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Sample Petitions for General Conference 2004. Click on
highlighted agenda items to view individual petitions and/or download in .pdf
format.
You are encouraged to make these petitions your own. Revise them as may
suit your needs or use them as is. Ask your annual conference, local church,
church council, charge conference, men’s group, UMW group, other women’s
group, small group, evangelical fellowship, caucus, or other group to pass
these petitions and send them on to General Conference. You can send as an
individual United Methodist also.
To see official instructions from the General Conference Secretary
on how to prepare and send in petitions to General Conference,
click here:
The deadline for sending in petitions is November 29, 2003.
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Women’s Division and UMW –
Integrated, Accountable, Adaptable
(click on agenda item to see petition and/or download in .pdf)
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Clarify the Purpose of the Women’s Division by relating it directly to the
purpose of The United Methodist Church – to make disciples for Jesus
Christ (¶120).
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Require the Women’s Division to be subject to the Discipline,
including application of open meeting rules (¶721).
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Make Women’s Division accountable to the whole church, including making
their financial dealings subject to the General Council on Finance and
Administration.
- Make changes in how Women’s
Division directors are elected, ensuring they are elected by the whole
church (2 related petitions on this link).1st
Petition 2nd Petition
- Make United Methodist
Women optional, not required, in the local church. Allow for the existence
of other “approved” women’s ministries in addition to UMW.
(2nd petition)(2
related petitions on this link)
- Make local units of
United Methodist Women primarily accountable to local church, like all
other program ministries of the local church.
PETITIONS
AMEND ¶1317 by DELETING the first sentence and ADDING the following two
sentences in its place:
“Purpose -- The Women’s Division shall be actively engaged in
helping fulfill the mission of Christ and the Church as stated in ¶¶120-124.
The Women’s Division shall equip United Methodist Women by promoting the
mission of Christ and the Church and the Purpose of United Methodist Women (¶255.4, Article
3).”
So that the entire paragraph would read:
¶1317. The Women’s Division shall be actively engaged in
fulfilling the mission of Christ and the Church and shall interpret the
purpose of United Methodist Women. Purpose -- The
Women’s Division shall be actively engaged in helping fulfill the mission of
Christ and the Church as stated in ¶¶120-124. The Women’s Division shall equip United
Methodist Women by promoting the mission of Christ and the Church and the Purpose of
United Methodist Women (¶255.4, Article 3). With continuing awareness of
the concerns and responsibilities of the Church in today’s world, the
Women’s Division shall be an advocate for the oppressed and dispossessed
with special attention to the needs of women and children; shall work to
build a supportive community among women; and shall engage in activities
that foster growth in the Christian faith, mission education, and Christian
social involvement throughout the organization.
RATIONALE:
The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus
Christ (¶¶120-124). The Women’s Division has significant missional
influence in the Church and bears a positive role in helping the whole
Church fulfill its mission. The Women’s Division, in succeeding its
counterparts of the past, is fully integrated within the structure of the
Church (¶¶1301-1311, 1317-25) and can work as a part of the whole Church in
fulfilling the Church’s mission. Local United Methodist Women’s units are
significant agents of mission in carrying out the work of the Women’s
Division, while the district, conference, and jurisdictional levels of
United Methodist Women exist as connectional and supportive links, as well
as agents of mission, all in fulfilling the mission of The United Methodist
Church. It is important to clearly see the Women’s Division and United
Methodist Women as partners within the whole Church in fulfilling the
Church’s mission (although with their own special emphases), rather than as
a separate organization pursuing its own agenda.
AMEND ¶1319 by ADDING the following words “and subject to the provisions
of the Discipline” and “the board’s.”
So that the entire paragraph would read:
¶1319. Authority -- 1. The Women’s Division shall have the
authority to make its bylaws and to regulate its proceedings in harmony with
the charter of the board and subject to the provisions of the
Discipline, and with its the board’s approval, to
develop and carry out the functions of the board as described in ¶1302; to
buy and sell property; to solicit and accept contributions, subject to
annuity under the board’s regulations; and to appropriate its funds.
RATIONALE:
In purpose and practice, the Women’s Division and United Methodist Women
share in the mission of The United Methodist Church (¶¶ 120-124, 1317). The
Women’s Division, in succeeding its counterparts of the past (missions
societies, associations, guilds, etc.), and since the agreements of 1964, is
now much more integrated into the structure of the Church under the General
Board of Global Ministries. The Women’s Division receives the vast majority
of its funding from women who are United Methodists and/or members of local
United Methodist Women’s units (¶1318.4), all of whom share in the global
mission of The United Methodist Church (¶255.4).
The Women’s Division has demonstrated it is not subject to the provision
of the Discipline requiring open meetings (¶ 721) when it closed its
National Gathering of Teens and College/University Women (Young Woman,
Rise Up!) in
St. Charles,
Illinois,
December 28-31, 2000.
The fact that this national gathering was a “training” event clearly does
not qualify for any of the specific exceptions listed in ¶721 in which a
meeting might be closed. The “great restraint” called for when closing a
meeting in ¶721 was not used by the Women’s Division and shows the Women’s
Division in this instance to be autonomous from the authority of the
Discipline.
The proposed changes would more tightly bind the Women’s Division into
the common mission of The United Methodist Church and make sure that all
parts of the church are following the same rules and procedures.
AMEND ¶1323 by ADDING the following phrase “and the General Council on
Finance and Administration” and the sentence “All funds received by the
United Methodist Women’s Division shall be appropriated and disbursed
subject to the provisions of the Discipline and the receipt,
appropriation, disbursement, and reporting of all Women’s Division
administered funds and assets shall be subject to fiscal review by the
General Council on Finance and Administration.”
The entire paragraph would read:
¶1323. Financial Relationship to the General Board of Global
Ministries and the General Council on Finance and Administration
-- The funds for the fulfillment of the responsibilities of the Women’s
Division shall be derived from annual voluntary pledges, offerings, gifts,
devises, bequests, annuities, or money received through special emphases and
meetings held in the interest of the division. All funds, except those
designated for local purposes, shall be forwarded through the channels of
finance of United Methodist Women to the treasurer of the division. All
funds received by the United Methodist Women’s Division shall be
appropriated and disbursed subject to the provisions of the Discipline
and the receipt, appropriation, disbursement, and reporting of all Women’s
Division administered funds and assets shall be subject to fiscal review by
the General Council on Finance and Administration. Undesignated funds
received by the Women’s Division shall be allocated by the division, on
recommendation of the appropriate section or committee, for the work of the
several sections of the Women’s Division and to such other units of the
General Board of Global Ministries as the division shall determine for the
fulfillment of the responsibilities of the division. Funds appropriated for
the work of the other units of the board may be given with specific
designations and time limits, after which unspent funds are to be returned
to the division.
AMEND ¶806 by ADDING a new point 13, at the end of the paragraph that
would read as follows:
¶806.13. The Women’s Division shall be subject to
all the provisions of this paragraph except ¶806.1 and ¶806.2, so that the
council shall exercise fiscal oversight of the Women’s Division.
RATIONALE:
Both proposed changes need to be enacted together in order to ensure
consistency within the Discipline.
The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) has stated “The
United Methodist Women’s Division does not receive any general Church funds,
so we do not approve its financing plans for its events” (this statement was
made by GCFA following questions regarding accountability for funds spent by
the Women’s Division for a closed national gathering in December, 2000 --
see ¶721--Restrictions on Closed Meetings). It is outside the spirit
and tradition of the Church to have no inherent financial accountability for
any United Methodist board or agency, or any part of any board or agency,
such as the Women’s Division, which has full authority to receive,
appropriate, and disburse funds in the name of United Methodism (¶¶1318.4,
1319.1, 1319.4.c, 1323).
The Women’s Division is treated differently from other units of the
Church’s structure. The United Methodist Women’s Division and United
Methodist Women share in the overall mission of The United Methodist Church
(¶¶ 120-124, 1317) and the Women’s Division is integrated into the structure
of the Church subordinate to the General Board of Global Ministries
(¶¶1301-1325). However, the Women’s Division is accountable only to the
General Conference, while the General Board of Global Ministries is
accountable to the General Council on Finance and Administration as well.
The Women’s Division should have the same fiscal accountability relationship
to GCFA as all the other general agencies of the church.
AMEND ¶1324 by ADDING the words “by nomination from the floor of General
Conference” and DELETING the words “by the Women’s Division,”
So that the related portion of ¶1324 would read as follows:
¶1324. Membership -- The Women’s Division shall be composed
of fifty members as follows: forty shall be laywomen elected by the
jurisdiction organizations of United Methodist Women at quadrennial meetings
(¶ 533.4); five shall be the jurisdiction presidents of United Methodist
Women; and five shall be elected by nomination from the floor of General
Conference. by the Women’s Division. The president, general
secretary, and treasurer of the board (¶1307) and the deputy general
secretary, treasurer, and assistant general secretaries…
RATIONALE:
The Women’s Division belongs to the whole United MethodistChurch and is
integrated within its structure through the Board of Global Ministries. The
United Methodist Women’s Division has significant financial and policy
influence throughout the national and global mission arms of the Church and
therefore should be represented by some members elected by the global
church, i.e., the General Conference. Currently, no members of the Women’s
Division are elected by the General Conference (see ¶1324). Instead, 45 of
the 50 members of the Women’s Division come from the jurisdictional level of
United Methodist Women’s leadership from within the five jurisdictions of
the
United States only, and the other
five members of the Women’s Division are elected by the Women’s Division
members themselves. This process can lead to an appearance of institutional
exclusion, and it certainly fails to assure representation from United
Methodist Women from the Central Conferences. By comparison, the General
Commission on United Methodist Men currently draws five of their 39 members
from either the central conferences outside the
United States (¶2303.1.d) or
outside the membership of United Methodist Men (¶2303.1.f).
REPLACE ¶1324 with the following new paragraph so that ¶1324 will read:
¶ 1324. Membership -- The Women’s Division
shall be composed of fifty members allocated to the jurisdictions and
central conferences in proportion to the membership of United Methodist
Women of the jurisdictions and central conferences. Members shall be elected
by the jurisdictional and central conferences through the nominating
committees upon submission of names from annual conference organizations of
United Methodist Women. The president, general secretary, and treasurer of
the board (¶ 1307) and the deputy general secretary, treasurer, and
assistant general secretaries of the Women’s Division shall be members ex
officio. Women’s Division directors shall comprise one-third of the total
board membership. When necessary, the Women’s Division shall elect
additional board members from its directors to reach the required number.
It shall also elect members to units and committees of the board as defined
in board bylaws.
RATIONALE:
The Women’s Division belongs to the whole United MethodistChurch and is
integrated within its structure through the Board of Global Ministries. The
United Methodist Women’s Division has significant financial and policy
influence throughout the national and global mission arms of the Church and
therefore should be represented by members elected proportionally to the
church’s membership. Currently, the membership of the Women’s Division is
disproportionately composed of members from the
United States (see ¶1324).
Currently, 45 of the 50 members of the Women’s Division come from the
jurisdictional level of United Methodist Women’s leadership from within the
five jurisdictions of the
United States only, there being no
assurance whatever that any of the remaining five come from outside the
United States. This process can
lead to an appearance of institutional exclusion, and it certainly fails to
assure representation from United Methodist Women from the Central
Conferences. By comparison, the General Commission on United Methodist Men
currently draws five of their 39 members from either the central conferences
outside the
United States (¶2303.1.d) or
outside the membership of United Methodist Men (¶2303.1.f).
AMEND the first sentence of ¶255.4 by changing “every” to “the” and
“shall” to “may” and add the words “related to the Women’s Division of the
Board of Global Ministries as an integral part of the local church’s
women’s ministries” in ¶255.4.
So that the first sentence of paragraph 255.4 would read:
4. United Methodist Women—In every the local church
there shall may be an organized unit of United Methodist Women
related to the Women’s Division of the Board of Global Ministries
as an integral part of the local church’s women’s ministries.
RATIONALE:
“One size” women’s program ministry does not fit all local churches or
charges. It is better to allow for more choices in ministry than to require
all women’s ministries to follow the same mold, i.e., United Methodist
Women. The spirit of paragraph 255 “Program Ministries” is one of a variety
of programs offered, i.e., “people need to be involved in a variety of
small-group settings” (¶255). There are local churches that have
successfully organized women’s program ministries (complementary to United
Methodist Women), each designed to meet unique ministry needs, such as those
churches of the Texas Annual Conference participating in its
conference-approved women’s ministry know as Celebration.
The reality is that many local churches or charges do not have organized
units of United Methodist Women, even though they are currently mandated to
have one by paragraph 255.4. Despite having this requirement, United
Methodist Women membership has declined 54% since 1968 (Together
magazine, May, 1968, page 20, reported a partially estimated 1,795,376 UMW
combined membership compared to 834,658 UMW members in 2000 reported by the
2001 General Minutes of the Annual Conferences of The United Methodist
Church, published by the General Council of Finance and Administration,
Evanston, IL).
RENUMBER the old ¶ 255.4 as ¶ 255.5 and ADD a new ¶ 255.4. So
that the new ¶ 255.4 would read:
4. LocalChurch Women’s Ministry—In every
local church there shall be an organized women’s ministry or ministries that
address the program needs and desires of local church women. Women’s
ministries of the local church shall be accountable to the local church,
i.e., Church Council.
and AMEND the first sentence of the newly renumbered ¶ 255.5 (formerly ¶
255.4) by changing “every” to “the” and “shall” to “may” and adding “(which
does qualify as a local church women’s ministry under ¶ 255.4).”
So that the first two sentences of the newly renumbered ¶ 255.5 (formerly
¶ 255.4) would read:
5. United Methodist Women—In every the local
church there shall may be an organized unit of United
Methodist Women (which does qualify as a local church women’s ministry
under ¶ 255.4). The following is the authorized constitution:
RATIONALE:
Both proposed changes need
to be enacted in order to ensure consistency within the Discipline.
“One size” women’s program
ministry does not fit all local churches. It is better to allow for more
choices in ministry than require all women’s ministries follow the same
mold, i.e., United Methodist Women. The spirit of paragraph 255 “Program
Ministries” is one of a variety of programs offered, i.e., “people need to
be involved in a variety of small-group settings” (¶255). There are local
churches that have successfully organized women’s program ministries
(complementary to United Methodist Women), each designed to meet unique
ministry needs, such as those churches of the Texas Annual Conference
participating in its conference-approved women’s ministry know as
Celebration.
The reality is that many
local churches or charges do not have organized units of United Methodist
Women, even though they are currently mandated to have one by paragraph
255.4. Despite having this requirement, United Methodist Women membership
has declined 54% since 1968 (Together magazine, May, 1968, page 20,
reported a partially estimated 1,795,376 United Methodist Women combined
membership compared to 834,658 United Methodist Women membership in 2000
reported by the 2001 General Minutes of the Annual Conferences of The
United Methodist Church, published by the General Council on Finance and
Administration, Evanston, IL).
The new language will create
a more open and inviting atmosphere for a variety of women’s ministries to
arise. All women’s ministries, including United Methodist Women, will grow
if there is a climate encouraging multiple women’s program ministries that
addresses the needs and desires of local church women.
AMEND ¶255.4, Article 2, by ADDING the words “The unit of United
Methodist Women in the local church is primarily accountable to the church
council” and CHANGING “directly” to “also,” so that the entire paragraph
would read:
¶ 255.4. Article 2. Relationships—The unit of United Methodist
Women in the local church is primarily accountable to the church council.
The unit of United Methodist Women in the local church is directly
also related to the district and conference organizations of United
Methodist Women and to the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global
Ministries of The United Methodist Church.
RATIONALE:
All other local missions and ministries of the local church find their
first line of accountability with the local church, i.e., the church
council. The local units of United Methodist Women are not accountable to
the local church, but to structures of organization outside the auspices of
the local church, i.e., “the district and conference organizations of United
Methodist Women and to the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global
Ministries of The United Methodist Church” (¶ 255.4.Article 2).
Without a prominent program ministry’s direct accountability to the local
church, i.e., without the same parent organization, the local church is
exposed to a greater possibility of internal competition instead of
cooperation. Separate lines of accountability maintain a sense that UMW is
separate from the local church and operating independently of it. That
sense does not foster cooperation in mission and ministry within the local
church.
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