A LETTER FROM THE DELEGATES

Dear United Methodist friends in West Virginia and Garrett County, MD –

On behalf of the 2020 General Conference delegation, we want to thank you for the precious time that you shared with us during our recent travels around the conference. Your worship of God, prayers for us and the work of the church, and holy conversations are blessings that will sustain us as we prepare and on our journey to Charlotte.

We are grateful for the gracious hospitality of St. Paul’s UMC in Oakland, New Martinsville UMC in New Martinsville, Bridgeport UMC in Bridgeport, UM Temple in Beckley, and Christ Church United Methodist in Charleston. Their staff and volunteers were patient when our video had hiccups and generous with coffee, snacks, lunch, and space. We appreciate your gifts in helping us do this work.

As we complete our final preparations, we continue to ask for your prayers. Our touchstone prayer prompt using Sue Nilson Kibbey’s breakthrough prayer structure is “Return. Renew. Restore”. The prayer focus was born of conversation that Rev. Nilson Kibbey led the delegation through that focused on Acts 15: 1-18, a recording of the Jerusalem Council – a time when the church made significant decisions about ministry.

The entire prayer that we’ve been praying that occasioned these prompts is this:

Almighty and gracious God, we, the people of the West Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, ask that you have mercy on your church. Once again, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us; renew and restore your church until we are made new. Instill within these delegates humble hearts and discerning minds that hunger and thirst for your righteousness and your vision for our future. Through the decisions of the General Conference, return to this church a passionate longing for the coming of your kingdom, and unite us in one mission: to reach and make new disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world. Amen.

We continue to ask for the gift of your prayers as we do our work. It would be a precious gift if you and the congregations you attend would join your prayers with ours. We trust in God’s Spirit to make us into the spiritual leaders who will do the work we are called to do. You can continue to strengthen us for this journey by offering your prayers.

With gratitude – Rev. Amy Shanholtzer, Head of General Conference Delegation

TRUSTED INFORMATION

General Conference Resources:

Links

GENERAL CONFERENCE WEBSITE

PROPOSED LEGISLATION

CONFERENCE AGENDA

LIVESTREAM LINK - OPENS 4/23

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

Frequently Asked Questions

Calendar Items are items to be voted upon by the General Conference. A legislative committee item becomes a calendar item when the legislative committee approves or disapproves (concurs or non-concurs with) the recommendation of the legislative subcommittee, the appropriate individuals sign the committee item, and the coordinator of the Calendar receives the committee item and turns it into a Calendar Item.

Week 1 of General Conference is comprised of legislative committee work. These committees meet during General Conference to review and make recommendations on petitions and/or resolutions to be voted upon. There can be both a majority and minority report from these committees. Each committee elects a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary.

Nothing is final in week 1.

Week 2 of General Conference is comprised of Plenary Sessions. This is the full body of delegates that comprise General Conference. The plenary debates and votes to concur or non-concur with Calendar Items and Consent Calendars. Approval is called concurrance. Disapproval is called non-concurrence.

The West Virginia Conference has six voting delegates to General Conference and six reserve delegates. These reserves are not voting members of General Conference unless they take the place of someone else. However, the reserves are full voting members at Jurisdictional Conference.

There are 14 Legislative Committees. WV's six voting delegates are each assigned to a committee and have a voice and vote. Our six reserve members will attend and observe additional committees to inform our delegation of decisions being made.

Informational Documents and Videos

LINK: A Beginner's Guide to General Conference

VIDEO: What is General Conference

LINK: About the Legislative Process

VIDEO: What is the legislative process at General Conference

LINK: How decisions are made at General Conference

VIDEO: How do delegates evaluate information

LINK: How are General Conference delegates chosen

DOCUMENT: Revised Social Principles

DOCUMENT: Road to General Conference

The Road to General Conference

This infographic was produced by the Virginia Conference and has been edited with permission to reflect the West Virginia Conference. Download the full series here.

ABOUT THE DELEGATION

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A DELEGATE? Delegates are not representatives. That is, they are not sent to “represent” the views of their conference, local church or any particular constituency. The annual conference "delegates" authority to each person elected to vote their conscience, as moved by the Holy Spirit, about the matters before them. Delegates are to cast their votes based on what they believe is best for the life and witness of the entirety of The United Methodist Church worldwide and its related ministries.

Members of the General Conference Delegation selected by the West Virginia Annual Conference include:

Amy Shanholtzer
Judi Kenaston

Jeff Taylor

Rich Shaffer
Lauren Godwin

Rachel Fulton

Mike Estep

Kristi Wilkerson

Joe Hill

Judy Raines

Joe Kenaston
Kim Matthews