Bishops elected by jurisdictions have life tenure. Bishops elected by a regional conference without jurisdictions serve whatever term that conference sets. The distinction is not new: the old paragraph already gave jurisdiction-elected bishops life tenure and let each central conference set its own. But it survives into a structure otherwise built on parity, and because the United States is the only region with jurisdictions, life tenure remains in practice a United States arrangement. The paragraph also drops the spent 1968 union provisions and moves the committee on episcopacy to the regional conference or jurisdiction.
Before
Book of Discipline 2020/2024, ¶51
The bishops, both active and retired, of The Evangelical United Brethren Church and of The Methodist Church at the time union is consummated shall be bishops of The United Methodist Church. The bishops of The Methodist Church elected by the jurisdictions, the active bishops of The Evangelical United Brethren Church at the time of union, and bishops elected by the jurisdictions of The United Methodist Church shall have life tenure. Each bishop elected by a central conference of The Methodist Church shall have such tenure as the central conference electing him shall have determined. The jurisdictional conference shall elect a standing committee on episcopacy to consist of one clergy and one lay delegate from each annual conference, on nomination of the annual conference delegation. The committee shall review the work of the bishops, pass on their character and official administration, and report to the jurisdictional conference its findings for such action as the conference may deem appropriate within its constitutional warrant of power. The committee shall recommend the assignments of the bishops to their respective residences for final action by the jurisdictional conference. These provisions shall not preclude the adoption by the General Conference of provisions for the Council of Bishops to hold its individual members accountable for their work, both as general superintendents and as presidents and residents in episcopal areas.
After
Petition 21039, as ratified
Bishops elected by the jurisdictions shall have life tenure. Bishops elected by a regional conference without jurisdictions shall have such tenure as the regional conference electing them shall have determined. The regional conference or the jurisdiction, if a regional conference has jurisdictions, shall elect a standing committee on episcopacy to consist of one clergy and one lay delegate from each annual conference, on nomination of the annual conference delegation. The committee shall review the work of the bishops, pass on their character and official administration, and report to its respective regional conference or jurisdiction, if a region has jurisdictions, its findings for such action as the conference may deem appropriate within its constitutional warrant of power. The committee shall recommend the assignments of the bishops to their respective residences for final action by the respective regional conference or the jurisdiction, if a regional conference has jurisdictions. These provisions shall not preclude the adoption by the General Conference of provisions for the Council of Bishops to hold its individual members accountable for their work, both as general superintendents and as presidents and residents in episcopal areas.