What are the 14 legislative committees at General Conference?
General Conference has 14 committees, as well as a Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters (pertaining to church regions in Africa, Europe and the Philippines). All legislation at General Conference goes to one of 14 committees or the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters.
All valid petitions are required to receive a vote in legislative committee. All petitions approved by a legislative committee are required to receive a vote in plenary.
Here are the 14 legislative committees and what they handle:
Church and Society 1
All petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of the General Board of Church and Society and the Social Principles, with the exception of paragraphs in the Book of Discipline dealing with “The Nurturing Community” (Para. 161), “The Social Community” (Para. 162) and “The World Community” (Para. 165).
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Climate Change and the Church’s Response, Gambling, Global Debt Crisis: A Call for Jubilee, Opposition to Late Term Abortion
South Carolina committee member: Rev. Tim Rogers
Church and Society 2
All petitions and resolutions relating to “The Nurturing Community” and “The Social Community” sections of the Social Principles.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Amend Social Principles-Human Sexuality, Remove Incompatibility Language, Divorce, Remarriage, Abortion, Artificial Intelligence
South Carolina committee member: Jackie Jenkins
Church and Society 3
All petitions and resolutions relating to “The World Community” of the Social Principles.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Addressing Israeli Detention of Children, Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, Our Muslim Neighbors, the Abolition of Torture
South Carolina committee member: Rev. Keith Hunter
Conferences
All petitions and resolutions relating to the composition and activities of general, jurisdictional, annual, provisional, missionary and district conferences, as well as missions — including jurisdictional, annual and district connectional ministries or equivalent.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Equitable Voting Rights for Deaconesses and Home Missioners, Create Annual Conference Lay Delegate Term Limits, Include British Columbia in the Western Jurisdiction, Providing for Annual Conference Disaffiliation
South Carolina committee member: Michael Cheatham
Discipleship
All petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of Discipleship Ministries.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Building a Fully Inclusive Church, Fairer Inclusion of Young People, Prioritizing Young People in the Local Church, Native American Comprehensive Plan
South Carolina committee member: David Salter
Faith and Order
All petitions relating to the work and concerns of the Committee on Faith and Order, the Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task, the Ministry of All Christians, and the Meaning of Ordination and Conference Membership.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Add Nicene Creed to Doctrinal Standards, Mission of the Church, Qualifications for Ordination, “Chastity” Instead of “Celibacy”
South Carolina committee member: Rev. Susan Leonard
Financial Administration
All petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of the General Council on Finance and Administration, the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (Wespath) and the United Methodist Publishing House. The budget and recommendations prepared by GCFA are submitted to this committee for study and review. When GCFA presents its report to the General Conference for action, the committee presents its recommendations and may propose amendments.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Authorization to Create a New Insignia, Compass Retirement Plan, Support for Communication Ministry, Trust Clause Nullified
South Carolina committee member: James Salley
General Administration
All petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of the Connectional Table. The Connectional Table report is submitted to this committee for study and review.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: General Agency Relationships with Formerly United Methodist Bodies, Conflict of Interest in Jurisdictional Nominations, Sustainable and Socially Responsible Investments, Restructuring of Connectional Table Membership
South Carolina committee members: David Braddon
Global Ministries
All petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of the General Board of Global Ministries.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministries, Seeking Peace in Afghanistan, The Church and the Global HIV/AIDS Pandemic, Missionary Standards
South Carolina committee member: Rev. Emily Sutton
Higher Education/Superintendency
All petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry and schools of theology. In addition, the work and concerns of superintendency, the Council of Bishops Office of Christian Unity and Interreligious Relationships, including autonomous and affiliated autonomous Methodist churches, affiliated united churches and concordat relationships, and membership or relationship to the World Methodist Council, Councils and Consultations of Churches, and the American Bible Society.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Reform of Itinerancy, Term Limits for Bishops, Local Discernment of Marriage and Wedding Services, Equally Valuing Lay Seminary Professors
South Carolina committee member: Herman Lightsey
Independent Commissions
All petitions and resolutions relating to commissions on Archives and History, Communication, Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner, Religion and Race, Status and Role of Women, United Methodist Men and United Women in Faith.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Racial Justice, Support for Clergywomen, Accessibility Grants to Churches, White Privilege in the United States, Sexual Misconduct within Ministerial Relationships, Mental Health Discrimination in Disability Compensation
South Carolina committee member: Rev. Tiffany Knowlin Boykin
Judicial Administration
All petitions and resolutions relating to judiciary concerns, including the Judicial Council, investigations, church trials and appeals.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: No Compensation for Judicial Council Members or Alternates, Media Access to Judicial Council Oral Processes-Implementation, When Fair Process Begins in Judicial Complaints, Simplifying a Chargeable Offense
South Carolina committee member: Rev. Will Malambri
Local Church
All petitions and resolutions relating to the organization of the local church and its membership, programs, boards, councils, commissions and committees. The committee also considers petitions relating to local church property.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: Non-Discrimination Policy for Lay Staff, Immediate Family Definition, Providing Secure Space for Local Church Records, Voting at Church Conferences
South Carolina committee member: Chris Lynch and Rev. Karen Jones
Ordained Ministry
All petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of ordained ministry.
Examples of petitions being considered this year: License for Pastoral Ministry, Change in Education Requirements for Elders and Deacons, Deacons to Administer the Sacraments, Fair Process for Less-Than-Full-Time Appointments
South Carolina committee member: Rev. Ken Nelson and Betty Void
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