1996 Book of Discipline: Paragraph 605| General Conference 2000

¶ 605. Business of the Conference--1. The session shall open with a period of devotion, followed by a call of the roll, including the roll of the local pastors.

2. The annual conference, to expedite the transaction of its business, may adopt an agenda as a basis of its procedure. Such agenda shall be prepared by the bishop, the district superintendents, the conference lay leader, and such others as the conference may name and shall be submitted to the conference for adoption.

3. Members for all standing committees, boards, and commissions of the annual conference shall be selected in such manner as the Book of Discipline may specifically require or as the annual conference may determine.⁴¹ Attention shall be given to inclusiveness (¶¶ 103, 117).

[FTN] 41. See Judicial Council Decision 559.

For the purpose of adjusting tenure, a certain number of members may be elected or appointed for particular terms. Members shall hold office until their successors are elected. For the annual conference agencies provided for by the Discipline, see ¶ 607.1; and for the agencies established by the annual conference itself, see ¶ 607.2.

4. The business of the annual conference shall include receiving and acting upon reports from district superintendents, officers, standing and special committees, boards, commissions, and societies and also making such inquiries as the Council of Bishops shall recommend by the provision of a supplemental guide.⁴²

[FTN] 42. See Judicial Council Decision 367.

5. The agenda of the annual conference shall provide time for an address or report that shall be the responsibility of the conference lay leader.

6. The annual conference shall make inquiry into the moral and official conduct of its ordained ministers and local pastors. In response to the inquiry whether all such persons are blameless in their life and official administration, the district superintendent may answer for all the preachers in the district in one answer, or the board of ordained ministry may make inquiry of each district superintendent about each ordained minister in the district and make one report to the bishop and the conference in open session.⁴³ Questions relating to matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy shall be the business of the clergy session. The actions of the clergy session shall be for and on behalf of the annual conference. The provisions of the Book of Discipline applicable to an annual conference shall also be applicable to the clergy session. All clergy members (¶¶ 601.1, 602.1) of the annual conference and the lay members of the board of ordained ministry may attend and shall have voice in the clergy session. Only the ordained clergy in full connection and the lay members of the board of ordained ministry may vote (¶ 602.1a). Others may be admitted by express action of the clergy session, but shall not have vote, nor, unless specifically granted by the clergy session, shall have voice (¶ 324).⁴⁴

[FTN] 43. See Judicial Council Decisions 42, 406, 534, 555.

[FTN] 44. See Judicial Council Decisions 686, 690, 769, 782.

7. At the conclusion of the examination of the standing of the ordained ministers and local pastors in the conference or at such later times as the bishop may designate, the presiding bishop may call to the bar of the conference the class to be admitted into full connection and receive them into conference membership after asking the questions to be found in ¶ 327. This examination of the ordained ministers and the passing of their characters may be the business of one session.



	1996 Discipline ¶ 605
	`¶ 605. Business of the Conference--1. The session shall open with a period of devotion, followed by a call of the roll, including the roll of the local pastors.` `2. The annual conference, to expedite the transaction of its business, may adopt an agenda as a basis of its procedure. Such agenda shall be prepared by the bishop, the district superintendents, the conference lay leader, and such others as the conference may name and shall be submitted to the conference for adoption.` `3. Members for all standing committees, boards, and commissions of the annual conference shall be selected in such manner as the Book of Discipline may specifically require or as the annual conference may determine.⁴¹ Attention shall be given to inclusiveness (¶¶ 103, 117).` `[FTN] 41. See Judicial Council Decision 559.` `For the purpose of adjusting tenure, a certain number of members may be elected or appointed for particular terms. Members shall hold office until their successors are elected. For the annual conference agencies provided for by the Discipline, see ¶ 607.1; and for the agencies established by the annual conference itself, see ¶ 607.2.` `4. The business of the annual conference shall include receiving and acting upon reports from district superintendents, officers, standing and special committees, boards, commissions, and societies and also making such inquiries as the Council of Bishops shall recommend by the provision of a supplemental guide.⁴²` `[FTN] 42. See Judicial Council Decision 367.` `5. The agenda of the annual conference shall provide time for an address or report that shall be the responsibility of the conference lay leader.` 6. The annual conference shall make inquiry into the moral and official conduct of its ordained ministers and local pastors. In response to the inquiry whether all such persons are blameless in their life and official administration, the district superintendent may answer for all the preachers in the district in one answer, or the board of ordained ministry may make inquiry of each district superintendent about each ordained minister in the district and make one report to the bishop and the conference in open session.⁴³ Questions relating to matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy shall be the business of the clergy session. The actions of the clergy session shall be for and on behalf of the annual conference. The provisions of the Book of Discipline applicable to an annual conference shall also be applicable to the clergy session. All clergy members (¶¶ 601.1, 602.1) of the annual conference and the lay members of the board of ordained ministry may attend and shall have voice in the clergy session. Only the ordained clergy in full connection and the lay members of the board of ordained ministry may vote (¶ 602.1a). Others may be admitted by express action of the clergy session, but shall not have vote, nor, unless specifically granted by the clergy session, shall have voice (¶ 324).⁴⁴ `[FTN] 43. See Judicial Council Decisions 42, 406, 534, 555.` `[FTN] 44. See Judicial Council Decisions 686, 690, 769, 782.` `7. At the conclusion of the examination of the standing of the ordained ministers and local pastors in the conference or at such later times as the bishop may designate, the presiding bishop may call to the bar of the conference the class to be admitted into full connection and receive them into conference membership after asking the questions to be found in ¶ 327. This examination of the ordained ministers and the passing of their characters may be the business of one session.`
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1996 Discipline ¶ 605