In July 2019, delegates from United Brethren churches in the United States will gather for the 2019 US National Conference. This year, we are meeting at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. You will be able to register at the beginning of the year.
The 2019 US National Conference will hold its business meeting on Thursday, July 18, 2019. Among other things, the delegates will consider various proposals, including proposed revisions to the United Brethren Discipline.
The United Brethren constituency is invited to submit proposals for consideration by the US National Conference. A proposal needs to come from a group or official entity — not from an individual. Examples: a local church board, cluster group, a denominational leadership team or study committee, etc. The Bishop’s Office and the Executive Leadership Team are responsible for processing and approving proposals for presentation to the conference.
Schedule
The Executive Leadership Team set the following schedule.
- March 1, 2019. Deadline for submitting proposals to the Bishop’s Office.
- April 1, 2019. All proposals are finalized and formatted for the Executive Leadership Team.
- April 25, 2019. The ELT reviews the proposals.
- May 1, 2019. A draft of the proposals, as approved by the ELT, is posted on the conference website.
- May 2019. The draft is discussed in regional meetings. Suggested revisions are noted and, at the Bishop’s discretion, revisions are made to the proposals.
- June 10, 2019. A final version of all proposals is posted on the conference website.
How to Submit Proposals for Revising the Discipline
- Submit the exact wording you would like to see used (rather than just a general idea).
- If it is new content, state where you suggest placing it (chapter and paragraph number).
- If it is a revision to existing content, state the chapter and paragraph number to be revised.
- Include a brief statement of the rationale for making the revision. A sentence or two may be sufficient, depending on the nature of the revision.
Other Proposals
United Brethren members may submit other proposals (beyond revisions to the Discipline) regarding the work and ministry of the US National Conference. These should include specific wording describing what you want to happen.
How Proposals will be Processed
- All proposals will be channeled to the Bishop’s Office.
- The Bishop will determine the best way to process proposals for eventual presentation to the national conference. Proposals may be referred to other leadership groups, and new committees and task forces may be formed.
- All proposals will be presented to the April 2019 Executive Leadership Team meeting.
- Proposals will be passed along to the National Conference delegates, either as proposals for consideration on the floor or as supplemental proposals. A supplemental proposal won’t be considered on the floor unless delegates move to consider it.
- No new proposals will be added after the April 2019 ELT meeting. However, revisions can still be made at the Bishop’s discretion until June 10, and later if he feels it is necessary.
Send proposals to Bishop Todd Fetters at: bishop@ub.org. Or mail to:
Bishop Todd Fetters
302 Lake Street
Huntington, IN 46750.
