The General Conference, the legislative body for the worldwide United Methodist Church, convened in Charlotte, North Carolina, April 23 – May 3. This was a long-awaited gathering that had been originally scheduled for 2020 and moved due to the Covid pandemic. Several important decisions were made in this post-disaffiliation conference, and we have provided two different outlines here. One is a brief, one page highlight review <here> and the other is a bit more in depth five page summary <here>. The delegation also revised the “Social Principles” document, which you may access <here>. You may also learn more by visiting the denominational website at https://www.umnews.org/en/landing-pages/general-conference-news-and-commentary.
Our church is worldwide, and ministry is being lived out in very diverse contexts. In light of the growth internationally and differing cultural contexts, the UMC has approved a “Regionalization” granting some autonomous decision-making authority in each separate region of the world, while being bound by our connectional principles of faith and character. One size does not fit all, and the existing majorities in the U. S. have not allowed foreign conferences to tailor their mission. This disciplinary change will need to be ratified by votes to be held in every Annual Conference.
For the first 188 years of our denominational history, there were no words condemning any subsection of the population. In 1972 theological traditionalists successfully achieved the legislative addition of language, both in the Discipline and in the Social Principles, that rejected LGBTQ+ persons and prohibited them from being ordained or married in the UMC. That language has now been completely removed, taking the Discipline back to its neutral 1972 form. There is now no restriction on ordination, and local churches and pastors maintain individual authority to host or participate in same-sex unions. Churches will continue to maintain their voice in the clergy appointment process as well.
Among other decisions made at General Conference, the general church budget was reduced by 40% with local church
apportionments having already been decreased, the mechanism which allowed disaffiliations over the past few years has been eliminated, Ordained Deacons were granted sacramental authority in their local appointments, and Full Communion was approved with the Episcopal Church allowing the sharing of clergy and cross-denominational sacramental authority once approved by the Episcopal Church legislature.
While many of these decisions are intended to affirm our long-standing claim to be a church with “Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors,” no immediate changes are expected in how you experience the mission and ministry here at First United Methodist Church. All shall be welcome here.