1996 Book of Discipline: Paragraph 805| General Conference 2000

¶ 805. Organization--1. Membership--a) The voting members of the Council shall be elected quadrennially by the General Conference and shall consist of forty persons nominated as follows:

(1) three bishops, nominated by the Council of Bishops;

(2) six persons from each jurisdiction, nominated by the bishops of that jurisdiction;

(3) one person from an annual conference in the central conferences, nominated by the Council of Bishops; and

(4) six members at large, at least one of whom shall be a youth under the age of eighteen and at least one of whom shall not be over thirty years of age at the time of election, and most of whom shall be elected for special skills. The members at large shall be nominated by the Council of Bishops without reference to jurisdictions.

b) It is recommended that attention be given to ensuring adequate representation of racial and ethnic groups, with at least two of the at-large members to be racial and ethnic persons. It is further recommended that in the membership from each of the jurisdictions and the at-large members, one third be clergy in full connection, one third be laymen, and one third be laywomen.

c) The general secretaries who serve as the chief executive officers of the general agencies and the publisher of The United Methodist Church shall be members of the council but without vote.

d) The voting members, including bishops, shall not be eligible for membership on, or employment by, any other general agency of The United Methodist Church (¶ 701.2), except where the Book of Discipline specifically provides for such interagency representation. Members shall also be guided by such conflict-of-interest policies and provisions as may from time to time be adopted by the General Conference or by the council itself.

e) Members shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified.

f) Vacancies occurring between sessions of the General Conference shall be filled by the council on nomination of the College of Bishops of the jurisdiction concerned (see ¶ 712) if the vacancy is among members chosen to represent a jurisdiction, or, in the event of a vacancy among the episcopal, central conference, or at-large members, on nomination of the Council of Bishops.

The provisions of [185][185] 1a and 1b related to the number of members shall become effective in relation to members nominated and elected for service beginning in the year 2000. During the 1996{@-}2000 quadrennium, vacancies occurring between sessions of the General Conference in the at-large membership shall not be filled unless the vacancy results in there being fewer than six at-large members. All other provisions of the paragraph shall take effect immediately upon adjournment of the 1996 General Conference.

2. Meetings--The council shall meet annually and at such other times as are necessary on call of the president or on written request of one fifth of the members. Twenty-two voting members shall constitute a quorum.

3. Officers--The officers of the council shall be a president, a vice president, a recording secretary, and a general secretary, who shall also be the treasurer of the council, all of whom shall be elected by the council (see [185] 5). They shall serve until the adjournment of the next succeeding quadrennial session of the General Conference after their election and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The president, vice president, and recording secretary shall be elected from the membership of the council. The general secretary shall sit with the council and its executive committee at all sessions and shall have the right to the floor without the privilege of voting.

4. Committees--a) Executive Committee--There shall be an executive committee of the council, consisting of the episcopal members, the officers of the council, chairpersons of the committees on services as defined in the council bylaws, the chairperson of the Committee on Council Operations, and up to three members at large to assure that, in addition to the episcopal members, there is at least one member from each jurisdiction and there is racial and ethnic participation. The executive committee shall meet on call of the president or of a majority of the membership and shall act for the council and exercise its powers in the interim between the meetings of the council, but it shall not take any action contrary to or in conflict with any action or policy of the council. A copy of the minutes of each meeting of the executive committee shall be sent from the central office to each member of the council as soon after the meeting as practicable.

b) Committee on Audit and Review--The executive committee of the council shall appoint a Committee on Audit and Review, no members of which shall be officers or members of the executive committee of the council, and at least half of whom shall not be members of the council, whose duty it shall be to review audits of all treasuries receiving general Church funds (see ¶ 810.2), including the funds of the council, and related policies with financial implications. Not included are the audits of the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits and The United Methodist Publishing House. In any matter of possible or potential financial impropriety reported to the committee by the auditors, the committee chair shall immediately inform the president and general secretary of the General Council on Finance and Administration and the president and general secretary of the applicable agency. The committee shall report its findings to the annual meeting of the council.

c) Committee on Official Forms and Records--The council shall maintain and supervise under the direction of its general secretary a Committee on Official Forms and Records, which shall have the duty of preparing and editing all official statistical forms, record forms, and record books for use in the Church. The committee shall consist of one bishop elected by the Council of Bishops and nine persons elected by the General Council on Finance and Administration, as follows: one member of the council from each jurisdiction, one conference secretary, one conference treasurer, one conference statistician, and one district superintendent. The following persons shall be consultants to this committee ex officio, without vote: a staff representative of the council, the director of the Department of Statistics, a staff representative of the General Council on Ministries, a representative of The United Methodist Publishing House, and representatives of other general agencies when their programs are directly involved. All official record forms, record books, and certificates designed by the committee for use in The United Methodist Church and available for sale shall be printed and published through The United Methodist Publishing House.

d) Committee on Personnel Policies and Practices--The council shall organize a committee consisting of three representatives from the General Council on Finance and Administration, one of whom shall serve as chairperson, two representatives from the General Council on Ministries, and one representative of each of the following agencies: the General Board of Church and Society, the General Board of Discipleship, the General Board of Global Ministries, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the General Commission on Archives and History, the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, the General Commission on Communication, the General Commission on Religion and Race, the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, and the General Commission on United Methodist Men. Each of the aforementioned representatives shall be selected by the council, board, or commission represented from its membership. The committee shall have duties and responsibilities as defined in ¶ 807.9b.

e) Committee on Legal Responsibilities--The council shall organize a committee composed of six persons, three of whom shall be members of the council. The committee shall be amenable to the council and shall make recommendations to the council regarding the fulfillment of the responsibilities defined in ¶ 807.4.

f) Other Committees--The council shall elect or appoint such other committees and task forces as needed for the performance of its duties.

5. Staff--The council shall elect a general secretary as provided in[R][185] 3 above. On nomination of the general secretary, the council may elect associate general secretaries, who shall work under the direction of the general secretary. The general secretary shall be the chief administrative officer of the council.



	1996 Discipline ¶ 805
	`¶ 805. Organization--1. Membership--a) The voting members of the Council shall be elected quadrennially by the General Conference and shall consist of forty persons nominated as follows:` `(1) three bishops, nominated by the Council of Bishops;` `(2) six persons from each jurisdiction, nominated by the bishops of that jurisdiction;` `(3) one person from an annual conference in the central conferences, nominated by the Council of Bishops; and` `(4) six members at large, at least one of whom shall be a youth under the age of eighteen and at least one of whom shall not be over thirty years of age at the time of election, and most of whom shall be elected for special skills. The members at large shall be nominated by the Council of Bishops without reference to jurisdictions.` `b) It is recommended that attention be given to ensuring adequate representation of racial and ethnic groups, with at least two of the at-large members to be racial and ethnic persons. It is further recommended that in the membership from each of the jurisdictions and the at-large members, one third be clergy in full connection, one third be laymen, and one third be laywomen.` `c) The general secretaries who serve as the chief executive officers of the general agencies and the publisher of The United Methodist Church shall be members of the council but without vote.` `d) The voting members, including bishops, shall not be eligible for membership on, or employment by, any other general agency of The United Methodist Church (¶ 701.2), except where the Book of Discipline specifically provides for such interagency representation. Members shall also be guided by such conflict-of-interest policies and provisions as may from time to time be adopted by the General Conference or by the council itself.` `e) Members shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified.` `f) Vacancies occurring between sessions of the General Conference shall be filled by the council on nomination of the College of Bishops of the jurisdiction concerned (see ¶ 712) if the vacancy is among members chosen to represent a jurisdiction, or, in the event of a vacancy among the episcopal, central conference, or at-large members, on nomination of the Council of Bishops.` The provisions of [185][185] 1a and 1b related to the number of members shall become effective in relation to members nominated and elected for service beginning in the year 2000. During the 1996{@-}2000 quadrennium, vacancies occurring between sessions of the General Conference in the at-large membership shall not be filled unless the vacancy results in there being fewer than six at-large members. All other provisions of the paragraph shall take effect immediately upon adjournment of the 1996 General Conference. `2. Meetings--The council shall meet annually and at such other times as are necessary on call of the president or on written request of one fifth of the members. Twenty-two voting members shall constitute a quorum.` 3. Officers--The officers of the council shall be a president, a vice president, a recording secretary, and a general secretary, who shall also be the treasurer of the council, all of whom shall be elected by the council (see [185] 5). They shall serve until the adjournment of the next succeeding quadrennial session of the General Conference after their election and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The president, vice president, and recording secretary shall be elected from the membership of the council. The general secretary shall sit with the council and its executive committee at all sessions and shall have the right to the floor without the privilege of voting. 4. Committees--a) Executive Committee--There shall be an executive committee of the council, consisting of the episcopal members, the officers of the council, chairpersons of the committees on services as defined in the council bylaws, the chairperson of the Committee on Council Operations, and up to three members at large to assure that, in addition to the episcopal members, there is at least one member from each jurisdiction and there is racial and ethnic participation. The executive committee shall meet on call of the president or of a majority of the membership and shall act for the council and exercise its powers in the interim between the meetings of the council, but it shall not take any action contrary to or in conflict with any action or policy of the council. A copy of the minutes of each meeting of the executive committee shall be sent from the central office to each member of the council as soon after the meeting as practicable. b) Committee on Audit and Review--The executive committee of the council shall appoint a Committee on Audit and Review, no members of which shall be officers or members of the executive committee of the council, and at least half of whom shall not be members of the council, whose duty it shall be to review audits of all treasuries receiving general Church funds (see ¶ 810.2), including the funds of the council, and related policies with financial implications. Not included are the audits of the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits and The United Methodist Publishing House. In any matter of possible or potential financial impropriety reported to the committee by the auditors, the committee chair shall immediately inform the president and general secretary of the General Council on Finance and Administration and the president and general secretary of the applicable agency. The committee shall report its findings to the annual meeting of the council. c) Committee on Official Forms and Records--The council shall maintain and supervise under the direction of its general secretary a Committee on Official Forms and Records, which shall have the duty of preparing and editing all official statistical forms, record forms, and record books for use in the Church. The committee shall consist of one bishop elected by the Council of Bishops and nine persons elected by the General Council on Finance and Administration, as follows: one member of the council from each jurisdiction, one conference secretary, one conference treasurer, one conference statistician, and one district superintendent. The following persons shall be consultants to this committee ex officio, without vote: a staff representative of the council, the director of the Department of Statistics, a staff representative of the General Council on Ministries, a representative of The United Methodist Publishing House, and representatives of other general agencies when their programs are directly involved. All official record forms, record books, and certificates designed by the committee for use in The United Methodist Church and available for sale shall be printed and published through The United Methodist Publishing House. d) Committee on Personnel Policies and Practices--The council shall organize a committee consisting of three representatives from the General Council on Finance and Administration, one of whom shall serve as chairperson, two representatives from the General Council on Ministries, and one representative of each of the following agencies: the General Board of Church and Society, the General Board of Discipleship, the General Board of Global Ministries, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the General Commission on Archives and History, the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, the General Commission on Communication, the General Commission on Religion and Race, the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, and the General Commission on United Methodist Men. Each of the aforementioned representatives shall be selected by the council, board, or commission represented from its membership. The committee shall have duties and responsibilities as defined in ¶ 807.9b. `e) Committee on Legal Responsibilities--The council shall organize a committee composed of six persons, three of whom shall be members of the council. The committee shall be amenable to the council and shall make recommendations to the council regarding the fulfillment of the responsibilities defined in ¶ 807.4.` `f) Other Committees--The council shall elect or appoint such other committees and task forces as needed for the performance of its duties.` `5. Staff--The council shall elect a general secretary as provided in[R][185] 3 above. On nomination of the general secretary, the council may elect associate general secretaries, who shall work under the direction of the general secretary. The general secretary shall be the chief administrative officer of the council.`
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1996 Discipline ¶ 805