news article
New leaders approved for 2022
June 18, 2021 / By Tara Barnes
The Upper New York Conference Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development report to the 2021 Annual Conference was presented by the Rev. Tony Hipes, chair of the committee.
“The committee has diligently worked to bring nominations that are diverse in many different ways, and we continue to encourage self-nominations by using the nominations form located on the conference website,” the Rev. Hipes said to open the report.
The committee first brought a resolution requesting a change of Conference rules to allow three teams required to be elected each quadrennium to transition to new leadership before the end of the current United Methodist quadrennium, which has extended due to the postponement of the United Methodist General Conference from 2020 to 2022.
The Conference supported the resolution to allow members of the College Ministry Team, Hispanic Ministries Committee, and the Social Holiness Team to serve just four-year terms instead of the now six caused by pandemic delays.
The Rev. Hipes read the names of each person nominated to a Conference committee or team, bringing them before the Conference for approval. The Rev. Hipes also received for consideration a nomination to the Conference Board of Camp and Retreat Ministries.
In response to a speech against the Conference nominations because of a perceived improper removal of a member of the interim Board of Ordained Ministry, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, removed himself as presider to explain his understanding of his role and responsibilities per The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church.
Bishop Webb also ruled out of order a potential nomination to the Board of Ordained Ministry, stating that the nominations for this board cannot be made from the floor of the Annual Conference. A challenge to this ruling was not supported.
A motion to divide the question and make the vote on the Board of Ordained Ministry separate from the rest of the nominations was not supported.
The list of Conference nominees was presented to the Conference and was supported. The Rev. Hipes then presented the list of District-level nominees, which were also supported. The entire report was also adopted.
A request was made for a declaratory decision from the United Methodist Judicial Council to clarify the whether ¶635.1a of the 2016 Book of Discipline prohibits nominations to boards of ordained ministry from the floors of Annual Conferences. The motion, which requires a 1/5 approval, was supported, and the Conference Secretary will send the request to Judicial Council.
The complete list of nominees can be viewed at the Journal updates online.