This year we will need to elect two lay delegates for our General/Jurisdictional Delegation to the General and Jurisdictional Conferences to replace vacancies.

A General and Jurisdictional Delegation, with reserves, was elected in 2019 for each of the legacy Memphis and Tennessee annual conferences. These delegations were to serve to represent their annual conferences at the 2020 General Conference and the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference, however, due to the pandemic and travel restrictions the conferences will not be held until 2024. (Click here to view current delegation)

In March the Judicial Council ruled that replacements for the delegate vacancies due to death or resignations can be elected. After moving the remaining reserve delegates up, we have two lay delegate vacancies that will need to be filled via election at the TWKUMC Annual Conference in June 2023.

These delegates will be elected from the whole of the TWK Conference laity and voted on by the whole of the TWK Conference laity.

All Lay Voting Members of the 2023 TWK annual conference may vote for these delegates. (Clergy members in full connection shall have the right to vote on all matters in the annual conference except in the election of lay delegates to the General and jurisdictional or central conferences... The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2016, The United Methodist Publishing House, ❡602.1 a&b)

Laity interested in nominating themselves for this position must complete and submit the form below by May 10, 2023.

Rev. Monica Mowdy
TWK Conference Secretary

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General Conference: April 23 – May 3, 2024 in Charlotte, NC

Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference: July 10-13, 2024 in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina

Lay Delegate Process

According to the 2016 Book of Discipline ¶35: “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.”

This means all Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference laity in good standing are eligible to be elected as delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference and only nominated laity names will appear on the official ballot. Those laity who feel a calling and desire to serve as a lay delegate and who are willing to make the commitment to serve on the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference delegation are encouraged to fill out this self-nomination form to help other laity learn more about them.

Lay Delegate Self-Nomination Process has now closed.

Read about Nominees for these positions.