Constitutional amendment allows voting rights for local pastors, provisional, and associate members

By Vicki Brown*

Local pastors, provisional members (formerly probationary members), and associate members would get voting rights for electing General Conference and jurisdictional clergy delegates under a constitutional amendment approved on the final day of General Conference 2008.

In 2005, nearly 15 percent, or 6,660 of the total clergy membership of annual conferences were full or part-time local pastors. Of these, approximately 4,000 local pastors will be able to vote for delegates to the 2012 General and Jurisdictional Conferences should the amendment be approved. In 2005, there were 2,492 probationary members, and 2,065 associate and affiliate members.

The amendment must be approved by two-thirds of the aggregate vote of all clergy and lay delegates voting in the 2009 annual conferences to go into effect, said the Rev. Robert Kohler, assistant general secretary in the Division of Ordained Ministry, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

“Previously, only ordained deacons and elders in full connection could vote on clergy delegates, so this represents a significant change,” Kohler said. If approved, local pastors who have completed the course of study or have an M.Div. degree and have served under appointment for two consecutive years immediately preceding an election would be able to vote for delegates. Kohler said he would estimate at least half of all local pastors, and maybe two-thirds, have completed the Course of Study. Only ordained members in full connection with an annual conference may be delegates.

“In some conferences, local pastors represent more than 50 percent of the clergy appointed to local churches,” Kohler said.

The provision that local pastors who have an M.Div. could vote was added on the floor of General Conference, and Kohler said that provision is a cause for concern.

“There is no guarantee that the M.Div. will be from an accredited, or University Senate-approved seminary,” Kohler said. He said that is a problem because many of the M.Div. programs do not require United Methodist history, doctrine, and polity or other basic graduate theological studies that are required for annual conference members.

“We evaluate the M.Div. credentials of candidates and persons transferring in from other denominations, and many of them do not meet the requirements of the Discipline for conference membership,” Kohler said.

*Brown is associate editor and writer, Office of Interpretation, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.