Proposed Legislation

Shirley Painter, Chair, Committee on Older Adult Ministries; Hazel Bennett, secretary, Committee on Older Adult Ministries

Title: Conference Council on Older Adult Ministries
Discipline Paragraph: Legislation New after¶647
Sponsoring Agency: UM Committee on Older Adult Ministries
General Board of Discipleship
Financial Implications: None
Petition number:
Rationale: With a growing population of older adults in The United Methodist Church (62% of membership is 50 years of age and the average age of membership in the church is over 55 years of age), an intentional means for addressing the needs and concerns of older adults must be addressed by annual conferences. This resolution, as stated below, provides a way for annual conferences to implement and strengthen its ministry by, with, and for older adults:

Conference Council on Older Adult Ministries

1. In each annual conference there may be a Conference Council on Older Adult Ministries. Its purpose shall be to strengthen the older adult ministries in the local churches and districts of the annual conference. For administrative purposes, the Council shall be related to the Annual Conference Board of Discipleship, or the Annual Conference Board of Laity, or equivalent structures.

2. Membership. The majority of the membership of the Council shall be older adults; it will also include persons (regardless of age) who, because of their specialized interests, education, training, and experience, have developed a passion for ministry with older adults. Those serving on the Conference Council on Older Adult Ministries shall be professing members of The United Methodist Church, or members of a shared ecumenical ministry with a pastor under appointment by a United Methodist Bishop. The Council shall include both laypersons and clergy; at least one-half of the membership shall be laypersons. There shall be one member from each district, selected jointly by the District Superintendent and the District Lay Leader. There shall also be members at-large, nominated by the Conference Nominating Committee and elected by the Annual Conference; to achieve racial, ethnic, and gender inclusiveness; and to assure participation by persons with specialized interests, education, training, and experiences. The Conference Lay Leader (or designee), the Conference Coordinator of Older Adult Ministries (if any), and a Cabinet Representative shall serve ex-officio, with vote. Members should represent the diversity of older adults in the general population, including retired persons, working persons, persons with handicapping conditions, persons with chronic illnesses, single persons, widowed persons, married persons, persons resident in a variety of institutions providing for assisted living, and persons with a wide variety of family situations.

1. Responsibilities

1. To initiate and support ministries, plans, activities, and projects that are of particular interest to older adults, including retired persons, working persons, persons with handicapping conditions, persons with chronic illnesses, single persons, widowed persons, married persons, persons resident in a variety of institutions providing for assisted living, and persons with a wide variety of family situations
2. To advocate on behalf of older adults
3. To support and facilitate, where appropriate, the formation of older adult caucuses
4. To identify the needs, concerns, and potential contributions of older adults in the annual conference and its districts
5. To cooperate with the boards and agencies of the annual conference in receiving and making recommendations to provide for the needs of older adults in The United Methodist Church
6. To recommend to the Annual Conference Committee on Nominations qualified older adults for membership on boards and agencies
7. To participate with the Annual Conference Board of Discipleship, or the Annual Conference Board of Laity, or equivalent structure, in the nomination of the Coordinator of Older Adult Ministries, for election by the Annual Conference
8. To educate and keep before the annual conference and its districts the life-long process of aging with emphases on the quality of life, intergenerational understandings, and faith development
9. To serve as a focal point for supplying information and guidance on older adult ministries within the annual conference and its districts
10. To support the development of resources that will undergird older adult ministries within the annual conference and its districts

Approved & Recommended by the UM Committee on Older Adult Ministries — 11-20-01
Approved & Recommended by GBOD-DMU Committee on OAM — 3-15-02