Resolutions

Submitting a Resolution

The deadline for Resolutions to the 2024 SGA Annual Conference has now passed.

Resolutions to the 2024 South Georgia Annual Conference (meeting June 2-4) will be received through noon on Wednesday, March 1, 2024. Please be aware of the following requirements listed below for resolutions to be presented to the Resolutions Committee. Highlights are listed here, but full instructions are found in the conference's Standing Rules (below)
 

1. Resolutions must be submitted by the posted deadline of March 1, 2024.
    
2. Resolutions must be signed by at least five persons, unless the resolution comes from an Administrative/Church Council. A resolution from an Administrative/Church Council must have a copy of the minutes of the meeting at which the resolution was approved by the Council attached to the resolution. These minutes must be signed by the Chair of the Administrative/Church Council, the Lay Leader, and the Lay Delegate to Annual Conference.
    
3. Resolutions must include, in detail, information on any costs that the South Georgia Conference will be asked to bear if the resolution is passed by the Conference.
    
4. Resolutions must be sent both to the SGA Conference Secretary and the Chair of the Committee on Resolutions to ensure that the resolutions meet the necessary requirements of our conference Standing Rules.  When a resolution has been deemed to meet the requirements, the resolution will then be properly prepared for work by the Resolutions Committee prior to the start of the annual conference session.  Any resolution that does not meet the requirements of the standing rules (see below) will be promptly returned to the author(s) with information on what should be adapted in order to meet the Standing Rule requirements.  Any resolution needing perfecting must be re-submitted electronically no later than noon on March 15, 2024 to be considered timely.   

Resolutions should be sent to both the Conference Secretary and the Chair of the Resolutions Committee, at the addresses below.

1. Emailed to Mrs. Meredyth Earnest, Conference Secretary: meredyth@sgaumc.com
2. Emailed to Dr. Jay Harris, Chair, Committee on Resolutions: jharris@sgaumc.com 

For questions about the resolutions process, please contact Dr. Jay Harris, chair of the Resolutions Committee, at jharris@sgaumc.com. 

Standing Rule 3.1.4. RESOLUTIONS AND PETITIONS

Resolutions from individuals or churches to the Annual Conference shall be referred to the Committee on Resolutions and shall be signed by at least five members of the Annual Conference, unless coming from an Administrative Board/Church Council. A resolution from an Administrative Board/Church Council must have a copy of the minutes of the meeting at which the resolution was approved by the Council attached to the resolution. These minutes must be signed by: the Chair of the Administrative/Church Council, the Lay Leader, and the Lay Delegate(s) to Annual Conference.
 

Electronic signatures will be accepted in accordance with common business practice. 

Resolutions must include, in detail, information on any costs that the South Georgia Conference will be asked to bear if the resolution is passed by the Conference. 
 

Petitions to the General Conference of The United Methodist Church from individuals, churches and Annual Conference Committees/Commissions/ Boards/Agencies, etc., which desire Annual Conference endorsement, shall be referred to the Committee on Resolutions. 
 

The deadline shall be publicized in January for a regular June session of the Annual Conference. In the event of a called session, the Conference Secretary, Chair of the Committee on Resolutions and the Bishop will determine and publicize the deadline. 
 

Electronic versions of the resolutions and petitions shall be received by noon on the established deadline by both the Chair of the Committee on Resolutions and the Secretary of the Annual Conference. Email addresses to use to submit resolutions will be publicized on the Conference website. (See 3.3.3 for more information.) 
 

Upon receipt of a resolution(s) the chair will acknowledge receipt and ensure that the resolution(s) met the necessary requirements of the conference’s Standing Rules. When a resolution has been deemed to meet the requirements, the resolution will then be properly prepared for subsequent consideration by the Conference Committee on Resolutions. 

Standing Rule 3.3.3. COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTION

A Quadrennial Committee on Resolutions shall be named for the Annual Conference. It shall be composed of seven persons: three clergy and three laity, and a District Superintendent as Chairperson. The Committee on Nominations shall nominate the Committee, and the Conference shall elect. Details regarding the rules and process for handling Resolutions may be found in 3.1.4. In order to give conference members time to properly assess the content, resolutions must “lay on the table” overnight between the presentation to the Conference and the discussion and vote. Resolutions presented in the Book or Recommendations and Reports (or other pre-conference materials for special called sessions) shall be deemed to have been properly presented to the Annual Conference and having laid on the table overnight. Action by the Conference upon the report of the Committee shall come no later than the next-to-the last day. In the event of a called session of the Annual Conference, a virtual session, or a one-day session, a decision regarding the process for resolutions will be made by the Bishop, Conference Secretary and the Chair of the Conference Committee on Resolutions and communicated to the Annual Conference. 
 

The Committee shall receive, study and make a report on each Resolution to the Annual Conference with a recommendation of either: “Concur,” “Non- Concur,” “Revise,” or “Refer.” Any resolution coming to the conference after the established deadline will require the suspension of the rules in order to be properly before the conference. Also, the resolution presenters are responsible for printing 1,000 copies for distribution if the conference is meeting in person. These late resolutions shall be distributed to conference members after the rules have been suspended. (See 3.1.4 for more information.)