Annual conferences within Methodism

An annual conference is a regional decision-making body within various Methodist denominations. Conferences are a key characteristic of the connectional system of government in Methodism. Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge (a charge is one or more churches served by a minister under appointment by the bishop). Each conference is a geographical division. In general, the smaller states in the United States hold one conference each, while larger states often include two or more conferences. Several annual conferences are held in other nations as well.

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Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Church

With regard to the membership of Annual Conferences of the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection, the 2014 Book of Discipline states:[1]

The voting membership of the conference shall include the following: all elders on the stationed, reserve, and superannuated lists; all conference preachers elected to elders’ orders; all conference preachers serving as pastors of organized Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist churches; lay delegates elected by organized Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist churches as provided in The Discipline. In addition, the annual conference shall include such nonvoting members as The Discipline shall provide. The principle of equal representation of the ministry and laity in the annual conference shall be maintained. In transacting the business of the annual conference the ministers and lay members shall deliberate as one body; but on the final vote on any question, at the call of one-fourth of the members, the house shall divide, and the ministers and lay members shall vote separately; and it shall require a majority vote of each branch to pass any question upon which the division has been called.[1]

Evangelical Wesleyan Church

In the Evangelical Wesleyan Church, two annual conferences exist, the Eastern Annual Conference and the Western Annual Conference.[2] It is presided over by a bishop. Annual Conferences in the EWC are invested with the responsibility of reviewing candidates for holy orders.[2]

Free Methodist Church

¶200 of The Book of Discipline of the Free Methodist Church states that:[3]

Annual conferences are the normative Free Methodist organization at the regional level that provides for reasonable spans of care for ministers and congregations, as well as the structure for effective kingdom expansion. Each annual conference in the Free Methodist Church shall be a member of a general conference.[3]

United Methodist Church

Role and composition

The annual conference is the primary unit of denominational government. Regional groups of conferences within the United States make up the Jurisdictional Conferences, and outside the United States they make up the Central Conferences. The entire group of all annual conferences makes up the General Conference which meets every four years. Only the General Conference can speak officially for the church.

The annual conference is composed of an equal number of clergy and laity. Each charge conference elects as many lay members to the annual conference as they have ministers appointed to that charge. In most cases that is one. The Lay Member must, at the time of election, be a professing member of the United Methodist Church for at least two years and four years an active participant in the church. This requirement may be waived for those under 30 years old in the Central Conferences, and is waived for newly organized churches. The annual conference also consists of a number of "at-large" members, also known as "additional lay members," the number of at-large members being the number necessary (after the members elected by charge conferences are seated) so that the laity and the clergy are equal in number. First seated among at-large members are lay persons holding certain lay positions or offices designated by the Book of Discipline or by the annual conference itself. Among those officers are the lay leaders of the conference and each of the districts within the conference, as well as the Conference presidents of the United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women, the young adult organization, the college student organization and the youth fellowship. Also all the diaconal ministers, home missioners and the deaconesses under Episcopal appointment are lay members. When there are multiple congregations in a charge conference, members from each congregation in that charge are encouraged to become at-large members. After all lay members who hold their seat by virtue of office or position are seated and if additional lay members are needed the annual conference will elect any active United Methodist lay person who is interested in holding that position.

Among their other duties the annual conference elects delegates to the general, jurisdictional and central conferences, and votes on amendments to the church constitution. Its executive committee, composed of its ordained clergy members, authorizes the ordination of clergy, also disciplines and hold accountable its members.

List of annual conferences

The following is a list of the annual conferences of the United Methodist Church (including the current Resident Bishops in each Episcopal Areas).

Annual conferences in the jurisdictional conferences (inside the U.S.)

The conferences are also grouped into jurisdictions that appoint bishops for conferences within that jurisdiction. These jurisdictions are listed as follows: ()

North Central Jurisdiction

The North Central Jurisdiction consists of the following annual conferences:[4]

  • Dakotas Conference - Bishop Bruce R. Ough
  • Minnesota Conference - Bishop Bruce R. Ough
  • East Ohio Conference - Bishop Tracy S. Malone
  • Indiana Conference - Bishop Julius C. Trimble
  • Northern Illinois Conference - Bishop Sally Dyck (Chicago)
  • Illinois Great Rivers Conference - Bishop Frank Beard (Illinois)
  • Iowa Conference - Bishop Laurie Haller (Iowa)
  • West Ohio Conference - Bishop Gregory V. Palmer
  • Wisconsin Conference - Bishop Hee-Soo Jung
  • Michigan Area Conference - Bishop David Alan Bard
Northeastern Jurisdiction

The Northeastern Jurisdiction consists of the following annual conferences:[5]

  • Baltimore-Washington Conference - Bishop Latrelle Easterling (Washington)
  • Susquehanna Conference - Bishop Jeremiah Park (Harrisburg)
  • Eastern Pennsylvania Conference - Bishop Peggy Johnson (Philadelphia) www.epaumc.org
The Mission and Resource Center, serving as the conference office, located in Neptune, New Jersey
Southeastern Jurisdiction

According to its website, The Southeastern Jurisdiction consists of the following annual conferences:

  • Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference – Bishop David Graves (Montgomery)[7] also Bishop of the South Georgia Conference.
  • Central Appalachian Missionary Conference – Bishop Leonard Fairley (Big Creek, KY) [8]
  • Florida Annual Conference – Bishop Tom Berlin (Lakeland) [9]
  • Holston Conference – Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett (Knoxville) [10]
  • Kentucky Conference (KAC), based in Crestwood, Kentucky,[11] Bishop Leonard Fairley (Louisville) also Bishop of the Central Appalachian Missionary Conference.
  • Mississippi Annual Conference – Bishop Sharma D. Lewis (Jackson)[12]
  • North Alabama Conference – Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett (Birmingham) also Bishop of the Holston Conference.
  • North Carolina Conference – Bishop Connie Mitchell Shelton (Raleigh) [13]
  • North Georgia Conference – Bishop Robin Dease (Atlanta) [14]
  • South Carolina Conference – Bishop L. Jonathan Holston (Columbia)
  • South Georgia Conference – Bishop David Graves (Macon)[15]
  • Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference – Bishop William T. McAlilly (Nashville)
  • Virginia Conference – Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson (Glen Allen) [16]
  • Western North Carolina Conference – Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. (Huntersville) [17]

[18]

South Central Jurisdiction

According to its website , the South Central Jurisdiction consists of the following annual conferences:

  • Central Texas Conference—Bishop J. Mike Lowry
  • Great Plains Conference—Bishop Ruben Saenz, Jr. (Kansas/Nebraska)
  • Louisiana Conference—Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey (Louisiana Area)
  • Missouri Conference—Bishop Robert Farr (Missouri)
  • Arkansas Conference—Bishop Gary Mueller (Little Rock)
  • New Mexico Conference—Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe (Northwest Texas/New Mexico)
  • North Texas Conference—Bishop Mike McKee (Dallas)
  • Northwest Texas Conference—Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe (Northwest Texas/New Mexico)
  • Oklahoma-Indian Missionary Conference—Bishop James G. Nunn
  • Oklahoma Conference—Bishop James G. Nunn
  • Rio Texas Conference—Bishop Robert Schnase (San Antonio)
  • Texas Conference—Bishop Scott Jones (Houston)

Note: During its jurisdictional conference in early November 2022, new episcopal appointments were announced which will be effective January 1, 2023: Louisiana Conference: Bishop Dee J Williamson (newly elected) Great Plains Conference: Bishop Dr. David Wilson (newly elected) North/Central Texas Conferences: Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. (From Great Plains) Texas Annual Conference: Bishop Cynthia Fierro-Harvey (From Louisiana) Arkansas: Bishop Laura Merrill (Newly elected)

Western Jurisdiction

According to its website , the "Western Jurisdiction" of the UMC consists of the following conferences:

  • Alaska Conference—Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky (Seattle)
  • California-Nevada Conference—Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño (Sacramento)
  • California Pacific Conference (UMC) – Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank (Pasadena) [19]
  • Desert Southwest Conference—Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata (Phoenix)
  • Mountain Sky Conference—Bishop Karen P. Oliveto (Denver)
  • Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference—Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky (Seattle)
  • Pacific Northwest Annual Conference—Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky (Seattle)

Annual conferences in the central conferences (outside the U.S.)

Outside the United States the church is divided into seven central conferences in three continents:

  • Africa Central Conference
  • Congo Central Conference
  • West Africa Central Conference
  • Central and Southern Europe Central Conference
  • Germany Central Conference
  • Northern Europe Central Conference
  • Philippines Central Conference
Africa Central Conference
  • Eastern Angola Episcopal Area : Bishop Jose Quipungo
    • Eastern Angola Annual Conference
  • East Africa Episcopal Area : Bishop Daniel A. Wandabula
    • East Africa Annual Conference (includes Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda)
  • Mozambique Episcopal Area : Bishop Joaquina Filipe Nhanala
    • Mozambique North Annual Conference
    • Mozambique South Annual Conference
    • South Africa Provisional conference
  • Western Angola Episcopal Area : Bishop Gaspar João Domingos
    • Western Angola Annual Conference
  • Zimbabwe Episcopal Area : Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa
    • East Zimbabwe Annual Conference
    • West Zimbabwe Annual Conference
Congo Central Conference
  • Central Congo Episcopal Area :Bishop David Kekumba Yemba
    • Central Congo Annual Conference
    • East Congo Annual Conference (Previously Northeast Congo)
    • Kasai Provisional Annual Conference
    • Kivu Provisional Annual Conference
    • Oriental and Equator Annual Conference (Previously Upper Congo & Equator)
    • West Congo Annual Conference
  • North Katanga Episcopal Area : Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo
    • North Katanga Annual Conference
    • Tanganyika/Tanzania Annual Conference
  • South Congo Episcopal Area : Bishop Kainda Katembo
    • Lukoshi Annual Conference
    • North-West Katanga Annual Conference
    • South Congo Annual Conference
    • South-West Katanga Annual Conference
West Africa Central Conference
  • Liberia Episcopal Area: Bishop John Innis
    • Liberia Annual Conference
  • Nigeria Episcopal Area Bishop John Wesley Yohanna
    • Southern Nigeria Annual Conference
  • Central Nigeria Annual Conference
  • Northern Nigeria Annual Conference
  • Sierra Leone Episcopal Area: Bishop John Yambasu
    • Sierra Leone Annual Conference
  • Cote d'Ivoire Episcopal Area: Bishop Benjamin Boni
    • Côte d'Ivoire Annual Conference
Central and Southern Europe Central Conference
  • Central and Southern Europe Episcopal Area: Bishop Patrick Streiff
    • Austria Provisional Annual Conference
    • Bulgaria Provisional Annual Conference
    • Czech and Slovak Republics Annual Conference
    • Hungary Provisional Annual Conference
    • Poland Annual Conference
    • Serbia-Montenegro/Republic of Macedonia Provisional Annual Conference
    • Switzerland-France Annual Conference (includes Algeria District)
Germany Central Conference
  • Germany Episcopal Area: Bishop Harald Rückert
    • Germany East Annual Conference
    • Germany North Annual Conference
    • Germany South Annual Conference
Northern Europe Central Conference
  • Eurasia Episcopal Area: Bishop Eduard Khegay ()
    • Central Russia Annual Conference
    • Eastern Russia and Central Asia Annual Conference
    • Northwest Russia Provisional Annual Conference
    • Southern Russia Annual Conference
    • Ukraine and Moldova Annual Conference
  • Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area : Bishop Christian Alsted
    • Denmark Annual Conference
    • Estonia Annual Conference
    • Finland-Finnish Provisional Annual Conference
    • Finland-Swedish Provisional Annual Conference
    • Norway Annual Conference
    • Sweden Annual Conference
Philippines Central Conference
  • Baguio Episcopal Area: Pedro M. Torio Jr.
    • Central Luzon Philippines Annual Conference
    • North Central Philippines Annual Conference
    • Northeast Philippines Annual Conference
    • Northern Philippines Annual Conference
    • Northwest Philippines Annual Conference
    • Pangasinan Philippines Annual Conference
    • Tarlac Philippines Annual Conference
    • Northeast Luzon Philippines Annual Conference
  • Davao Episcopal Area: Bishop Cery Francisco
    • East Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference
    • Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference
    • Northwest Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference
    • Southwest Philippines Annual Conference
    • Palawan Philippines Annual Conference
    • Visayas Philippines Annual Conference
  • Manila Episcopal Area : Bishop Rudy A. Juan
    • Bicol Philippines Provisional Annual Conference
    • Bulacan Philippines Annual Conference
    • Middle Philippines Annual Conference
    • Philippines Annual Conference
    • Quezon City Philippines Annual Conference - East
    • Rizal Philippines Annual Conference - East
    • Southern Tagalog Provisional Philippines Annual Conference - East
    • Pampango Philippines Annual Conference
    • West Middle Philippines Annual Conference

See also

References
  1. The Discipline of the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection (Original Allegheny Conference). Salem: Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection. 2014. p. 26.
  2. The Discipline of the Evangelical Wesleyan Church. Evangelical Wesleyan Church. 2015. pp. 84–90.
  3. The Book of Discipline of The Free Methodist Church in Canada. Free Methodist Church. 2014.
  4. North Central Jurisdiction
  5. The Northeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church, accessed 10 July 2022
  6. United Methodists of Greater New Jersey, Bishop John Schol, accessed 19 July 2022
  7. "AWFUMC: Bishop Graves Assigned to AWF Conference". www.awfumc.org. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  8. "Red Bird Name Change to Central Appalachian Missionary Conference". Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  9. "Bishop Tom Berlin Florida Area Resident Bishop". Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  10. "Holston UMC: Bishop". Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  11. Kentucky Conference
  12. "Mississippi UMC: Our Bishop". Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  13. "Virtual Welcoming Service for Bishop Shelton". Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  14. "Bishop Robin Dease Assigned to the North Georgia Annual Conference". Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  15. "Bishop David Graves assigned to South Georgia". www.sgaumc.org. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  16. "Virginia Conference UMC: Bishop Sue-Haupert Johnson". Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  17. "Western NC Conference UMC:Bishop". Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  18. "2021 Memphis Conference". Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  19. "Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank". Retrieved 9 February 2023.
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