Omar Bennett
The United Methodist Church (UMC) periodically proposes amendments to its constitution to meet the changing needs of the denomination and its ministries. In 2018, the results of votes on five proposed UMC constitutional amendments were released, revealing a shift towards theological conservatism within the denomination. Two of the proposed amendments failed to secure the required two-thirds majority, including one that aimed to address gender justice and another that sought to expand protected membership groups based on gender, ability, age, and marital status. The failure of these amendments sparked discussions about the voting process, the motivations behind the votes, and the potential impact on the UMC's commitment to equality and inclusion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Amendments Proposed | 5 |
| Amendments that Failed | 2 |
| Reason for Failure | Did not receive a two-thirds majority |
| Amendment I | Proposed a new paragraph on "Gender Justice" |
| Amendment II | Proposed changes to Paragraph 4 in "The Book of Discipline" |
| Amendment IV | Clarified the time of election of bishops in Central Conferences |
| Amendment V | Added language to Paragraph 50 regarding the Council of Bishops' accountability |
| Amendment Process | Proposed by the General Conference, annual conferences, or jurisdictional/central conferences |
| Amendment Requirements | Two-thirds majority at the General Conference and each annual conference |
| Amendment Timing | Proposed every four years |
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What You'll Learn
Amendments require a two-thirds majority to pass
Amendments to the United Methodist Church (UMC) Constitution require a two-thirds majority to pass. This is a more challenging process than changing other parts of the governing Book of Discipline, which only requires a simple majority vote at the denomination's governing General Conference.
The UMC's Constitution can be amended to meet the changing needs of the denomination and its ministries. Amendments can originate from the General Conference, annual conferences, or jurisdictional/central conferences. All amendments must be voted on by the General Conference and ratified by annual conferences.
The process begins with a proposal, which can come from anyone within the UMC. Petitions are then considered by a legislative committee made up of delegates to the General Conference. The committee votes on whether to submit the proposal to the full Conference for consideration. If the committee votes against submission, any delegate can still present a motion to consider the amendment. Once a petition is presented, delegates debate and propose changes, which are also voted on. The amendment is then put to a vote, requiring a two-thirds majority to pass.
If an amendment passes this stage, it moves to the annual conferences for ratification. The UMC is divided into dozens of geographically limited annual conferences worldwide, and each of these must also vote to support the amendment with a two-thirds majority. Only then can the amendment be adopted and become church law.
In 2018, two of five proposed UMC constitutional amendments failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority. Amendment I, which would have added a paragraph on "Gender Justice", failed by fewer than 100 votes, with 66.5% in favour. Amendment II, which would have added "gender", "ability", "age", and "marital status" to the protected membership groups, received 61.3% of the vote.
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Amendments I and II failed to get two-thirds majority
The United Methodist Church's Council of Bishops announced the results of votes on five proposed amendments to the denomination's constitution. Amendments I and II failed to get a two-thirds majority, which is required for an amendment to be ratified.
Amendment I proposed a new paragraph between current Paragraph 5 and Paragraph 6, which would have focused on gender justice. Amendment II proposed changes to the wording in Paragraph 4 of "The Book of Discipline". If ratified, Amendment II would have added "gender", "ability", "age", and "marital status" to the protected membership groups.
The Council of Bishops expressed dismay that the amendments failed to get the required majority, stating their commitment to the equality of women and their full inclusion in the Church. The female bishops also issued a pastoral letter, noting their commitment to ensuring that all people are treated with respect, compassion, and grace, and that all doors of opportunity and leadership are open to them.
The process for amending the United Methodist Constitution is a rigorous one. First, a constitutional amendment can be proposed by anyone within the UMC, including grassroots members, general agencies, or annual conferences. The proposal is then considered by a legislative committee made up of delegates to the General Conference, who vote on whether to submit it to the full Conference for consideration. The delegates debate the proposal, with equal opportunity given to both sides, and can propose changes to the amendment, which are then voted on. Finally, the amendment is voted on by all the delegates, and a two-thirds majority is required for it to pass.
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Amendments can be proposed by anyone within UMC
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is governed by a written constitution, which can be amended to meet the changing needs of the denomination. Amendments can be proposed by anyone within the UMC, including delegates, bishops, grassroots members, and other bodies or institutions within the denomination, such as general agencies or annual conferences.
The process of amending the UMC Constitution is as follows: First, a petition to change the Constitution is 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 for consideration. 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, giving equal opportunity to voices in favour of 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, the amendment is put to a vote by all delegates present and requires a two-thirds majority to pass.
If an amendment passes with the necessary two-thirds vote, it will go before the annual conferences for ratification. At this stage, the amendment must receive a two-thirds affirmative vote of the aggregate number of members across the different annual conferences to become fully ratified and become church law. Changes to the 1st or 2nd Restrictive Rules in the Constitution require a three-quarters aggregate vote to be ratified.
In 2016, the General Conference approved five proposed amendments to the UMC Constitution, which were then sent to the annual conferences for ratification. Unfortunately, two of these amendments failed to receive the required two-thirds majority vote at the annual conferences and, therefore, did not become part of the Constitution.
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Amendments must be voted on by General Conference
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is governed by a written constitution, which can be amended to meet the changing needs of the denomination and its ministries. Amendments can originate from the General Conference, annual conferences, or jurisdictional/central conferences. However, all constitutional amendments must be voted on by the General Conference and ratified by annual conferences.
The General Conference is the UMC's top legislative body and meets every four years. During these meetings, the conference approves several proposed amendments to the denomination's constitution. These amendments are proposed by members within the UMC and can be drafted and submitted by bodies or institutions within the denomination or originate from the grassroots level.
For a constitutional amendment to be ratified, it must receive a two-thirds majority vote at the General Conference. If it passes this stage, it then moves on to the annual conferences, where it must again receive a two-thirds majority vote to become church law. This super-majority requirement makes amending the UMC Constitution a challenging process, as demonstrated by the failure of two out of five proposed amendments in 2016 and 2017.
The first of these failed amendments, which focused on gender justice and equality, received a simple majority of votes but fell just short of the required two-thirds majority. The second amendment, which proposed adding "gender," "ability," "age," and "marital status" to the protected membership groups, also failed to receive the necessary supermajority support.
The process of amending the UMC Constitution is designed to be deliberate and inclusive, ensuring that any changes to the foundational document of the denomination are carefully considered and broadly supported by the UMC community.
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Amendments must be ratified by annual conferences
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is governed by a written constitution, which can be amended to meet the changing needs of the denomination and its ministries. Amendments can originate from the General Conference, annual conferences, or jurisdictional/central conferences. However, all constitutional amendments must be voted on by the General Conference and ratified by annual conferences.
The process of amending the UMC Constitution is rigorous. First, a constitutional amendment can be proposed by anyone within the UMC, including grassroots members, general agencies, or annual conferences. The proposal is then considered by a legislative committee made up of delegates to the General Conference. The committee votes on whether to submit the proposal to the full Conference, and they can also make changes to 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 debate it, allowing both voices in favour and against to be heard. Changes to the amendment itself must be voted on ahead of the amendment. Once the conference votes to end the debate, all delegates present vote on the amendment.
For an amendment to pass, it requires a two-thirds majority vote at the General Conference. If it passes this stage, it then moves to the annual conferences for ratification. The UMC is geographically divided into around a dozen annual conferences worldwide, and each of these must vote on the amendment. To be ratified, the amendment must receive at least 66.7% of the total votes at these annual conferences. Even if a majority of the annual conferences vote in favour, the amendment will not become church law unless it garners the required supermajority of two-thirds of the total votes.
In 2016, the UMC considered five proposed constitutional amendments. Two of these amendments failed to receive the required two-thirds majority at the annual conferences, falling short by slim margins. These two amendments pertained to gender justice and the inclusion of "gender," "ability," "age," and "marital status" as protected membership groups. The failure of these amendments sparked dismay from the Council of Bishops, who affirmed their commitment to equality and the inclusion of women in the Church.
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Frequently asked questions
Amendments can be proposed by anyone within the UMC and must be voted on by the General Conference and ratified by annual conferences. To be ratified, a constitutional amendment must receive a two-thirds majority vote at the General Conference and then a two-thirds majority at each of the geographically limited annual conferences.
The first amendment proposed a new paragraph on "Gender Justice". The second amendment proposed changes to Paragraph 4 in "The Book of Discipline", adding "gender", "ability", "age", and "marital status" to the protected membership groups. The third amendment is unknown. The fourth amendment clarified the time of election of bishops in Central Conferences. The fifth amendment added language to Paragraph 50 regarding how the Council of Bishops holds its individual members accountable for their work.
The first amendment failed due to an error in the text. The second amendment failed because it did not receive enough votes, falling short by 2,529 votes.
