The Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church

If the General Conference is the Congress of United Methodism, then the annual conference is its state legislature. The analogy isn't quite accurate, but it gives some idea of the relationships involved.

The Constitution refers to the annual conferences as the basic body in the Church. This reference is partly historical, but it partly refers to some of the key powers that the annual conference possesses. Among these are the right to vote on all constitutional amendments, the right of election of the delegates to the General Conference, and the right to determine all matters concerning ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy. This last right is actually exercised not by the entire annual conference, but by the clergy members in full connection.

The annual conference membership is composed of its clergy members and lay members. Clergy members in full connection have the right to vote on all matters before the annual conference except the election of lay delegates to the General and jurisdictional conferences. Probationary and associate members and local pastors under appointment have the right to vote on all matters except the election of lay or clergy delegates to the General and jurisdictional conferences, constitutional amendments, and all matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy. The lay members have the right to vote on all matters except the election of clergy delegates to the General and jurisdictional conferences, and all matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy.

Also, certain persons are members of the annual conference by virtue of their office. These are the conference president of United Methodist Women, the conference president of United Methodist Men, the conference lay leader, the president of the conference youth organization, and two young persons under manner the annual conference determines. The lay equalization amendment to the Constitution adopted during the 1972-76 quadrennium gives each annual conference the right to provide additional lay members by whatever plan it may determine, in order to provide a number of lay members equal to clergy members. In addition, there are a number of persons who are not members and who do not have the right to vote, but who have a seat and the privilege of the floor. These are lay missionaries of the Church from fields outside the United States, and official representatives from other denominations.

All members of the annual conference, lay and clergy, are required to attend its sessions or else explain their absence in a letter to the conference secretary. If clergypersons do not attend and have no satisfactory reason for their absence, their names are to be referred to the board of ordained ministry.

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