Church Meeting and Disaffiliation Vote
Sunday, March 19
A Church Conference for St. Luke’s members to vote on disaffiliating from the United Methodist denomination will take place on Sunday, March 19 at St. Luke’s Downtown Campus. It is our hope that all church members will be there to cast their vote on this important day. The schedule and structure of the day are established by the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the UMC and the Heartland District Superintendent.
Disaffiliation Meeting & Vote
The Disaffiliation Vote will take place during a Church Meeting scheduled to start at 2 p.m. at St. Luke’s Downtown Campus. All St. Luke’s Members who plan to vote must register prior to the start of the meeting. The meeting will follow the guidelines established by the Oklahoma Annual Conference and follow Robert’s Rules of Order. The meeting will be led by District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Victor McCullough.
Once the motion is made for a vote to Disaffiliate; all registered members will be allowed to cast a paper ballot. Please plan to stay until the vote is announced and the meeting is adjourned.
Member Voter Registration
St. Luke’s Members who plan to vote on March 19 will need to register with a photo ID to verify their membership prior to the meeting start time. Registration will take place in the Christian Life Center at the Downtown Campus starting at 12 noon. Upon registration, a wristband will be placed on your wrist to show that you are a Registered Voter.
If you would like to confirm your membership status prior to the voting day, please fill out the form online at stlukesokc.org/Future. No changes can be made to the membership list at this time, but you can verify your status.
Lunch
A build-your-own-box lunch is available for free at both campuses. Edmond Campus: Pick up your lunch in the Youth Room from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Downtown Campus: Pick up your lunch in the Fellowship Hall from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. You may eat in any Sunday School classroom.
Downtown Campus Parking
Parking is available at the Downtown Campus parking lots located on the North, South, West, and Southwest sides of the campus (222 NW 15th Street). Additional parking is available at 1020 NW 20th Street. We will shuttle people from this lot parking lot and bring them to the church starting at 1 p.m. The shuttles will return people to the parking lots when the church conference is over.
Registered Voter Areas
The meeting will take place in the Sanctuary and the doors to the Sanctuary will open at 12:30 p.m. and only Registered Voters will be allowed to enter. If the Sanctuary’s first floor and balcony fill up, Registered Voters will be allowed to watch the meeting and vote from the Christian Life Center. If the Christian Life Center fills up, Registered Voters will be allowed to watch the meeting and vote from the Fellowship Hall. There will only be microphones in the Sanctuary for those who wish to speak in favor or against the motion during the discussion.
Voting
The number of Registered Voters will be the quorum for the meeting. The ballot will have three options: Yes, No, and Abstain.
A vote “Yes” is a vote to Disaffiliate from the United Methodist Denomination. A vote “No” is a vote to stay United Methodist. An “Abstain” will be counted as a “No” vote to stay United Methodist. If a ballot is invalid or not turned in, it will also count as a “No.”
The ballots will be collected, counted, and the result will be announced during the meeting. For the motion to pass, the “Yes” vote needs to be 66.7% or above of all ballots distributed.
Sample Ballot
This is not an exact replica, the actual ballot may look different.
If a ballot is invalid or not turned in, it will also count as a “No.”
Viewing Area
If you are not a St. Luke’s Member or a member who does not plan on voting, you are allowed to view the meeting from special designated areas. The viewing areas open to watch the meetings are the Watchorn Chapel, the Balcony of the CLC, and the Youth Room (Room 216).
Childcare
Childcare is available starting at 1 p.m. at the Downtown Campus on March 19 and will be available until after the meeting is adjourned. Nursery care for children from birth through age 3 is available in Room 116, the first floor on the southwest side of the building. PreK – 6th grade may check in on the 2nd floor outside of Room 210. Please sign up below.
