningIdentifyStrengths/AssetsChallenges

35. Report Back

36. General Conference TeamFormationChart the Course of Action:Timeline