The Council of Bishops (COB) has called a Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC) to be held February 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Read about the called special session here.
The Dakotas Conference rules state:
6.7.11. In the case of a special session of the General Conference being called, the next regular session of the Annual Conference shall hold a new election for lay and clergy delegates and alternates, as permitted in ¶14 of the Constitution. However, if no regular session of the Annual Conference will be held prior to the special session of the General Conference, the delegates and alternates elected to the preceding General Conference, or their lawful successors, shall serve at the special session; unless the Bishop with the concurrence of three-fourths of the district superintendents calls a special session of the Annual Conference for the purpose of a new election in accordance with ¶603.5 of The Discipline.
Therefore at the 25th session of the Dakotas Annual Conference, to be held June 7-9, 2018 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, an election for one clergy and one lay delegate will be held. There will also be an election of one clergy reserve delegate and one lay reserve delegate.
Laity who wish to be nominated as a lay delegate for general conference may complete the form below by April 15, 2018. Find the form and details here.