Section VI. Annual Conferences
¶36
Who may be elected a clergy delegate, and who may vote for one.
- 2024 Discipline
- ¶36
- On the ballot paper
- ¶35
- Article
- IV
- Change
- Amended
Rewritten rather than tweaked — only 13% of the wording survives. Read the two texts side by side rather than the diff.
What changed
The list of conferences is restated for the new structure. The substantive change is that local pastors qualify with course of study or an M.Div. “or its equivalent in regional conferences outside of the USA” — an accommodation for regions whose theological education does not map onto United States degrees. This paragraph was also amended by Amendment IV on the same ballot, which set educational requirements for clergy voting for delegates; both passed.
Before
Book of Discipline 2020/2024, ¶36
The clergy delegates to the General Conference and to the jurisdictional or central conference shall be elected from the clergy members in full connection and shall be elected by the clergy members of the annual conference or provisional annual conference who are deacons and elders in full connection, associate members, and those provisional members who have completed all of their educational requirements and local pastors who have completed course of study or an M. Div. degree and have served a minimum of two consecutive years under appointment immediately preceding the election.
After
Petition 21039, as ratified
The clergy delegates to the General Conference and to their respective regional conference as well as jurisdictional conference, if its regional conference has jurisdictions, shall be elected from the clergy members in full connection and shall be elected by the clergy members of the annual conference or provisional annual conference who are deacons and elders in full connection, associate members, and those provisional members who have completed all of their educational requirements and local pastors who have completed course of study or an M. Div. degree or its equivalent in regional conferences outside of the USA and have served a minimum of two consecutive years under appointment immediately preceding the election.