Decision Number 1472

Decision

Annual conferences are permitted to hold elections to fill vacancies in the General Conference delegation due to death, resignations, or otherwise, up to the maximum number of allocated delegates, provided vacancies cannot be filled with reserve delegates.

If a delegate’s status as clergy or lay has changed since the election, the person is disqualified from serving as delegate and must be declared ineligible, and the vacancy in the General Conference delegation may be filled by electing a new delegate if the vacancy cannot be filled with reserve delegates.

When two or more annual conferences unite to become a merged conference, the duly elected delegates of each original annual conference are eligible to serve; the delegate number continues unchanged for the postponed 2020 General Conference until it is adjusted for the next General Conference; and vacancies may be filled with new elections up to the maximum number of originally allocated delegates if they cannot be filled with reserve delegates.

The Commission on the General Conference is required to schedule and plan for a regular session of General Conference to be convened after the adjournment of the postponed 2020 General Conference, between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2027.

March 20, 2023