Resolutions to AC step-by-step

Resolutions to annual conference have to be submitted usually mid-February. The submitter has to pay particular attention to the deadline and the instructions that are published. It is advantageous to not wait Until the last week to submit because legislation is usually considered during the session in the order that it was received. You don't want to be last. It is good to get some cosponsors. The action and advocacy board would be a good cosponsor and there are others.

The Conference Connectional Table considers all legislation. It is vital to get a vote of concurrence. There are certain things you can do to be in touch with key persons on that committee ahead of time.

It would be good to do a webinar and publish in the e-connection.

In pre-Conference briefings, legislation is presented, and there is a question and answer period. It is good to have friendly questions planted in these sessions so that you have more time to explain the importance of your legislation.

At the annual conference session itself, someone has to physically present to the body, the legislation. You have to make a persuasive statement. The legislation then belongs to the body following a loose Roberts rules of order type process. Amendments can be made. Speeches for and against are made. If during the process up to this point, you see an advantage to make an amendment, have friendly people with voting rights get recognition by the chair and make that amendment. Have friendly people lined up to speak in favor of the legislation. There are many allies we can call to endorse ahead of time and speak. We need the Action and Advocacy board’s endorsement. Individuals aligned with Wesley-Nexus, United Women in Faith, and Methodist Federation for social action have given great speeches in the past. Judy, Cynthia, and Sherie have made speeches concerning legislation. I remember how well prepared they all were and used the time exceedingly well in making the cases.

It would be really helpful if we could get any kind of support from people on pensions and health benefits or other people recognized as financial experts. However, this is a moral call and if we can't get financial people to respond to the moral argument we have to proceed without them.

To be successful it takes a real team commitment, with no assurance of passage.

No faith in fossil fuels! The fossil fuel companies are bad actors, and we should not have an equity position with them. If it's wrong to wreck the planet, it's wrong to profit from that wreckage.