For the first time since 2019, voting machines will be used to elect a delegate, a lay person.
This person will serve as a reserve delegate to the 2020 General Conference (to be held April 23-May 3, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C.) and as a delegate to the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference (to be held July 9-12, 2024, in Western Pennsylvania).
In 2019, Annual Conference lay members and clergy used the machine system to elect six delegates — three lay people, three clergy — to the May 2020 General Conference and also to elect an additional three lay and three clergy delegates to the July 2020 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference.
But Annual and Jurisdictional Conference postponements and other circumstances have made three of those General Conference lay delegates unable to serve. (Erin Sears is now a clergy member of the conference and thus is ineligible to serve as a lay delegate; Royce Lyden and Bree Moll were unable to continue serving due to changing life circumstances.)
Two reserve delegates automatically moved into the two vacant laity positions, but the third spot remains open. (The Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church ruled that elections could be held to fill vacant spots in the delegation.)
Only lay members will vote to fill that position during the 1 p.m. business session. Voting devices will be collected at the end of the business session.
At the start of the session, all eligible lay members (who have pink name tags) within the bar (the official areas designated for members) will be asked to stand as able. Tellers will give each one an electronic voting device.
Conference Secretary Judi Kenaston said the device will be easy to use. It looks like a television remote control. Each member will be given a sheet with printed instructions, and there will be verbal instructions and tests before any votes are taken.
A candidate must receive more than 50 percent of the votes cast to be elected.
Following our conference rules, the following nominations were made by members of the 2022 Annual Conference session in April and early May 2023: Donna Galloway, Gary Hartsog, Angela Jones, Hannah Lamb, Kim Matthews, Allie Sears, Lauren Shanholtzer, Julie Tennant, and Ken Willard.
Additional nominations were open to members of the 2023 Annual Conference from the floor Thursday evening, but no additional nominations were made.
General Conferences, usually held every four years, enable changes to be made to the Book of Discipline and the Book of Resolutions.
The Book of Discipline outlines the law, doctrine, administration, organizational work, and procedures of The United Methodist Church.
The Book of Resolutions contains the text of all resolutions or pronouncements on issues approved by the General Conference that are currently valid.
Kenaston, who has served as a delegate in the past, said, “Being a delegate to General Conference can be rewarding but it is also a challenge physically, mentally, emotionally, and sometimes spiritually. There is considerable reading, study, and preparation required prior to the two-week session, in addition to the demands of the conference itself.”
The Northeastern Jurisdiction consists of 10 annual conferences and 9 Episcopal Areas that stretch from West Virginia to Maine. The primary purpose of a jurisdictional conference is to elect bishops.
| *General Conference Delegates (Representing WVUMC to all the World) |
| Amy Shanholtzer, Clergy |
| Jeff Taylor, Clergy |
| Lauren Godwin, Clergy |
| Judi Kenaston, Laity |
| Rich Shaffer, Laity |
| Rachel Fulton, Laity |
| *All of the General Conference Delegates will also serve as delegates at Jurisdictional Conference. **The Jurisdictional Conference Delegates listed above also serve as reserve delegates to the General Conference. |
| **Jurisdictional Conference Delegates (Representing WVUMC to all the Northeast Jurisdiction) |
| Mike Estep, Clergy |
| Joe Hill, Clergy |
| Joe Kenaston, Clergy |
| Kristi Wilkerson, Laity |
| Judy Raines, Laity |
| Vacant, Laity (We are voting for this!) |