There is a layer of administration
between General Conference and the General Church and the Annual Conferences,
to which local churches and individual clergy belong: Jurisdictions and Central
Conferences.
In the United States the United
Methodist Church is divided into five Jurisdictions: North Eastern, South
Eastern, North Central, South Central, and Western (including Alaska and Hawaii.)
(see map)
Iowa is part of the North Central
Jurisdiction which includes Iowa as well as Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota.
Each Jurisdiction has a Jurisdictional
Conference every four years in the summer of the same year as General
Conference. Delegates are the lay and
clergy delegates to General Conference from each Annual Conference for the same
year plus the same number of additional lay and clergy delegates which makes
the delegation to Jurisdictional Conference twice the size.
The most important work of the
Jurisdiction and Jurisdictional Conference is the election and assignment of
bishops (more about bishops in the next article.) However, Jurisdictions also play a key role
in ensuring proportional representation on General Boards and Agencies, in the
appeal process for church trials, and in coordinating mission and ministry
among Annual Conferences particularly with youth, United Methodist Women, and
United Methodist Men.
Outside of the United States the UMC
is divided into seven Central Conferences.
There are three Central Conferences in Europe: Germany, Northern Europe
and Eurasia, and Central/Southern Europe; three in Africa, Africa Central, West
Africa, and Congo; and one in Asia: Philippines. (See the map which also
includes membership numbers for each Jurisdiction and Central Conference.)
Central Conferences like Jurisdictions
are made of the Annual Conferences within their boundaries. Central Conferences perform the same functions
as Jurisdictional Conferences: electing bishops, coordinating the mission and
ministry of Annual Conferences, and relating to General Boards and Agencies and
General Conference. However, Central
Conferences also have one other very special power, they can adapt some to the
rules in the Book of Discipline
according to their local needs.
Pastor Brian.
