Text Of The Robbins/Okayama Alternative General Conference Petition
Toward an Equitable Structure for the Renewal of Worldwide Ministry in The United Methodist Church
In recognition of the need for change and in appreciation of the efforts of the Task Group created this past quadrennium by the Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table, Be it Resolved, that the General Conference itself implement a process for change toward equity and a renewed vision of the United Methodist Church. Accordingly, General Conference empower the Council of Bishops to appoint a Task Group on the Structure of The United Methodist Church that shall bring recommendations to the 2012 General Conference creating Regional Conferences and consistent with the following principles:
- The geographical boundaries of Regional Conferences shall be arranged so that no one Regional Conference dominates The United Methodist Church fiscally or in any other way.
- All Regional Conferences shall contribute to the apportioned funds of The United Methodist Church based on regional differences and as appropriate to the availability of resources.
- Also, each Regional Conference shall be empowered to permit United Methodists in each region to adopt and effectuate appropriate structures to address the following: regional and cultural considerations relating to missional activities, qualifications for ordination, chargeable offenses, and adopting “Social Principles” appropriate to the region. The General Agencies shall serve the worldwide United Methodist Church.
Procedural Motions:
- The Task Group shall place all constitutional and disciplinary changes for the renewed structure before the 2012 General Conference accompanied by a plan of implementation during the quadrennial following the anticipated approval of the constitutional changes by the annual conferences. The Task Group shall make the proposal public twelve months before the 2012 General Conference.
- In composing the Task Group, the Council of Bishops shall take into account equitable representation from the geographic regions of The United Methodist Church.
- The Task Group shall report regularly and receive input from the Connectional Table and the Council of Bishops.
Submitted to 2008 General Conference by:
Rev. Bruce Robbins
Hennepin Ave. United Methodist Church
Minneapolis, Minnesota
bruce.robbins@umglobalstructure.org
Elizabeth Okayama
New Hope United Methodist Church
Chicago, Illinois
elizabeth.okayama@umglobalstructure.org
