Amendment would give voting rights to local pastors
A UMNS Report
By Vicki Brown*
May 14, 2008
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The Rev. Robert Kohler
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The 2008 United Methodist General Conference approved a constitutional
amendment giving local pastors, provisional members and associate
members voting rights to elect clergy delegates to General Conference
and jurisdictional conferences.
In 2005, nearly 15 percent––or 6,660 of the total clergy membership
of annual conferences––were full-time or part-time local pastors. Of
these, approximately 4,000 local pastors will be able to vote for
delegates to the 2012 legislative meetings, should the amendment be
approved during the 2009 annual conference sessions. In 2005, there were
2,492 probationary members, now called provisional members, and 2,065
associate and affiliate members.
To go into effect, the amendment must be approved by two-thirds of
the aggregate vote of all clergy and lay delegates voting in the 2009
annual conferences, said the Rev. Robert Kohler, a staff member of the
United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
"Previously, only ordained deacons and elders in full connection
could vote on clergy delegates, so this represents a significant
change," Kohler said.
If approved, local pastors would be able to vote for delegates if the
local pastors have completed the United Methodist Course of Study or
have a master of divinity degree and have served under appointment for
two consecutive years immediately preceding an election.
Kohler estimates that at least half of all local pastors have
completed the Course of Study. Only ordained members in full connection
with an annual conference may be delegates.
The Course of Study includes basic and advanced programs. The basic
program is a five-year curriculum with four courses offered annually at
regional Course of Study schools at eight United Methodist seminaries.
Most courses are offered in a two-week module during the summer to allow
both full-time and part-time local pastors to attend. Many of the
regional schools have extension centers at different annual conferences
specifically for part-time local pastors and offer courses in a two- or
three-weekend format to accommodate participants' work and family
schedules.
The advanced course enables a local pastor to meet the educational
requirements for probationary membership, full conference membership and
ordination as an elder in The United Methodist Church. It consists of
32 semester hours of graduate theological study or its equivalent as
determined by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and
Ministry and includes study in the areas of evangelism, United Methodist
history, doctrine and polity.
"In some conferences, local pastors represent more than 50 percent of the clergy appointed to local churches," Kohler said.
General Conference action
The provision that local pastors who have a master of divinity degree
could vote was added on the floor of General Conference, and Kohler
said that provision is a cause for concern.
"Previously, only ordained deacons and
elders in full connection could vote on clergy delegates, so this
represents a significant change." –The Rev. Robert Kohler
"There is no guarantee that the M.Div. will be from an accredited or
University Senate-approved seminary," Kohler said. He called the General
Conference action problematic because many M.Div. programs do not
require United Methodist history, doctrine, polity or other basic
graduate theological studies required for annual conference members.
The Senate is a 25-member body of professionals in higher education
who determine how institutions are related to The United Methodist
Church. The body supports development of institutions with programs that
reflect significant educational, cultural, societal and human issues in
a manner reflecting the values shared by the institutions and The
United Methodist Church.
"We evaluate the M.Div. credentials of candidates and persons
transferring in from other denominations, and many of them do not meet
the requirements of the (United Methodist Book of) Discipline for conference membership," Kohler said.
*Brown is associate editor and writer, Office of Interpretation, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
News media contact: Linda Green, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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