C-6 World Conference Format and Frequency

From the First Presidency:

Whereas, The Bylaws of the Community of Christ specify that conferences meet "as agreed upon by those who constitute their membership." (Article IV, Section 1); and

Whereas, The issue of the frequency of the World Conference has been discussed from time to time by church leaders, the Conference Organization and Procedures Committee, and the World Conference (WCR 1253); and

Whereas, The church has a history of adjusting the intervals between World Conferences and the formats of these conferences as the church has grown and the needs for ministry have changed; and

Whereas, The World Conference of 1998 expressed its desire for the church to consider broadening the focus of World Conference "beyond legislative endeavors to include such things as education and training components for leadership and spiritual development for all ages" (WCR 1263); and

Whereas, It is desirable that the church "meet together often" while still recognizing that the need for the primary focus of church resources should be on ministries in the field; and

Whereas, The costs of attending World Conference as well as other educational and fellowship events is increasing both in terms of actual funds expended and in terms of the opportunities that are lost when leaders are required to devote large amounts of time to conference planning and when members travel long distances to attend these events on a too frequent basis; and

Whereas, The World Church Leadership Council has given lengthy consideration to alternative ways to schedule World Conference and also accommodate the need for other educational and fellowship events, including those in field, mission center, and other jurisdictional settings; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the World Conference shall continue to be held biennially, but that these gatherings shall alternate between those with primarily legislative purposes and those with primarily educational and fellowship purposes; and be it further

Resolved, That all World Conferences shall have delegates elected according to the rules of representation in the Bylaws of the Community of Christ (Article IV, Section 2); and be it further

Resolved, That conferences with primarily legislative purposes shall continue to be conducted in a manner and format generally similar to current World Conferences; and be it further

Resolved, That conferences with primarily educational and fellowship purposes shall have a restricted legislative agenda limited to consideration of prophetic documents submitted by the President of the Church, changes in the leading quorums, budget projections, approval of ordinations, required elections (i.e., Graceland Board of Trustees, World Church Finance Board), and such other items of business as shall be deemed by the First Presidency to be of such urgency or significance as to require their consideration sooner than the next legislative conference; and be it further

Resolved, That for a primarily educational and fellowship conference, those items of business recommended by the First Presidency as having special urgency shall wherever possible be published in the Herald sixty (60) days in advance, and in any case shall be considered only upon the concurrence of two-thirds of the delegates present and voting at the World Conference; and be it further

Resolved, That the World Conference of 2006 be primarily devoted to educational and fellowship purposes and the World Conference of 2008 be primarily devoted to legislative purposes; and be it further

Resolved, That the First Presidency provide for a full evaluation of this method of holding World Conferences, including a survey of Conference delegates, and submit further recommendations to the 2008 World Conference.