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NOTES FOR THE
History
as It Happens
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GENERAL CONFERENCE 2012 June
2-6, 2012
• The biggest news was the Conference voted to reorganize headquarters and go to four officers and one General Superintendent--by a 61% vote. It required a 2/3 vote to make it effective immediately which it received on a voice vote. On the second ballot Jo Anne Lyon received 67% and accepted.
• The four officers elected were the four nominated by the General Board: Wayne McBeth for Communication and Administration; Russ Gunsalus for Education and Clergy Development; Dennis Jackson for Global Partners, and Jim Dunn for Church Multiplication and Discipleship.
• The conference gave greater flexibility on the structure of the LBA, recognizing that “one size doesn’t fit all.”
• Following the conference the General Board voted to turn the SIN statement and the ABUSE/DIVORCE issue over to an ad hoc committee of biblical and theological scholars and pastors to report in 2016. To be continued.
• The conference took another step away from expectations that community members will one day become covenant members by removing from the reception ritual that reference; another move in the game of Membership Chess
• There was a 304-0 vote supporting traditional marriage which is not surprising but still significant in the cultural climate of the day.
Possible over all trends and shifts:
1. Empowerment of leaders and clergy. Four years before in 2008 any attempt to move more power to the leaders/clergy was mostly rejected whole. In this 2012 conference most any memorial to give greater power to pastors, DSs, the GBA and the GS was approved heartily, and some were even offered from the floor—like the memorial-from-the-floor making three of the four general officer slots clergy-only positions. It was a good conference for those seeking greater power for leaders.
2. Younger people & technology. The conference was attended by a significant number of Wesleyans in their 20s and 30s. Perhaps this was due to greater participation before the conference in the “Groundswell” Facebook pages and due to the headquarters posting all memorials online, welcoming anyone to post discussions of them. In addition this conference offered a live feed of the conference proceedings and “The Techology Show,” a Wesleyan-oriented Internet broadcast offered live analysis of the actions along with some play by play commentary. This was the first general conference where more people “attended” electronically than were actually physically present.
3. Diversity. Wesleyans are becoming more diverse and this showed at General Conference, on the platform, among the delegates, and in the elections of General Board. Of the 24 field representatives on the new General Board the number of women rose from four to six and the General Board now included a Native American (Larry Salway), and three Blacks (Anthony Graham, Kyle Ray, Phil Farrell). [further confirmation needed on this paragraph]
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