Submitting recommendations, resolutions, and petitions for the 2023 Annual Conference Session
February 09, 2023 | by Mark R. Wharf
It’s time to begin thinking about legislation for our Annual Conference Session, June 15-18, 2023.
Timeline of due dates for Recommendations, Resolutions, Petitions and Reports
April 15: Deadline for all Recommendations, Resolutions, Petitions and Reports that will be included in the Legislative Packett
May 1: Deadline for all legislation
May 15: Deadline for all materials that will go directly to the plenary floor
Please note the guidelines in our conference Standing Rules, Division I. F. 4. found on pages 212-213 of the 2022 Journal:
Recommendations, resolutions, and petitions may be brought before the session by councils,
boards, commissions, committees, or agencies of the annual conference; by a local church,
through action of its administrative board, charge conference, or church conference; or by
individual lay members of local churches within the annual conference or clergy members
of the annual conference, directly to the conference secretary.
Recommendations, resolutions, and petitions shall include the following:
- Contact person submitting the recommendation, resolution, or petition
- Title of the recommendation, resolution, or petition
- Name of the submitting group (or individual, if not submitted by a group)
- Number of members of the submitting group (where applicable)
- Number of members of the submitting group present when voting
- Number of members voting for and against adoption of the recommendation, resolution, or petition
- Date the recommendation, resolution, or petition was adopted by the submitting group/individual
- Fiscal impact anticipated if the recommendation, resolution, or petition is adopted
- Preference for consideration following Parliamentary Procedure or Petitionary Procedure
- (Please review standing rules Division I. C. 5. and 6. on pages 208-209 of the 2022 Journal.)
- Complete text of the recommendation, resolution, or petition
- Background (explanatory) information in support of the recommendation, resolution, or petition
Recommendations normally ask the conference to take action or do something, such as amend one of its rules or add a task force.
Resolutions typically ask the conference to make a statement or say something, such as commend a public official for action or express condolences to a family or community following a loss.
Petitions invite conference members who favor a given action or statement to express their support by signing a document.
(Petitions to the General Conference are efforts to amend a specific paragraph of
The Book of Discipline and may be submitted to the annual conference for its support. If approved by the annual conference, they are submitted by the conference secretary to the Petitions Secretary of the General Conference in the year prior to the quadrennial or special General Conference.)
In order to be considered at the 2023 Annual Conference Session, recommendations, resolutions, and petitions must be received by the conference secretary by May 1, 2023 – the deadline established by the Commission on the Annual Conference Session. (Items resulting from situations whose late development prevented their submission prior to the deadline may be considered by the session under the rules found in Division I. F. 4. d. and e. found on page 213 of the 2022 Journal.)
Recommendations, resolutions, and petitions are to be submitted to the conference secretary by email at
Mark.Wharff@cnumc.org. The preferred format is Microsoft Word (.doc/docx) or Text (.txt) rather than .pdf, Arial 11 font, A4 paper size, using .5” margins all around.
If you have questions, please contact the conference secretary by email or by text/voice at 209-614-3802.
Mark R. Wharf serves as the Conference Secretary for the Commission on the Annual Conference.
