Bishop Mueller, with concurrence of the District Superintendents and in accordance with ¶603.5 of The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, has called a Special In-Person Session of the Arkansas Annual Conference to be held in Horner Hall at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.
This special session has been called to deal with the following two issues, and is limited to dealing only with these two issues:
- The consideration of recommendations 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.
- If allowed by the Judicial Council’s upcoming decisions concerning Docket 0522-02, the consideration of legislation to adopt a standard process governing 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 that was deferred by the 2022 Arkansas Annual Conference to the first Special or Regular Annual Conference Session.
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 June, 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 June, 2022 Annual Conference Session may be replaced by a lay member duly elected by the charge conference.