Dear Annual Conference Members,
The 2008 General Conference passed changes to the Book of Discipline and to the Book of Resolutions. Most
changes are automatically incorporated in the new books and printed. However, the 2008 General Conference
also passed thirty-two amendments to the Constitution of The United Methodist Church. This document, which
is found in the beginning of the Book of Discipline, is the foundational document establishing and governing The
United Methodist Church. The Constitutional amendments each received at least a two-thirds vote of the General
Conference, but they require further approval by members of annual conferences this year.
The 2009 Annual Conference will receive, review and vote on each of the Constitutional Amendments. Each
Annual Conference and Central Conference will receive the same amendments and an aggregate vote of two thirds
of all those voting across all the annual conferences will be required before these amendments will be approved.
Any amendment that fails to achieve this two-thirds aggregate vote will be voted down.
A copy of the proposed amendments is enclosed. In addition, a team of your General Conference Delegation
leaders and Conference leaders has prepared the attached summary to help you prepare for voting on the
Constitutional amendments. This summary is a revised version of a similar document prepared by the delegation
of the West Ohio Conference for their Annual Conference members. Some form of this document is being used
widely across the connection.
The summary lists some of the common arguments for and against each amendment, in an attempt to bring
clarity. We are not suggesting that we agree with the viewpoints expressed, nor do we endorse the validity of
the arguments. Rather, these rationales are summaries of the kind of views expressed by those who favor or
oppose each amendment. You will need to exercise your judgment as to the validity of these arguments, looking
particularly to the actual wording of the amendments. Floor discussion at Conference should focus upon the
amendment language, not these rationales. It is important to remember that these amendments cannot be
amended; they can only be voted on as yes or no.
The team has organized the 32 amendments into four Subject groups for ease of understanding those related to a
common topic. Ballots will also reflect this organization. Those Subject groups are:
Worldwide Nature of the Church – Regional Conferences (23 amendments)
Action to allow creation of Regional conferences, replacing Central Conferences outside the U.S.
Implementing Name Changes to reflect structural changes in A.
Inclusiveness in Membership and Participation -- Amendment 1
Expanding Right to Vote on Clergy Delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference -- Amendment 19
Miscellaneous Amendments 2, 6, 8, 9, 15, 17, 22
At the Annual Conference session the proposed amendments will be presented on the floor on Friday, and on
Saturday afternoon there will be a workshop led by members of the delegation to discuss the amendments. On
Sunday afternoon the proposed amendments will be brought to the floor for your consideration and vote.
Each amendment will be voted on and counted separately with the results being forwarded to the Council of
Bishops for compilation. There will be no announcement of our Annual Conference’s vote at this session. This will
ensure that conferences considering these later in the summer are not influenced by voting in earlier conferences.
Thank You for your thoughtful, prayerful consideration of these as you prepare for an inspiring, fruitful time at
this year’s Annual Conference – “Somewhere Out There . . .”!
Together in Ministry,
Larry Fagan, Cody Collier, Mike Sykuta, Carl Schenck, Brian Hammons, Sherry Habben
2009 Missouri Annual Conference C-3
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