One of the business items at the 22nd Session of the Dakotas Annual Conference held in Fargo, North Dakota June 4-6, 2015 was to elect clergy and lay delegates to the 2016 General Conference and the 2016 North Central Jurisdictional Conference.  Preparations are underway for both of the upcoming conferences.

2016 General Conference

The Dakotas Conference elected one clergy delegate and one lay delegate to the 2016 General Conference to be held in Portland, Oregon May 10-20, 2016.  Rev. Rebecca Trefz and Jodi Cataldo will join more than 860 delegates from 130 conferences will participate in The United Methodist Church’s top legislative assembly.  Rev. Roger Spahr and Matthew Bader will join Trefz and Cataldo at General Conference as alternate delegates.

The work behind the scenes is well underway at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. It is a time of prayer and planning to guide the denomination for years to come, and a huge undertaking. Members of the Commission on General Conference recently visited the General Conference site for a behind-the-scenes look, and you can go along too via this virtual tour.

General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church that meets once every four years. The conference can revise church law, as well as adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy and economic issues. It also approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs. 

North Central Jurisdiction Conference

The Dakotas Conference is a member of the North Center Jurisdiction.  The conference for the North Central Jurisdiction will be held on July 13-16, 2016 in Peoria, Illinois.

Photo: Delegates to the 2016 North Central Jurisdictional Conference. Back row left to right: Rev. Kermit Culver, alternate, Matthew Bader, delegate, Rev. Randy Cross, alternate.  Front row left to right Rev. Karl Kroger (daughter Maisie), alternate, Rev. Rebecca Trefz, delegate, Jodi Cataldo, delegate, Emma McKirdy, alternate, Rev. Roger Spahr, delegate.  Not pictured is Marshall Lovrien,  alternate and Marilyn Stroh, alternate.  Photo by Erin Rose Photography.

During the 22nd session of the Dakotas Annual Conference held in Fargo, North Dakota June 4-6, 2015 four delegates were elected to the North Central Jurisdictional Conference.  Clergy delegates elected were Rev. Rebecca Trefz, and Rev. Roger Spahr.  Alternate clergy delegates elected were Rev. Karl Kroger, Rev. Randy Cross and Rev. Kermit Culver.  Lay delegates elected were Jodi Cataldo and Matthew Bader.  Alternate lay delegates elected were Emma McKirdy, Marilyn Stroh and Marshall Lovrien. 

The Dakotas Conference is a member of the North Center Jurisdiction.  The conference for the North Central Jurisdiction will be held on July 13-16, 2016 in Peoria, Illinois.

In the United States The United Methodist Church is divided into five areas known as jurisdictions: Northeastern, Southeastern, North Central, South Central and Western. These provide some program and leadership training events to support the annual conferences.  Every four years the jurisdictional conferences meet to elect new bishops and select members of general boards and agencies.