Lay equalization is the process by which the conference balances the number of voting lay persons with the number of Clergy Members (with vote). The process is explained in Conference Rules IV.A (2025 Journal Section I). Calculations are based on local church membership as of December 31, 2025 as reported in Table 1, line 4 and clergy membership as of October 1, 2026.
As of October 1, 2026, there were 697 Clergy Members in the California-Pacific Conference, so we will select a total of 697 Lay Members from our churches, districts, and conference. A total of 527 Lay Members, or 76% of the total, are to come from local churches, with the remaining coming from district elections, district leadership roles, and conference leadership roles, as specified in the Conference Rules. This is a decrease of 21 Lay Members and 21 Clergy Members from the 2026 Lay Equalization report.
The full report on Lay Equalization is available online at http://www.calpacumc.org/layequalization2027