Special Called Virtual Session on May 6
The Special Called Virtual Session of the Annual Conference will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023. There will be two meetings - the Clergy Meeting at 9am and the Open Session at 10am. See details and information below for each session.
Voting will take place on Saturday, May 6th as well. The ballot will open for each session as soon as the session ends and will stay open until 5pm on May 6, 2023. You MUST complete your ballot by 5pm for it to count. Those who are eligible to vote will receive their unique voting link(s) by email and text. If you run into any issues with voting, please email help@wnccumc.org.
Below is the recorded livestream of the 10am May 6th Called Session of the Annual Conference.
Virtual Called Session of the Annual Conference Meeting on May 6, 2023 at 10am
- Livestream information of the Annual Conference special session will be available on this page, the Conference website and the conference Facebook page. Anyone can view this session.
- Important information will be sent to Annual Conference lay and clergy member email addresses on Wednesday, April 26.
- We will send out the voting link via email and text message on Saturday, May 6th, immediately after the livestream, provided that we have your email and cell phone number on record in ElectionBuddy.
- To access the ballot, each voting member needs to have his/her own unique email address. Pastors can verify or change lay members email addresses or cell phone numbers through the clergy dashboard.
- If you do not receive an email on April 26, please contact your district office.
- Click here for information about lay members who can vote.
- The ballot will open as soon as the meeting is finished. Members will access the ballot through their email or text notification. The ballot will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on May 6.
- A paper ballot for the special session can be requested here.
Continue to return to this page for information you will need for the special session. The livestream will be posted to this page the morning of May 6.
Members should email help@wnccumc.org for assistance with balloting.
**Any clergy who are unable to attend the Special Called Session on May 6 must fill out the Clergy Excused Absence Request Form.
Virtual Called Session of the Clergy Meeting on May 6, 2023 at 9am
- Clergy will receive a link to view the session in the email sent on April 26 and again on May 6.
- Clergy members in full connection and the Board of Ordained Ministry members are eligible to vote in the clergy session.
- BOM members and clergy eligible to vote will receive a link to a separate ballot to vote in the clergy session.
- The Business of the Annual Conference questions for consideration will be emailed April 26 and also posted on clergy dashboards.
- The ballot will open as soon as the meeting is finished and will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on May 6.
- Only WNCC clergy are invited to attend this session. This session will be password-protected to ensure only clergy have access to participate.
Bishop Carter Announces a Virtual Special Session of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference
Dear Clergy and Laity of the WNC Conference,
In accordance with Paragraph 603.5 of the 2016 Book of Discipline and Rule 32 of the WNCC Rules of Order, Bishop Ken Carter is calling a Special Executive Session of Clergy Members at 9:00am and a Special Session of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference at 10:00am, to be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023. Both meetings will be held virtually.
The sole purpose of the called executive session of clergy members is to vote on clergy withdrawals. The sole purpose of the called session is to vote on the WNC Conference Board of Trustees' recommendations for churches choosing to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church through the authorized process outlined in Paragraph 2553.
We continue to be in dialogue with local churches and clergy. Our desire would be that no local church or pastor departs from the United Methodist Church. We do understand that a small number of churches have already made this decision. Where there is particular conflict within local churches, we have created space for patience, listening and grace. We also appeal to a small number of local churches who have brought a lawsuit against the annual conference to work within the guidelines of Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline. Extended participation in the lawsuit will prevent these churches from participating in the disaffiliation process prior to the December 31, 2023 deadline.
By holding a Special Called Session, churches departing to become independent congregations or members of other present or future denominations can begin to live into their futures. And in the same manner, clergy who depart can follow their callings to new ministries apart from The United Methodist Church. Both the clergy session and the special session of annual conference will conclude with a blessing by Bishop Carter.
If needed, there will be another called Special Session of the Annual Conference in the late fall of this year for those churches who find themselves needing more time for prayerful discernment throughout the spring and summer.
More details for both special sessions will be announced as they become available.
The Peace of the Lord,
+Bishop Ken Carter
Western North Carolina Conference
The United Methodist Church