The annual conference is not “those people out there” who make decisions that affect "us people here.”
The constitution of The United Methodist Church calls the annual conference “the basic body in the church” (Paragraph 34, Article II).
Note that definition. It is the basic body in the church. A “body” is an assembly of people, It’s not an assembly only of “those people out there.” It’s at least some people, lay and clergy, from your own local church gathering with laypeople and clergy from every other local church within the bounds of your conference, along with additional officers and laity from the local churches to equal the total clergy membership of the conference. United Methodists make decisions by bringing people together to confer and decide together, that is, "to conference." These decisions do not get made by people who do not know us. They are made by people we know and have sent, all working together as one body.
And the annual conference is the basic body in the church. It establishes the local churches within its bounds, provides resourcing and guidance for their ministries, and pools the resources of the local churches to help carry out ministries the local churches could not do as well or at all, if left solely to their own resources. It also elects the delegates to the bodies that have power beyond the bounds of the annual conference. In the United States, this includes the jurisdictional conference, the US regional conference, and the General Conference. Outside the United States, in includes their regional conference and the General Conference. While delegates to jurisdictional, regional, and General Conferences vote independently, most of their work to prepare before and follow up after these conferences is done with the delegates from their own annual conference.
As “the basic body in the Church,” the annual conference is where clergy gather to be updated on the status of licensed clergy, to vote on whether to approve candidates for commissioning, ordination, full and associate membership, and recognition of orders, and to decide on matters involving leaves, retirements, and recommendations regarding the removal of clergy from membership in the clergy session.
The annual conference is also where lay and clergy members make decisions together about matters affecting the work of the conference. This includes the annual conference budget, the formula for apportioning it to the local churches and the progress of conference-supported ministries and other related ministries. The annual conference also formally recognizes new church starts, approves charters for local churches, and takes action to close local churches. Many annual conferences make public statements as well.
Amidst all of that decision making and surrounding it, annual conferences dedicate time to remember clergy and clergy spouses who have died, to honor clergy who are retiring, and to witness and bless those being commissioned, ordained, or recognized as associate members from among the licensed local pastors of that conference or as full clergy members from other denominations.
In addition, many annual conferences feature a keynote speaker who addresses the theme chosen for the conference in a given year. While the theme does not determine the decisions to be made or other agenda items of the conference, it often gives a sense of coherence to the complex and varied array of items to be addressed. Some annual conferences offer workshops on practical matters of church leadership as well.
This is just some of the important work that happens “officially” at the annual conference meeting. Still, many will say that what happens unofficially is just as important, if not more so. Annual conference is an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and friends clergy may have gotten to know from seminary, Course of Study, or previous appointments, or that clergy or laity alike may have worked with on district, conference, or denominational committees or mission projects. So annual conference often functions as a kind of family reunion, for which the singing of Charles Wesley's hymn, “And Are We Yet Alive,” written for Methodist conferences, is always a poignant moment.
“And are we yet alive
and see each others face?...
“What troubles have we seen,
what conflicts have we past,
fightings without and fears within
since we assembled last?
“Yet out of all the Lord
hath brought us by his love;
and still he doth his help afford
and hides our life above.”
Among the final actions of each annual conference is the reading of appointments for the coming year in a service of covenant renewal. Clergy acknowledge their acceptance of and commitment to the work and the people of their charges. Laity receiving these clergy commit themselves to work with them and support their common ministry. Though they may not sing it at this time, the final verse of “And Are We Yet Alive” summarizes the spirit of this act of covenanting and sending.
“Let us take up the cross
till we the crown obtain,
and gladly reckon all things loss
that we may Jesus gain.”
If you have never attended the meeting of your annual conference, you may want to consider doing so, even if you are not the lay member of the conference from your local church. It will give you a sense of the ways your local church is part of something grander and more far-reaching than you may have imagined. If you are a member of the conference, clergy or lay, take time to share with local church what happened there and why it matters. And as you do, be sure also to help them get a sense of the joy it is to gather which what in many cases is well over a thousand tongues from all over the conference singing “our Great Redeemer’s praise."
Burton Edwards serves as Lead for Ask The UMC, the information service of United Methodist Communications.
