Guidelines for Lay Candidates & Registration Form
1/21/2011
Delegates to represent the North Georgia Conference at the 2012 General and Jurisdictional Conferences will be elected by lay members at the 2011 Annual Conference. Persons offering themselves as a candidate for election must meet the qualifications as outlined in the 2008 Book of Discipline, Paragraph 36: “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 within the annual conference electing them at the time of holding the General and jurisdictional or central conferences.”
The Conference Board of Laity (CBOL) offers this candidacy opportunity to all eligible lay members and seeks to inform interested persons of the qualifications, commitment and expense involved in the process. Delegates can expect significant expenditures of time, preparatory study and personal funds in representing the North Georgia Conference. Following are examples for consideration:
• Delegates must commit a minimum of four weeks in a travel status within the three month period from April through July 2012 to attend General Conference, North Georgia Annual Conference and Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference.
• Additionally, there are numerous meetings of the conference delegation, including a full-day Saturday meeting per month during the year following election in preparation for General and Jurisdictional Conference.
• General Conference, in particular, requires extensive preparatory study plus protracted hours of continuous daily meetings during the two week period surrounding conference.
• Most delegates find that the per diem provided for the General and Jurisdictional Conferences will not cover all expenses incurred as a delegate necessitating use of personal funds.
The CBOL appreciates all persons who declare as a candidate, as well as those who give consideration to the candidacy process and, after an understanding of the commitment involved, find themselves unable to fulfill the obligations of serving at this time. We sincerely encourage these persons to find other opportunities for living out God’s call to mission/ministry within the North Georgia Conference, district and local church.
Members declaring as a candidate for election must submit the Candidate Registration Form, a maximum 300-word candidate statement in Microsoft Word format/12 point font, and photograph between January 1 and January 31, 2011, to the Lay Election Committee. The Candidate Registration Form and Guidelines for Lay Candidates are found on the Board of Laity page of the conference web site (www.ngumc.org), or in hard copy at the district offices. These items may be submitted electronically through the conference web site: click on The Board of Laity then Nominations or go to www.ngumc.org/nominations. Complete the on-line Candidate Registration Form and attach the digital photograph, and insert the 300-word Candidate Statement, then click to submit. You will immediately receive a message that your application has been received. You will also receive an email which you need to print and retain. It is recommended that you prepare the candidate statement and save on your computer, double check for accuracy, then cut and paste the statement into the box provided on the Registration Form; OR submit by mail the Candidate Registration Form, candidate 300-word statement and photograph on disk to Conference Board of Laity, Attention: Lay Election Committee, 4511 Jones Bridge Circle, Norcross GA 30092 postmarked between January 1 and January 31, 2011. The candidate statement provides the voters a “snapshot” of information about the candidate and is strictly limited to 300 words. All words submitted in the candidate statement are counted and words in excess of 300 will not be printed in the Lay Candidates Handbook which will be distributed to each lay member to annual conference and posted on the conference website.
Candidates are invited to participate in the Lay Candidates Forum to be held on Saturday, May 21, 2011, at St. James UMC, Atlanta. Each candidate will be given two minutes to address the forum on issues of importance to the candidate. Additionally, a very brief address will be given by candidates during Laity Orientation on Tuesday, June 14, 2011, at the Classic Center Grand Hall, Athens GA prior to the Opening Session of 2011 Annual Conference. Further details will be provided candidates following the close of candidate registration after January 31, 2011.
How to register as a candidate:
1. Go to www.ngumc.org/nominations
a) Complete the on-line Candidate Registration Form
b) Insert your 300-word candidate statement;
c) Insert your electronic photograph.
2. Mail the required information (completed Candidate Registration Form, 300-word candidate statement in Microsoft Word format/ 12 point font; and candidate photograph) on disk to Conference Board of Laity, c/o Lay Election Committee, 4511 Jones Bridge Circle, Norcross GA 30092.
The Candidate Registration Form, 300-word candidate statement and candidate photograph must be submitted on-line or postmarked after January 1, 2011 and not later than January 31, 2011. The Lay Election Committee will “cut and paste” your 300-word candidate statement and photograph onto the one-page format for the Lay Candidates Handbook. The 300-word limit includes all words submitted in the candidate statement. The candidate statement will be printed as submitted except for words exceeding the limit which will be omitted. Candidate Registration Form information is excluded from the 300 word count. The Lay Candidates Handbook will be distributed to local church/at-large lay members to annual conference prior to annual conference and posted on the North Georgia Conference web site.