• Commitment to the journey of a “Connectional People” in the United Methodist tradition – multi-leveled, global in scope and local in thrust;
• Commitment to Team-building and Team-work within the delegation by appreciating and celebrating diverse gifts and callings to leadership in The United Methodist Church;
• Basic knowledge of the polity, the doctrines, and the structures and systems of The United Methodist Church (as a global and connectional denomination) based on The 2016 Book of Discipline;
• Familiarity with basic parliamentary procedures and protocol (based on Robert’s Rules of Order);
• Ability to comprehend the content and rationale of the proposed amendments to The Book of Discipline, as well as a basic knowledge of The Book of Resolutions as adopted and revised at the General Conference;
• Commitment to attend ALL Delegation Meetings/Gatherings both before and after the General and Jurisdictional Conference sessions, as scheduled by the leadership of the delegation;
• Willingness to take on and complete/fulfill responsibilities, tasks or projects, either voluntarily or as assigned by the delegation;
• Active participation in the process of endorsing an Episcopal candidate, if needed, using spiritual discernment and collaborative efforts;
• Maintaining connections and communication between the General Church, the Annual Conference, and local congregations, advocating to the General Church for the values expressed by the Wisconsin Conference vision, and to the Annual Conference and its congregations for the work of the General Church that expresses the commitment of The United Methodist Church to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

• Delegates will be expected to read and comprehend hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of pages of material in preparation for both the General and Jurisdictional Conference.  Much of this material may not be available to delegates until after January 1, 2024.
• The Postponed 2020 General Conference will be in session from April 23 through May 3, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Delegates are expected to be present in Charlotte from April 23 – May 3, 2024; and should be prepared to arrive in Charlotte prior to April 23^rd and to depart on May 4^th, 2024.
• Delegates need to have the physical stamina and health to put in very long days (which often begin before 7 am and end after midnight) for the entire 11 days of the General Conference session.
• The Postponed 2020 North Central Jurisdictional Conference will be held July 10 through 13, 2024 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Delegates are expected to be present from July 10-13, 2024; and should be prepared to arrive in Sioux Falls prior to July 10^th and depart on July 14^th, 2024.
• Delegates need to be both capable and willing to make a personal financial investment in the global church, as not all expenses for General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates are covered by the Per Diem offered by the General Conference and the Jurisdictional Conference, or by the Annual Conference. Only specified expenses are paid to the six seated and two first-reserve General Conference delegates, and to the twelve seated and two first-reserve Jurisdictional delegates.
• Delegates are elected for the entire quadrennium (4 years).  They must be prepared to stay in and with the delegation throughout the quadrennium, and attend all meetings/events as scheduled by the delegation and its leadership both before and after the General and Jurisdictional Conference sessions.  Delegates will be expected to attend any Special Sessions of the General and/or Jurisdictional Conference that may be called between the Postponed 2020 General Conference sessions (held in 2024) up until the next regular session of the General Conference, which could be sometime between 2024 and December 31, 2027.)
• Lay Delegates to the General Conference become Lay Members of the Wisconsin Annual Conference for the subsequent quadrennium, and should be prepared to attend and participate in the Annual Conference Sessions from 2020 through 2024. If there are additional vacancies in the lay delegation, lay reserves could become lay members of the Annual Conference if they end up filling one of those vacancies.

LAY ELIGIBILITY: ¶ 36. Article V.—The lay delegates to the General and jurisdictional or central conferences shall be elected by the lay members of the annual conference or provisional annual conference without regard to age, provided such delegates shall have been professing members of The United Methodist Church for at least two years next preceding their election, and shall have been active participants in The United Methodist Church for at least four years next preceding their election, and are members thereof within the annual conference electing them at the time of holding the General and jurisdictional or central conferences. (from The 2016 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church)

Any Professing Lay Member of a United Methodist Church in the Wisconsin Annual Conference who meets the Disciplinary criteria listed above is eligible for election. One does NOT have to be a Lay Member of the Annual Conference in order to be elected as a Lay Delegate to the General or Jurisdictional Conferences.

CLERGY ELIGIBILITY: ¶ 35. Article IV.—The clergy delegates to the General Conference and to the jurisdictional or central conference shall be elected from the clergy members in full connection and shall be elected by the clergy members of the annual conference or provisional annual conference who are deacons and elders in full connection, associate members, and those provisional members who have completed all of their educational requirements and local pastors who have completed course of study or an M. Div. degree and have served a minimum of two consecutive years under appointment immediately preceding the election.

(from The 2016 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church)

Any Clergy Member in Full Connection (Deacon or Elder) of the Wisconsin Annual Conference who meets the Disciplinary criteria listed above is eligible for election.  Clergy Members of the Wisconsin Annual Conference specified in ¶35 above may vote in the election.

Clergy Members of other Annual Conferences who are serving in Wisconsin are only eligible to vote in the election of delegates and be elected a delegate by the Annual Conference where they are members.

Clergy Members of other denominations, as well as Provisional Members and Local Pastors who do not meet the educational and service requirements listed above, are NOT eligible to vote in the election.

Persons who wish to be considered as candidates for election as new Provisional Reserve Delegates to the General and/or Jurisdictional Conference may submit a brief biographical sketch, indicating their qualifications and reasons for wishing to be elected as a delegate. Submission of a biographical sketch is not required in order to be elected. However, such biographies provide helpful information to those voting.

Biographical sketches must be submitted to the Conference Secretary no later than May 8, 2023.

Please use the electronic form found online here: 
Provisional Reserve Delegate Candidate Biographical Sketch

You will be asked to supply the following information:

1. Name
2. Complete address
3. Telephone number and Email address
4. Year you became a member of/were ordained in The United Methodist Church
5. Local United Methodist Church where you currently are a Professing Member or are appointed as a Clergy Member
6. Responses to the following questions:

• What is your experience in the connectional Church (Jurisdictional/General Conference and denominational levels)?
• How have you participated in the life and ministry of the Wisconsin Annual Conference?
• Have you participated in a previous General or Jurisdictional Conference, and if so, in what capacity (delegate, page, observer, etc)?
• What are your priorities for The United Methodist Church?
• Why do you want to be a reserve delegate to the General and/or Jurisdictional Conference?
• How will you use your experience as a delegate to serve the local church, the Wisconsin Conference, and The United Methodist Church?

The biographical sketches will be compiled and published on our Conference website, along with the Pre-Conference Workbook information, on or about May 15th, 2023.

(Address, telephone and Email information is for the Conference Secretary’s use only, and will NOT be published.)