News—GC 2020 Call for Petitions

Call for petitions for the BOD GC 2020

The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) will be holding its 12th Session of the General Conference (GC) from 7 to 11 Sep 2020 and 2 to 4 Dec 2020.

This regular session of the GC is held once every four years (a quadrennium), where delegates from the three Annual Conferences (CAC, ETAC and TRAC) come together to revise church laws, approve work plans and budgets for church-wide programmes, as well as adopt resolutions on moral and social issues. The GC organises councils and agencies for the general work of MCS, and during the course of its regular session, elections are held for various officers of the GC and of these councils and agencies to serve in the coming quadrennium. This includes the election of a Bishop to oversee the affairs of MCS and the work of the GC.

At its regular session, the GC also receives and debates petitions, which are proposals to make changes to The Book of Discipline (BOD), our rule book that describes how we are organised and administered, and contains our Constitution and Doctrinal Statements and General Rules. While such petitions are normally initiated by the Annual Conferences, any organisation, minister or lay member of MCS may submit a petition in the following manner:

Three copies of the petition must be sent to the secretary of the GC.

1. Each petition must address only one paragraph of the BOD or, if the BOD is not affected, one issue.

2. Each petition must be signed by the person submitting it, accompanied by appropriate identification, such as address, local church, or Methodist board or agency relationship.

3. Petitions must be received by the secretary of the GC no later than 60 days prior to the opening session of the regular session of the GC, i.e. by 9 July 2020.

PETITIONS MUST BE MAILED TO ARRIVE BEFORE OR ON 9 JULY 2020 TO:

The General Conference Secretary (Petitions) The Methodist Church in Singapore #06-04, Methodist Centre 70 Barker Road Singapore 309936