¶ 101. The General Book of Discipline reflects our Wesleyan way of serving Christ through doctrine and disciplined Christian life. We are a worldwide denomination united by doctrine, discipline, and mission through our connectional covenant. The General Book of Discipline expresses that unity. Each central conference may make changes and adaptations to the General Book of Discipline to more fruitfully accomplish our mission in various contexts. However, some portions of the General Book of Discipline are not subject to adaptation. The following parts and paragraphs are not subject to change or adaptation except by action of the General Conference. The Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters has primary responsibility for proposing to General Conference revisions to this paragraph.
Parts I -V
I. Constitution ¶¶ 1-61
II. General Book of Discipline ¶ 101
III. Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task ¶¶ 102-105
IV. The Ministry of All Christians ¶¶ 120-143
V. Social Principles Preface, Preamble, and ¶¶ 160-164
The Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters, in consultation with the Committee on Faith and Order, will bring legislation to the next regular General Conference to change the structure of the General Book of Discipline to include a Part VI, General Organization and Administration not subject to change or adaptation by central conferences, and such Part VI may include the creation of new material particularly on theological and missional components, and a Part VII, Additional Organization and Administration, adaptable by central conferences according to ¶ 32.5.This new Part VII may also include the creation of new material, especially language to enable the paragraphs to flow together. The content of Part VI of the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline will be included in either Part VI or Part VII of the forthcoming General Book of Discipline. For the work on Part VI, Chapter 2 (The Ministry of the Ordained) and Chapter 3 (The Superintendency) of the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline, the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters will work in consultation with the Commission for the Study of Ministry, if such Commission is created for the 2025-2028 quadrennium following the postponed 2020 General Conference, and for Part VI, Chapter 5 (Administrative Order) of the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline, the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters will work in consultation with the Connectional Table to create a new Part VI which reflects the theological and missional components of agency and expresses what is essential wherever United Methodism exists, and a new Part VII accordingly. In accordance with the Book of Discipline ¶ 905.4-5, the Connectional Table will support the collaborative efforts of the general agencies as they develop disciplinary language that specifically describes the agencies’ work in a way that reflects the theological and missional components of agency. This collaborative effort of the Connectional Table will be carried out in partnership with the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters, which will submit legislation on Part VI and Part VII to the next regular General Conference.
The Commission on the General Conference is directed to set aside adequate time in the first three days of the next regular General Conference for plenary consideration and action on Part VI, General Administration and Organization, submitted by the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters. Subsequent changes to Part VI shall be reviewed by the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters for submission to General Conference.1
1. See Judicial Council Decision 1272.
From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church - 2020/2024. Copyright 2024 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.
