General Synod 35 rules and deadlines are approved and announced

Deadlines and information are now available for those who want to submit business to General Synod 35, the next major gathering of the United Church of Christ.

At its March 2, 2024 meeting, the UCC Board approved standing rules for the 35th General Synod. The biennial meeting will be held July 11-15, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. It is the last time the General Synod will be held biennially, as the UCC voted to change the cadance to every third year at GS34 in 2023. The rules guide business at the gathering. Key deadlines appear below. All of the rules can be found here.

The theme for General Synod 35 is “Into the Deep,” based on Luke 5:4, which says, “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.'”

The posting of the General Synod Standing Rules serve as the call to the meeting of the General Synod. General Minister and President Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson said, “The call is required to be posted a year before the meeting, making this well within the requirements, even early for that call. Planning for GS35 is well underway, and we look forward to seeing the UCC well-represented in Kansas City.”

The Rev. Josh Baird, UCC’s chief of staff for Thompson, said the rules are not only important for setting transparent policies for conducting business, but also “serve as an invitation to the whole church to be involved and engaged in the work, witness, and mission of the church.” Baird also serves as General Synod Administrator for GS35.

The biggest change to previous General Synod rules is noted by UCC General Counsel Heather Kimmel. “The Procedures for Communicating and Considering Formal Motions section has been revised to be clearer and to codify some long-standing practices, as well as to be in chronological order for the steps of submitting a resolution for General Synod’s consideration,” she said.

Important deadlines

All communication and submission regarding Resolutions takes place through the Office of the General Minister and President via electronic mail to resolutions@ucc.org. (All communication and submission regarding Other Formal Motions takes place through the Office of the General Synod Administrator via electronic mail to GeneralSynodAdministrator@ucc.org.)

Resolution deadlines are as follows:

Completed Resolutions shall be submitted to the Resolution Review Team on or before October 31, 2024. Resolutions need not be in final form by this date, but should be as complete as possible, and at a minimum must have the entire text of the motion complete. Submitters are encouraged to provide Resolutions in draft form to the Resolution Review Team as early as possible to reduce the risk of needing to bring their Resolutions into compliance.

Final submission of a Resolution shall take place on or before December 31 of the year prior to General Synod.

A Resolution or Other Formal Motion that could not have been anticipated or submitted in conformance these deadlines must be submitted on or before May 31, the year of General Synod.

Deadline for Reports

Reports to the General Synod with no action required shall be placed on file. Reports required by previous General Synod action and Reports from Councils must be sent to Joshua Baird, General Synod Administrator, at generalsynodadministrator@ucc.org, on or before April 2, 2025.

General Rules

Within the 15 pages of General Synod rules are General Rules of behavior and conducting business, including these:

Only printed matter and other matter (including commercial) that has been approved by the Business Committee may be distributed on the floor of the General Synod and within the convention center in which the General Synod is being held. Such materials must contain the identity of the originator.

Demonstrations and celebrations on the floor and visitors’ gallery of the General Synod plenary session must have prior approval of the Business Committee or will be ruled out of order.

With proper credentials, all sessions of the General Synod and its delegate committees are open to the public and the news media while the General Synod is in session.

The entirety of the document can be found here.

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