Discipline Proposals

1. That we bring the Discipline into line with our current structure, which doesn't have annual conferences, by doing the following:

a. Remove Chapter 9, "Conference Boundaries," from the Discipline.
b. Remove Chapter 16, "The Conference," from the Discipline.
c. Remove Chapter 17, "Disbanding a Conference," from the Discipline.
d. Editorially revise other sentences in the Discipline which reference conferences, conference councils, or other conference entities.

2. That we revise Paragraph 611.2-4 to make it consistent with Referendum 2: Delegates.

Current wording:

1. The bishop shall, as early as possible, announce the number of lay delegates to which each local church is entitled. The number will be based on the official statistics at the end of the first year of the biennium.

2. Each local church shall elect lay delegates during the month of February prior to the meeting of the US National Conference. The election shall be done according to procedures approved by the Executive Leadership Team.

3. All adult members of the local church may vote.

4. Members must use a ballot provided by the church in which they hold membership. They may not vote for lay delegates in a church in which they are not themselves members.

Replace items 611.2-4 with the following:

2. Each local church shall determine the method it uses for selecting lay delegates, and shall notify the bishop of the lay delegates selected by March 1 prior to the meeting of the US National Conference.

3. That we insert a four-year term limit for the US Bishop in the opening sentence of Chapter 20, "The US Bishop."

Add the words in italics: "The US National Conference shall elect an ordained minister to serve as US bishop for a four-year term."

4. That we remove Paragraph 602.1a(5) from the National Church Covenant:

"5. They are interested in partnering with other like-minded churches."

5. That we remove Paragraph 602.1a(8) from the National Church Covenant:

"8. They support the work of the camps, university, and other ministries of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA."

6. That we authorize the Bishop to make any necessary editorial changes in terminology, titles, etc. in the Discipline.