Jurisdictional conferences will elect, assign bishops
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United Methodist bishops take a group photograph
during their October 2004 Council of Bishops meeting at Epworth by the
Sea on St. Simons Island, Ga. In July, five jurisdictional conferences
are expected to elect nine new U.S. bishops.
A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose.
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A UMNS Report
By J. Richard Peck*
May 14, 2008
With the 2008 United Methodist General Conference now adjourned,
denominational attention shifts to July gatherings of jurisdictional
conferences at which nine new U.S. bishops are expected to be elected.
Like the worldwide legislative meeting held April 23-May 2 in Fort
Worth, Texas, jurisdictional conferences meet once every four years.
However, while General Conference handles denominational matters across
the globe, each jurisdictional gathering covers business related to one
of the church's five regional jurisdictions in the United States.
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Illinois Area Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher, who is
retiring at the end of this term, delivers the Episcopal Address at
General Conference.
A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.
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The primary business of jurisdictional conferences is the election and
assignment of bishops. Up to 11 spots for new episcopal leaders could be
open due to 10 possible retirements and the resignation of Seattle Area
Bishop Edward Paup, who has been elected chief executive of the United
Methodist Board of Global Ministries. (See chart.)
However, it appears likely that the Northeastern Jurisdiction will elect
only two bishops instead of three. And since General Conference
extended the retirement age from 66 to 68, at least one of the three
bishops now eligible to continue in office has indicated a desire to do
so.
The conferences will meet simultaneously July 16-19 in their respective
regions, except for the Northeastern Jurisdiction, which meets July
13-18. The locations are: North Central, Grand Rapids, Mich.;
Northeastern, Harrisburg, Pa.; Southeastern, Lake Junaluska, N.C.; South
Central, Dallas; and Western, Portland, Ore.
Here is a primer on some of the issues and changes related to this year's jurisdictional meetings:
Fewer U.S. bishops
General Conference approved a plan that will result in one less
bishop in four of the five U.S. jurisdictions, beginning in 2012.
Under the new U.S. formula, all but the Southeastern Jurisdiction will
have one less bishop. The Southeastern Jurisdiction already has one less
than the current formula allows, and it is not requesting an additional
episcopal leader.
The new formula will take effect Jan. 1, 2009, however, so it will not
affect the number of bishops elected in the United States in July.
A Task Force to Study the Episcopacy, mandated by the 2004 General
Conference, proposed the reduction to save money. The proposal was
approved 457-401, and delegates also agreed by a vote of 435-394 that
the $4.8 million anticipated savings will be used to fund new episcopal
areas outside the United States. Those new areas—each to be led by a
bishop—will not be created until the 2012 General Conference.
The current formula entitles each jurisdiction with 500,000 church
members or fewer to have six bishops. Jurisdictions with more than
500,000 members are entitled to one additional bishop for each 320,000
members. There is a provision for additional bishops if episcopal areas
average more than 55,000 square miles.
The task force noted that the current formula results in inequities in
the number of churches per bishop (ranging from 256 to 928) and the
number of members per bishop (ranging from 58,970 to 225,814).
The new formula provides for one bishop for every 150,000 members, or
one bishop for 100,000 members in jurisdictions where episcopal areas
average more than 55,000 square miles.
Retirement age and limits
The assembly also voted to raise the retirement age of bishops from
66 to 68. A bishop must retire Aug. 31 following the regular session of
the jurisdictional conference if the bishop reaches his or her 68th
birthday on or before July 1 of the year in which the jurisdictional
conference is held.
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Fort Worth Area Bishop Benjamin Chamness is among U.S. bishops retiring this year. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.
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The change, which took effect when General Conference adjourned, gives
Louisiana Area Bishop William Hutchinson, Harrisburg (Pa.) Area Bishop
Jane Middleton, and Charlotte (N.C.) Area Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey
the option of proceeding with retirement or serving for another four
years. Middleton told United Methodist News Service she probably will
continue for another term. Hutchinson and McCleskey have not made public
announcements.
Before the 2008 General Conference, a bishop was required to move to a
new episcopal area after serving two four-year terms unless a two-thirds
majority of the jurisdictional committee on episcopacy and a two-thirds
majority of the jurisdictional conference approved the bishop remaining
in that appointment an additional four years. General Conference
deleted the two-thirds vote requirement, so bishops may remain in an
episcopal area for a third term without special action.
Assigning bishops
Twice as many U.S. delegates participate in jurisdictional
conferences as in General Conference. Equal numbers of lay and clergy
members are elected by their respective annual conferences.
Within each jurisdiction, a committee on episcopacy consists of one
clergy and one lay person from each annual conference. The committee is
responsible for reviewing the work and character of the bishops, and the
committee assigns the bishops to their areas. The jurisdictional
conference has the authority to affirm or reject the assignments. If the
conference rejects the assignments, the committee must make new
assignments.
The assignment for bishops elected at the 2008 jurisdictional conferences becomes effective Sept. 1, 2008.
In rare cases, an Inter-jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy, elected
by General Conference delegates, can transfer bishops across
jurisdictional lines if the bishops and the jurisdictions consent.
Electing new bishops
People considered for the episcopacy are generally nominated by an
annual conference or endorsed by jurisdictional conference delegates
from the various annual conferences. Delegates from those annual
conferences are not required to vote for the candidate from their
conferences, and balloting is not limited to nominees. In the
Northeastern Jurisdiction, a person can be endorsed by a caucus listed
in the United Methodist Directory.
Each jurisdiction devises its own means of providing information about
the candidates. In the Western Jurisdiction, for example, nominees are
invited to give speeches and later answer delegates' questions during
"fishbowl" meetings prior to the first ballot. In other jurisdictions,
candidates go from one small group to the next answering questions posed
by delegates.
2008 Jurisdictional Conference Representation
North Central Jurisdiction––Grand Rapids, Mich.
276 delegates.
Northeastern Jurisdiction––Harrisburg, Pa.
252 delegates
Southeastern Jurisdiction––Lake Junaluska, N.C.
504 delegates
South Central Jurisdiction––Dallas
296 delegates
Western Jurisdiction––Portland, Ore.
80 delegates
Each jurisdiction can establish the percentage of votes needed for election. The church's Book of Discipline recommends 60 percent.
The number of required ballots varies from year to year. Voting by
ballot continues until someone reaches the required number of votes.
In 2004, the Northeastern Jurisdiction elected two bishops on the first
two ballots. However, it took 34 ballots for the Southeastern
Jurisdiction to elect the Rev. Mary Virginia Taylor as its sixth and
final bishop.
The record for lengthy elections was established in 1980 in the Western
Jurisdictional Conference. In that year, the Rev. Calvin McConnell
attended as chair of a Rocky Mountain Conference campaign to elect the
Rev. Jamison Jones to the episcopacy. After 47 ballots, however,
McConnell was elected to that office. "I hope no one ever comes near to
that many ballots," McConnell said in a recent interview.
The new bishop's consecration service was scheduled for 1 p.m. but,
since McConnell was not elected until 5 p.m., the service was held at 9
p.m., long after the other jurisdictional conferences had adjourned. "I
had to borrow a white shirt, tie and robe for the service," said the
now-retired bishop.
Candidates for bishop do not have to live within the jurisdiction where
they are elected. In 1984, the Rev. Leontine T.C. Kelly was serving as
pastor of a church in Richmond, Va.––part of the Southeastern
Jurisdiction––when she was elected bishop in the Western Jurisdiction.
A consecration service is held at the conclusion of the jurisdictional
conferences in which bishops are consecrated (not ordained) to the
office, and bishops are assigned to their episcopal areas.
South Central: Bush library
The conferences also handle jurisdictional business.
The South Central Jurisdiction is expected to address a 2007 decision by
its Mission Council to lease property on the campus of Southern
Methodist University to build the George W. Bush presidential library,
museum and policy institute.
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The campus of Southern Methodist University has been chosen
as the site of the Bush presidential library, museum and policy
institute. A UMNS photo courtesy of Southern Methodist University.
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The 21-member Mission Council serves as the executive committee of the
conference to oversee ministry during the four years between
jurisdictional meetings. The extent of the council's power became a
central issue when SMU, which is owned by the jurisdiction, asked to
give the Bush Foundation a 99-year lease for the project and make the
lease renewable up to 249 years. United Methodists opposing the plan,
citing the Iraq war and many Bush policies, questioned the
appropriateness of linking the Bush presidency with SMU and argued that
the school would have no control over the complex.
The opponents said only the jurisdictional conference can give final
approval for the lease. However, university officials and 10 bishops in
the South Central Jurisdiction disagreed (one abstained). They said
jurisdictional rules permit the Mission Council to make decisions
between sessions every four years.
Kansas Area Bishop Scott Jones, president of the South Central College
of Bishops, said the bishops considered convening a special session of
the jurisdictional conference. "The proposal was rejected because that
is not the normal way we make decisions," Jones said.
The outcome is uncertain. David Severe, jurisdictional secretary, told
UMNS that it is not clear whether the decision needs to be ratified or
just reported. "It’s a matter of interpretation," he said, "and I’m only
the secretary."
A resolution to General Conference called for the denomination to
prevent the "leasing, selling or otherwise participating in or
supporting the presidential library for George W. Bush at Southern
Methodist University." The assembly referred the resolution to the
jurisdictional conference.
Northeastern: New boundaries
Jurisdictional conferences are responsible for establishing the boundaries of the annual conferences.
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Wyoming Annual Conference delegates vote in 2007 to approve creation of a new annual conference that would replace
two current episcopal areas.
A UMNS file photo by Don Perry.
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Meeting in concurrent adjourned sessions, members of North Central New
York, Troy, Western New York and Wyoming annual conferences voted in
2007 to ask the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference to create a new
episcopal area and a new annual conference from all or portions of these
and/or other contiguous conferences. They propose that the Pennsylvania
churches of the Wyoming Annual Conference align with the Central
Pennsylvania Annual Conference, and that the Vermont churches of the
Troy Annual Conference align with the New England Annual Conference.
Conversations already have taken place between Wyoming and Central
Pennsylvania conferences regarding the merger of Wyoming churches in
Pennsylvania.
Mark Marino, director of connectional ministries for the Wyoming
Conference, said Central Pennsylvania Conference has "been very
welcoming" to pastors serving in Pennsylvania. "There’s a lot of
excitement about ministry in new areas," he said.
"The resolution regarding the eastern boundary of the proposed
conference will be contingent on conversations among Troy, New England
Conference and the churches of Vermont," said the Rev. Sidney Sadio,
chair of the Northeastern Jurisdiction Boundaries Committee and pastor
of New Brunswick (N.J.) United Methodist Church. "We won’t put forth a
resolution to the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference until we know
what happens in those annual conferences and the responses of Vermont
churches."
If approved by the jurisdiction, the new structure would be implemented
in 2010. A special team then would begin to resolve issues of structure,
policies, programs and practices. The plan would reduce the number of
bishops in the jurisdiction from 10 to nine.
*Peck is a retired clergy member of the New York Annual Conference and former editor of Newscope, Circuit Rider, the International Christian Digest and the Daily Christian Advocate.
News media contact: Marta Aldrich, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
Related Articles
Four jurisdictions will each lose one bishop under new plan
United Methodists raise bishops' retirement age
SMU, Bush Foundation approve presidential library
United Methodists consider new Northeast boundaries
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