If you are interested in becoming a lay delegate to General Conference--from Conference Lay Leader Joe Williams

TO THE TENNESSEE CONFERENCE LAITY

The next General Conference of the United Methodist Church will meet from April 23 through May 2, 2008, in Fort Worth, Texas. It meets every four years and will be attended by about 1,000 delegates from the United States, Europe, Africa, and Asia to decide issues of church law and polity. The number of delegates are split equally between laity and clergy. It is interesting to note that two United Methodist presidents – George W. Bush of the United States, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia – have been invited to address the 2008 General Conference.

Those who are interested in declaring as candidates for election as delegates to the 2008 General Conference should be aware of the Tennessee Conference Standing Rules 9-12, a copy of which is attached for your information. You will note that Standing Rule 11.A. is in bold type.

It describes what a declarant must do if he/she would like a statement of their candidacy to be published and included in the pre-conference mailing to all members of the 2007 Annual Conference. Please note that there is a deadline when this information must be submitted.
The election will be held during the 2007 meeting of the Tennessee Annual Conference, June 10-13, 2007, at Brentwood UMC.

You may be interested yourself, or you may have others make inquiries of you about the process. In either case, the attachment is very helpful information. In the event any of you would like additional information or to discuss what it means to be a delegate to General Conference, please do not hesitate to call on me.

The following is taken from pages 173-174 of the
2006 JOURNAL of the Tennessee Annual Conference:

CHAPTER VI

A. STANDING RULES

Election of Delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference
SR9 Clergy and lay delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conferences shall be elected as
provided in the Constitution of The United Methodist Church. (¶¶38-39 of the Book of
Discipline [2004]).

SR10 Ballots
A. Printed ballots will be provided by the Office of the Conference Secretary.
B. 50% plus one valid ballots cast shall be necessary to elect.
C. Ballots with more or less than the number to be elected shall be rejected as invalid.

SR11 Candidacy for election as General or Jurisdictional Conference delegates may be declared by clergy and laity
A. Eligible lay and clergy may declare candidacy by sending to the Office of Connectional Ministries, no later than 10 weeks prior to the opening day of Annual Conference, for inclusion in Volume One of the Journal a statement concerning (1) their activities at the local church, district, annual, jurisdictional, and general conference levels; (2) their assessment of the principal needs of the General Church and how they should be met, and (3) any other information felt pertinent to introducing themselves to other members of the Tennessee Conference who may not be familiar with their views on issues confronting the Church. The statement is limited to one 8 ½ X 11" page with 1" margins on top, bottom, and sides with
type no smaller than 10 point, and shall be submitted via email or diskette.
B. Persons do not have to declare candidacy to be eligible for election to General or
Jurisdictional Conference.

SR12 Reserve delegates
After the Jurisdictional Conference delegates are elected, on the next ballot reserve delegates
shall be elected (the number of General Conference delegates) in order of the highest
number of votes received, without regard to majority.