Announcement of Online Annual Conference Session
November 21, 2022
In accordance with ¶603.5 of The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, a Special Session of the Arkansas Annual Conference has been called, to be held online on Monday, November 21, 2022 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. This special session will be limited to the consideration of resolutions coming from the Conference Board of Trustees requesting ratification of Disaffiliation Agreements with various congregations of the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church, in accordance with ¶2553 of The 2016 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, the Principles adopted at the 2021 Arkansas Annual Conference Session and Judicial Council Decision 1379.
All current clergy members of the Arkansas Annual Conference, including appointed local pastors, are authorized to participate. Lay members authorized to participate are those lay members or alternates who were last seated at the 2022 Annual Conference Session as provided by ¶602.5 of The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. Any lay member unable to attend because of death, serious illness or cessation of membership who cannot be replaced by an alternate to the 2022 Annual Conference Session may be replaced by a duly elected lay member to the 2023 Annual Conference Session.
Save these Future Dates!
If the Judicial Council’s upcoming decisions concerning Docket 0522-02 allows the use of ¶2548.2 for the transfer of churches from the Arkansas Conference to one of the Pan-Methodist denominations or another Evangelical Denomination, a separate Special Session of the Arkansas Annual Conference will be held in person at Saint James United Methodist Church in Little Rock on Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. This special session, if called, will be limited to the consideration of legislation to adopt a standard process governing the use of ¶2548.2 that was deferred by the 2022 Arkansas Annual Conference to the first Special or Regular Annual Conference Session following the Judicial Council’s decision concerning Docket 0522-02.
An additional special online session of the Arkansas Annual Conference to deal with disaffiliation resolutions using ¶2553 and transfers using ¶2548.2 if so approved at the November 19 Special Session has been set for Monday, March 13, 6:00 pm. A final decision on the scope of this conference will be made at a later time.