2016 Book of Discipline
The 2016 Book of Discipline contains the theology, policies and procedures of The United Methodist Church. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS
The United Methodist Church’s top court said it’s up to General Conference to determine how to handle the elections of the court’s membership.
In a separate decision, the Judicial Council also ruled that agency board members elected at the 2016 General Conference can be elected to serve another four-year term beginning at the close of this General Conference.
At issue in both rulings is what the postponement of the 2020 General Conference means for the elections of various church leaders at the just-started assembly. Because of complications from COVID, the last regular session of General Conference took place eight years ago.
In Memorandum 1495, the church court declined jurisdiction to rule on questions from the Council of Bishops on Judicial Council members’ elections. Instead, the church court pointed to the denomination’s constitution, which states that General Conference “shall determine the number and qualifications of its members, their terms of office, and the method of election and the filling of vacancies.”
In Decision 1496, the Judicial Council majority emphasized that the church law says agency board members’ terms only begin after a regular session of General Conference. Since General Conference hasn’t met since 2016, the church court’s majority said, that means board members first elected that year could serve another term. In a dissent, Judicial Council member Beth Capen said the church court should have left the question of agency board members’ terms up to General Conference.