General Book of Discipline Legislation

The Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters meets at Global Ministries Fellowship Hall-February 13, 2017. Image courtesy of Global Ministries (GBGM).

In 2012, General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking body, tasked the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters with helping develop a truly global Book of Discipline. The hope is that such a book, which will contain the church’s teachings and rules of governance, will help the denomination live more fully into its worldwide nature.

Specifically, the standing committee was asked to assess the Book of Discipline’s Part VI, Organization and Administration, which contains the chapters most directly related to organizing ministry in the central conferences. Whatever disciplinary paragraphs it deems adaptable for central conferences, the committee suggests moving to a newly created Part VII.

Ultimately, committee members hope the 2020 General Conference will approve what it calls a General Discipline, with a worldwide outlook and possibly a lot fewer paragraphs.

General Book of Discipline – new Parts VI and VII, draft 2020

The General Book of Discipline reflects the Wesleyan way of serving Christ through doctrine and disciplined Christian life in the worldwide United Methodist Church. Parts I – V are in effect in the 2016 Book of Discipline.

The Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters received the mandate to complete the work by subdividing the present Part VI of the 2016 Book of Discipline into two new parts:

A new Part VI General Organization and Administration; it shall contain what is connectionally essential for a worldwide church and cannot be adapted by central conferences outside the US;
A new Part VII Additional Organization and Administration; it shall contain what is adaptable by central conferences according to the Constitution ¶ 31.5.

The Standing Committee presents several elements of its work on the General Book of Discipline in full text in the ADCA, translated into the official languages

The report of the Standing Committee [ADCA p. 725-732]
The disciplinary petition for revision of BOD ¶ 101 [Petition # 20157, ADCA p. 616]
The non-disciplinary petition for a General Book of Discipline requesting a consultation process and feedback in the worldwide denomination [Petition # 20660, ADCA p. 824]
The draft of General Book of Discipline, new Part VI, chapters 1-7 [ADCA p. 729-730] (Download ADCA)

Below you will find additional documents of the Standing Committee (English only), related to the Draft of a General Book of Discipline, new Parts VI and VII. You may download each of the following documents for your study. The Standing Committee welcomes feedback according to the leading questions outlined in the non-disciplinary petition mentioned above:

What elements of the new Part VI do not reflect essentials for a worldwide connection of The UMC and/or are not applicable in your own context and mission?
What essentially connectional elements are missing in the new Part VI?
What inconsistencies or inaccuracies are found in the new Part VI and are thus in need of correction?

Send feedback to the committee.