Each local United Methodist congregation elects a Lay Delegate, or Lay Delegates, to represent the church at Annual Conference. This election took place at your Charge Conference, for most churches that was in the fall of 2021. The form in your Charge Conference packet should have been returned to the Conference Secretary as outlined in the instructions on the bottom of the form.

Since these are elected positions, a church cannot just decide to send someone else. Lay Delegates must be elected at a Charge Conference. That is why churches are asked to also elect an Alternate Delegate. So, if First UMC elects Jane to serve as Delegate and John to serve as Alternate Delegate and Jane cannot attend, the pastor can notify the Conference Secretary in writing (npyle@riotexas.org) that John will be serving in place of Jane. However, if both Jane and John decide on June 6 to fly to Africa for a mission trip on June 7, First UMC will not have the time to hold a Called Charge Conference and elect a new delegate. No Lay Delegate will represent First UMC at Annual Conference 2022.

In much the same way, District At Large Delegates are elected by the districts. Alternates can be last minute substitutions, but new names cannot be added without an election.

A previous Unidos article outlining FAQ’s about Lay Delegates can be found here

Thank you for planning ahead to make sure your congregation is represented at Annual Conference 2022!