Omar Bennett
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a large denomination based in the United States with a presence in several other countries. The UMC was formed in 1968 when the Evangelical United Brethren Church and The Methodist Church joined. The UMC is governed by a written constitution, which outlines the denomination's organisational structure and defines the powers of its branches. The constitution is universally binding to all UMC conferences and entities worldwide.
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What You'll Learn
- The United Methodist Church is governed by a written constitution
- The constitution outlines the denomination's organisation and the powers of the General Conference
- The Judicial Council rules on questions of constitutionality in church law and practice
- The constitution can be amended by a two-thirds majority vote
- The constitution mandates a charge conference for each church or charge
The United Methodist Church is governed by a written constitution
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a large denomination based in the United States, with a presence in several other countries. The UMC was formed in 1968 when the Evangelical United Brethren Church and The Methodist Church joined.
The constitution can be found in Part I of the United Methodist Book of Discipline. The Book of Discipline is revised after each General Conference, and legislative changes are recorded in it. The Judicial Council is the judicial branch of the church, consisting of nine persons elected by the General Conference to rule on questions of constitutionality in church law and practice.
The General Conference is the highest level of organisation in the church, and it is the only organisation that may speak officially for the church. It meets every four years, and consists of 600 to 1000 delegates elected by annual conferences. Half of the delegates are laity, and half are clergy. The General Conference is the sole body that can set official policy and speak for the denomination.
The constitution can be amended. Petitions to change the constitution are considered by a legislative committee made up of various delegates to the General Conference. A committee will vote on whether to submit the proposal to the full Conference for consideration. A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority of the delegates to pass. Once a petition is presented, the delegates may debate it, giving equal opportunity to voices in favour and against the amendment. After an amendment passes at the General Conference, it can be presented to gathered annual conferences for ratification.
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The constitution outlines the denomination's organisation and the powers of the General Conference
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is indeed governed by a written constitution. This constitution outlines the denomination's organisation and the powers of the General Conference, the only entity that can speak for the denomination as a whole. The UMC is intentionally decentralised and democratic, with no single central office or leader. Instead, it is organised into conferences, with the highest level being the General Conference.
The General Conference is made up of 600 to 1000 delegates, half of whom are laity and half clergy, representing annual conferences from around the world. It meets every four years and is the only body that can set official policy and speak for the denomination. The General Conference can make changes to the denomination's Book of Discipline, or church law, and the Book of Resolutions, which outlines the church's stance on social issues. Legislative changes are recorded in the Book of Discipline, which is revised after each General Conference. Non-legislative resolutions are recorded in the Book of Resolutions, published after each General Conference, and expire after eight years unless passed again by a subsequent session of the General Conference.
The Constitution is universally binding to all United Methodist conferences (annual, jurisdiction, and central) and entities worldwide. It can be found in Part I of the United Methodist Book of Discipline. The Judicial Council, the judicial branch of the UMC, is made up of nine persons elected by the General Conference to rule on questions of constitutionality in church law and practice.
Amendments to the Constitution are considered by a legislative committee made up of various delegates to the General Conference. The committee votes on whether to submit the proposal to the full Conference, and they can also amend the petition. If the committee votes against submitting the petition, any delegate can still present a motion to consider the amendment from the floor at the General Conference. Once a petition is presented from the floor, delegates may debate it, with equal opportunity given to voices for and against the amendment. Delegates can also propose changes to the amendment from the floor, which must be voted on ahead of the amendment itself. Once the conference votes to end the debate, all delegates present vote on the amendment. A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority of the delegates to pass, at which point it officially becomes church law. After an amendment passes at the General Conference, it is presented to gathered annual conferences for ratification.
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The Judicial Council rules on questions of constitutionality in church law and practice
The United Methodist Church is governed by a written constitution, which outlines how the denomination is to be organised and defines the powers of the General Conference, the episcopacy, and the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council is the judicial branch of the United Methodist Church, consisting of nine people elected by the General Conference. The Judicial Council rules on questions of constitutionality in church law and practice.
The Judicial Council hears and determines any appeals from a bishop's decision on a question of law made in a central, district, annual, or jurisdictional conference. It also has the power to review a committee's opinion or decision on appeals if it appears to be at odds with the Book of Discipline, a prior Judicial Council decision, or an opinion or decision of another committee on appeals.
In the event of conflicting decisions between committees on appeals, the Judicial Council can be approached by any party to the opinion or decision, or the committee itself can certify the case to the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council then hears and determines the case.
The Judicial Council also passes upon, affirms, modifies, or reverses decisions of law made by bishops in central, district, annual, or jurisdictional conferences upon questions of law submitted to them in writing. No episcopal decision is authoritative until it has been passed upon by the Judicial Council.
The Judicial Council has also clarified that it is not set up as an interpreter of doctrine but as an interpreter of law from a strictly legal standpoint.
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The constitution can be amended by a two-thirds majority vote
The United Methodist Church is governed by a written constitution, which outlines the denomination's organisational structure and defines the powers of the General Conference, the episcopacy, and the Judicial Council. This constitution can be amended by a two-thirds majority vote, with changes requiring ratification by a two-thirds aggregate vote across annual conferences.
The process of amending the United Methodist Constitution begins with petitions for change, which are considered by a legislative committee composed of delegates to the General Conference. The committee votes on whether to submit the proposal to the full Conference, and they also have the power to amend the petition. Even if the committee rejects the petition, any delegate can still present a motion to consider the amendment during the General Conference. Once a petition is presented, delegates may debate it, propose changes, and then vote on the amendment.
A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority vote from the delegates at the General Conference to pass. After an amendment passes at the General Conference, it is presented to the annual conferences for ratification. Both clergy and lay delegates at the annual conferences can debate the amendment according to the same rules as the General Conference, but they cannot make changes to it.
For an amendment to become fully ratified and take effect as church law, it must receive a two-thirds affirmative vote from the aggregate number of members across the different annual conferences. This means that even if a majority of annual conferences vote in favour of the amendment, it will not become church law unless it secures the support of two-thirds of the total number of votes cast.
The United Methodist Church is intentionally decentralised and democratic, with a governance structure that includes legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The constitution is universally binding to all United Methodist conferences and entities worldwide, including annual conferences outside the United States, known as Central Conferences, which have the freedom to adapt disciplinary procedures as long as they do not violate the Constitution or General Rules.
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The constitution mandates a charge conference for each church or charge
The United Methodist Church is governed by a written constitution, which outlines the denomination's organisational structure and defines the powers of the General Conference, the episcopacy, and the Judicial Council. This constitution is universally binding to all United Methodist conferences and entities worldwide.
The Constitution of the United Methodist Church mandates a charge conference for each church or charge. A charge conference is a basic body in the church, and it must be composed of professing members of the United Methodist Church. The pastor serves as the administrative officer. To encourage broader participation, the charge conference may be convened as a church conference, extending the vote to all professing members of the local church present at such meetings.
The Council of Bishops is the executive branch of the United Methodist Church. They are responsible for providing spiritual and temporal oversight for the entire church. The bishops are elected from the elders of the church at jurisdictional conferences and central conferences, and they have specific leadership responsibilities within their episcopal areas, which are comprised of one or more annual conferences.
The Judicial Council is the judicial branch of the United Methodist Church, consisting of nine persons elected by the General Conference to rule on questions of constitutionality in church law and practice. The General Conference is the highest level of organisation in the United Methodist Church and is the only entity that can speak officially for the church. It meets every four years, with legislative changes recorded in the Book of Discipline, which is revised after each General Conference.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the United Methodist Church is governed by a written constitution.
The United Methodist Constitution defines the basic organisation of the denomination. It outlines how the denomination is to be organised and defines the powers of the General Conference, the episcopacy, and the Judicial Council.
Petitions to change the Constitution are considered by the appropriate legislative committee made up of various delegates to the General Conference. A committee will vote on whether or not to submit the proposal to the full Conference for consideration. A constitutional amendment requires a 2/3 majority of the delegates in order to pass.
The Judicial Council is the judicial branch of the United Methodist Church. It consists of nine persons elected by the General Conference to rule on questions of constitutionality in church law and practice.
