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Judicial Council is asked to determine size of Cote d’Ivoire delegation
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A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose
In
2004, the Rev. Benjamin Boni (right) — later elected a bishop — and the
Rev. R. Randy Day announce the Protestant Methodist Church of Cote
d'Ivoire is joining the denomination.
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Rev. Benjamin Boni (right) and the Rev. R. Randy Day announce that the
million-member Protestant Methodist Church of Cote d'Ivoire is joining
the United Methodist Church during a press conference at the United
Methodist Church's 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh. Boni, who was
later elected a bishop, led the Cote d'Ivoire delegation to General
Conference. Day is top staff executive of the United Methodist Board of
Global Ministries. The Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church
has ruled that the 2004 General Conference was within its authority to
give the Methodist Church of Cote D’Ivoire two delegates for the 2008
General Conference. A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose. Photo #06-620.
Accompanies UMNS story #657. 11/3/06 |
June 5, 2006
TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS) — The governing committee of the quadrennial
legislative assembly of the United Methodist Church is asking the
denomination’s supreme court to rule on the size of the delegation from
Cote d’Ivoire for the 2008 General Conference.
Cote d’Ivoire was accepted as the newest regional conference of the
United Methodist Church at the 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh.
The Commission on the General Conference is asking the Judicial Council
to rule on the size of the delegation because of an apparent conflict
between the 2004 action and the denomination’s constitution.
Under the legislation adopted by the 2004 General Conference, Cote
d’Ivoire would be entitled to two voting delegates at the 2008 General
Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. That decision seems to conflict with
the church’s constitution, which apportions delegation sizes according
to a formula outlined in the denomination’s Book of Discipline, said the Rev. L. Fitzgerald Reist II, of Williamsport, Pa., the secretary of the General Conference. The Discipline gives the responsibility for making those determinations to the secretary.
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The Rev. Alan Morrision |
In asking the commission to seek a Judicial Council ruling on the issue,
Reist said Cote d’Ivoire could be entitled to up to 70 voting members
if the apportionment formula were to be followed. That would make the
West African nation’s delegation the largest at the conference. For the
General Conference to stay within its 1,000-delegate limit, the size of
other delegations would have to be reduced, Reist said.
"Ethically, I feel constrained to ask the question," Reist told the
commission. "How can we admit (Cote d’Ivoire) and have two delegates? I
don’t want to assume anything. Constitutional questions need to be
decided by the Judicial Council."
The Rev. Alan J. Morrison of Nashville, Tenn., business manager of
the General Conference, said the 2004 action could create questions
about the legality of the entire 2008 General Conference.
"Someone could stand up on the floor of General Conference and raise
the issue of constitutionality (related to delegation sizes) and have
the entire General Conference declared unconstitutional," Morrison said.
Meeting May 23-25, commission members decided to seek the Judicial Council ruling in part because the Discipline
directs them to work with the secretary on preparations for each
legislative session and to prepare delegates from outside the United
States for full participation in the assembly.
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The Rev. L. Fitzgerald Reist II |
| The Rev. L. Fitzgerald Reist II |
In a related matter, commission members discussed issues related to
updating and confirming membership totals from conferences throughout
the church. Reist said some conferences have not updated their
membership totals since at least 1995.
The membership totals, Reist said, are important to maintain the
integrity of the church’s legislative process. Lay and clergy membership
are the major factors in determining the size of each delegation to the
General Conference. While every conference is entitled to at least two
delegates, one lay, one clergy, delegations are apportioned by the
numbers of lay members and clergy. Larger conferences get larger
delegations.
"This is a concern, not a criticism," Reist emphasized.
The commission decided to develop legislation for the 2008 General
Conference dealing with the issue. The legislation would require
conferences to update their lay and clergy membership numbers unless
there are extreme extenuating circumstances.
News media contacts: Linda Green, UMNS, (615) 742-5470, or newsdesk@umcom.org; or Stephen Drachler, Public Information, (615) 742-5411, or sdrachler@umcom.org.
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