Rule Change Saves Time

Gere Reist, secretary of the General Conference, estimates that a rule change enacted on the first night of General Conference will save six hours of plenary time.

All preceding sessions of the legislative body have followed Robert’s Rules of Order in dealing with substitute motions. The body must first perfect the substitute motion, then the assembly must perfect the main motion. That process frequently involved amendments and amendments to the amendments on both the main motion and the substitute. In preceding conferences, only after all amendments were acted upon could the body receive a motion to move the substitute to the main motion.

The Rules Committee proposed and the assembly agreed to no longer follow Mr. Roberts. Instead, delegates will immediately debate whether to accept the substitute motion. If the motion is passed, the substitute becomes the main motion and it can be amended before final approval. If the motion is defeated, the original motion remains on the floor for consideration.

In pre-General Conference news briefings, Gere has compared the church’s past process to the act of getting up in the morning, brewing both a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, and then tasting each before deciding which one to drink.


Like what you're reading? Support the ministry of UM News! Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. Make a tax-deductible donation at ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now
Church Leadership
Anna Riddle. Photo by Heather Gaydeski Photography.

Carrie Parrish's legacy holds lessons for today

A trailblazer for women clergy in The United Methodist Church, Parrish championed equality and fought to tear down barriers in her day.
Human Sexuality
The Rev. Izzy Alvaran (right) and others pray together on May 1 after the 2024 United Methodist General Conference, meeting in Charlotte, N.C., voted to remove the denomination's ban on the ordination of "self-avowed practicing” gay clergy — a prohibition that dated to 1984. Alvaran is on the staff of the Reconciling Ministries Network, which has unveiled a new strategic plan after success at last year’s General Conference. File photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

LGBTQ advocates aim to build on 2024 gains

Reconciling Ministries Network, after success at last year’s General Conference, hopes to help the emerging United Methodist Church live into a more inclusive future.
The Rev. Dr. Tércio B. Junker Photo courtesy of the Northern Illinois Conference.

In the Wesleys’ footsteps: Reflecting on justice, faith

A pilgrimage to key sites in the lives of John and Charles Wesley yields insights and inspiration to carry on their work of social and personal holiness.

United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church

©2025 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved