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Petition to the General Conference, 2004, In accordance with the instructions for preparation of petitions, PAGE NUMBER: Page 1 of 2 SUGGESTED TITLE/SUBJECT MATTER: Representation to General Conference PETITION CONCERNS: Paragraph 502.3 FINANACIAL IMPLICATIONS: None Petition Text: WHEREAS, the formula for selection of General Conference delegates adopted at GC 2000 had the immediate effect of reducing dramatically the number of delegates from the Western Jurisdiction; and WHEREAS forty-six delegates (6% of the US total delegates) are now allotted to the Western Jurisdiction, composing 22.8% of the US population and occupying 50% of the land area of the US, while Virginia, for instance, has thirty-two delegates (4% of the total US delegates) with 25 % of US population and %1.1 of the land area; and WHEREAS, if mission is the principal calling of the Church and it follows that the delegate formula should take into account to some degree the total population served; and WHEREAS the new 2000 formula results in less representation of small member churches; and WHEREAS the formula in use until 2000 did give significant weight to the number of members, but it balanced that with the number of clergy, many of whom serve small churches; and WHEREAS the 2000 formula thus has the effect of reducing the representation of clergy in conferences where small membership churches predominate; and WHEREAS by returning to the formula in use before 2000, the General Conference would be restoring an equitable balance between number of members, number of clergy, between conferences with many small membership churches and those with a concentration of members in large churches, and it will restore a more equitable balance between the number of members and missional opportunities. THEREFORE, be it resolved that the General Conference return to the formula as outlined in the 1996 Book of Discipline which reads as follows: Para. 502.3. The secretary of the General Conference shall calculate the number of delegates to be elected by each annual conference, based on the factors specified above, as follows: a) One clergy delegate for the first 140 clergy members of the annual conference and one clergy delegate for each additional 140 clergy members or major fraction thereof, and b) one clergy delegate for the first 44,000 members of local churches or the annual conference and one clergy delegate for each additional 44,000 church members or major fraction thereof, and c) A number of lay delegates equal to the total number of clergy delegates authorized d) Every annual conference shall be entitled to at least one clergy and one lay delegate. e) This formula is designated to comply with the constitution, Division Two, Section II, Article I (p 12), which defines the minimum and maximum number of delegates to a General Conference. Should the computations provided in the paragraph result in a figure below the prescribed minimum or above the prescribed maximum for delegates, the secretary of the General Conference shall be authorized to remedy the situation by adjusting up or down the numbers of clergy members and members of local churches of the annual conference necessary to entitle an annual conference to elect delegates, any such adjustment to be proportionally the same for the two factors. (3) DATE: November 24, 2003 SUBMITTED BY: Kathryn J. Johnson, on behalf of PETITIONER IDENTIFICATION: Methodist Federation for Social Action TELEPHONE: 202-546-8806 |
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