Legislation to General Conference

To Note:

• Petitions that were submitted for the 2020 General Conference are still valid for consideration in 2024, but there was also a new window for submission of petitions to fulfill the requirements of Paragraph 507. 

• A supplement to the previously printed Advance Daily Christian Advocate (ADCA) has been compiled.

• The new, valid petitions, reports, and updated Delegate Handbook information for the General Conference are published in English, French, Portuguese, and Kiswahili.

• What to know about General Conference proposals: More than 1,000 legislative petitions aiming to shape the future will be before the lay and clergy delegates when they meet for the denomination’s COVID-delayed policymaking assembly on April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Advance Daily Christian Advocate

View and download (PDF):

ENGLISH

• Volume 1 (Handbook for Delegates)

• Volume 2, Section 1 (Reports and Proposed Legislation)

• Volume 2, Section 2 (Reports and Proposed Legislation)

• Volume 3, Section 1 (Supplement for 2024, subject to final editing)

FRENCH

• Volume 1 (Manuel pour délégués)

• Volume 2, Section 1 (Rapports et législation proposée)

• Volume 2, Section 2 (Rapports et législation proposée)

KISWAHILI

• Buka la 1 (Kijitabu cha Wajumbe)

• Buka la 2, Sehemu ya 1 (Ripoti na Sheria Zilizopendekezwa)

• Buka la 2, Sehemu ya 2 (Ripoti na Sheria Zilizopendekezwa)

PORTUGUESE

• Volume 1 (Manual para os Delegados)

• Volume 2, Secção 1 (Relatórios e Legislação Proposta)

• Volume 2, Secção 2 (Relatórios e Legislação Proposta)

Key terms to know

Like any legislative body, General Conference has some of its own lingo.

The Book of Discipline: The United Methodist Church’s policy book that contains its law, doctrine, constitution, organizational work and procedures. Each General Conference amends the Book of Discipline.

The Book of Resolutions: This volume contains resolutions or pronouncements on issues that General Conference has approved. The text of any resolution is considered the denomination’s official position on a topic.
 
Petition: A request to the General Conference for official action on a topic or issue, similar to a bill before the U.S. Congress. But not all petitions are intended to become law. A petition can suggest a change in the Book of Discipline, approval of a resolution or some course of action the denomination should take.

Advance Daily Christian Advocate (Advance DCA or ADCA): A set of volumes containing the agenda, rules, delegate listings, petitions, reports from church organizations and other information for delegates.
 
Daily Christian Advocate (DCA): The official journal of the General Conference. 

Read more of the General Conference glossary.