Words about the historic decisions made at General Conference on May 1

At the General Conference today, several historic decisions were made that affect us all as a community of faith in the connection of being United Methodists who represent a wide range of beliefs.

Our Bishop Bill William Mcalilly starts with these words...

There are many results to be celebrated, interpreted, and analyzed for implications. Some are deeply grateful for these changes, and some among us will be challenged.

However, with these changes, our commitment to who God has called us to be does not change. Together, we discerned this vision from God for the TWKUMC... and our Bishop reminds us Who We Are to Be in his blog post...

You are encouraged to read first what happened today through the UMNS article wrap-up for May 1st ( posted below) as you consider the rest of the Bishop's words to us as United Methodists. 

More Information posted daily...

Check back here for further updates from General Conference...

Follow along with the General Conference Schedule...

April 23 Day 1 wrap-up: After years of delay, General Conference begins

The long-delayed 2020 General Conference began April 23 with another slight delay, this time by the fire marshal. During an inspection before opening worship, it was determined there was a lack of sufficient fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and emergency exit signage in the plenary hall of the Charlotte Convention Center.

Once the issue was resolved, the General Conference, postponed by four years and a few minutes, finally began with United Methodist bishops marching to the altar to the strains of Charles Wesley’s “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”

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More news below...

April 24 Day 2 Wrap-Up:

Legislative committee work begins

The second day of General Conference shifted from the celebratory opening worship to getting down to the business of the church, as delegates began working in their legislative committees and electing their chairs.

Leaders presented a sober picture of United Methodist finances, including the need to reduce bishops. At the same time, delegates heard hope for the denomination to pivot from church exits to revitalization.

Against a backdrop of past conflicts and division, both the Episcopal and Young People’s addresses offered hope for the denomination that will go forward from this gathering.

Bishop Holston: Become ‘who God needs us to be’

Bringing a word on staying who “God needs us to be” in spite of the ever-changing noise of this world, Bishop L. Jonathan Holston of the South Carolina Conference delivered the Council of Bishops’ Episcopal Address to kick off Day 2 of The United Methodist Church’s 2020 General Conference.

“When things are happening all around us, God uses the church to make a difference,” Holston proclaimed before the crowd of delegates, observers and volunteers gathered at the Charlotte Convention Center April 24. “The church was never built for our pleasure. The church is built for God’s purpose.”

April 25 Day 3 wrap-up:

Regionalization gets go-ahead, Eurasia leaves 

The plenary session on Day 3 of General Conference produced two historic moments: the passage of a constitutional amendment that aims to put The United Methodist Church’s different geographic regions on equal footing and the approval of four Eurasia conferences’ official departure from the denomination.

Bishop Eduard Khegay, episcopal leader of the Eurasia Area, gave a moving farewell speech following the passage of a petition that will enable four Eurasian annual conferences to become autonomous. He expressed gratitude to the denomination, using the phrase for “thank you” in Russian: “Bolshoe spasibo.”

A green light for regionalization

General Conference has now passed much of the legislation that aims to give The United Methodist Church’s different geographic regions equal standing in decision-making.

In what outgoing Council of Bishops President Thomas J. Bickerton called “a historic day for our church,” delegates voted 586 to 164 for an amendment to the denomination’s constitution that will now go before annual conference voters for potential ratification.

A constitutional amendment requires at least a two-thirds vote at General Conference; the regionalization amendment received 78% of the vote. To be ratified, the amendment also will need at least a two-thirds total vote of annual conference lay and clergy voters. Annual conferences are church regions consisting of multiple congregations and other ministries.

April 26 Day 4 Wrap-Up:

Bishop urges delegates

to follow God’s lead

Delegates enjoyed a rousing worship service before heading into the last weekday of committee meetings.

Mississippi Conference Bishop Sharma Lewis dropped to one knee and implored delegates to put their trust in God despite the human tendency to be “control freaks,” as the General Conference of The United Methodist Church began its fourth workday.

Speaking during morning worship April 26, Lewis urged delegates to try to discern God’s plans before they settle on their own as United Methodism moves into uncharted territory.

Connectional Table

 shares hope

Leaders of the Connectional Table gave a report that emphasized the strength of the United Methodist connection even amid the fraying caused by COVID and church exits.

The Connectional Table is a body of United Methodist leaders from around the globe that coordinates the denomination’s mission and ministry. The leadership body played a key role in moving forward the regionalization plan that delegates approved the bulk of on April 25.

Bishops, delegates

 join rally for Palestine

While pro-Palestinian rallies are happening across the U.S., United Methodists at General Conference had their chance to gather in a peaceful show of support on the evening of April 25.

Sponsored by United Methodist Kairos Response, the rally brought together more than 100 United Methodist delegates and observers — along with at least six bishops — to hear from a variety of speakers and call attention to Palestine-related legislation before General Conference.

April 27 Day 5 Wrap-Up:

Initial revised Social Principles pass, committee work finishes

During the morning plenary, delegates approved a statement expanding defense of human rights as part of the first batch of Revised Social Principles to come before the body.

The first week of General Conference wrapped up with the passage of the first of a number of proposed revisions to the United Methodist Social Principles. Delegates will work late to complete their legislative committee work, which they must finish today to begin voting next week.

Tomorrow brings a much-needed day of Sabbath to refresh spiritually, mentally and physically.

Church broadens defense of human rights

The United Methodist Church now proclaims its support “for the equal rights, liberties, and protections of all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

During the morning plenary, General Conference delegates approved that statement as part of the first batch of revised Social Principles to come before the body.

General Conference passed revised Social Principles dealing with “Church and Governments” and “Basic Rights and Freedoms” — alongside nine other pieces of legislation — on the consent calendar. The vote tally was 671 to 57, passing with 92% of the vote.

Connectional Table becomes more global

Also on this morning’s consent calendar, General Conference delegates approved the restructuring of the Connectional Table so the United Methodist leadership body has a more international membership.

Under the plan approved by General Conference, Connectional Table goes from a 64-member board with 49 voting members to a 60-member board with 44 voting members.

April 29 Week 2 Day 1 Monday wrap-up:

African bishops added; prayers after Charlotte shooting

After resting on Sunday, General Conference delegates hit the ground running in the legislative assembly’s second week. But as news spread of a mass shooting in Charlotte, just a few miles from where General Conference is taking place, a hectic plenary session was paused as delegates prayed for victims and the community.

Church in Africa gets 2 more bishops, new map

The United Methodist Church in Africa is getting two additional bishops, but not the five originally planned by the 2016 General Conference.

Delegates voted 645-96 to add the two African bishops, increasing their number from 13 to 15. They also voted 692-43 to adjust the boundaries of the three central conferences on the continent; starting in 2025, there will be four. 

But debate — especially over the number of bishops to add — took up much of the day both before and after lunch, with many delegates expressing frustration that the number was below the five bishops initially sought. 

Delegates pray after Charlotte shootings

As news spread of deadly shootings of law enforcement officers in Charlotte, General Conference delegates paused to pray for victims and the community.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reported late on April 29 that three members of a multi-agency U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force were killed after trying to serve a warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Five other officers were wounded; one remains in critical condition. A suspect in the incident also was killed.

The shootings occurred about seven miles east of the Charlotte Convention Center, where General Conference is underway through May 3.

Week one generates positive vibes

As the action was moving out of committee meetings and into a week of floor debate, participants at General Conference shared a sense of calm optimism about their progress at the halfway point. In a very unscientific survey of delegates by UM News, delegates, pages, observers and other interested folks describe a different, less contentious atmosphere, even in discussions over sexuality — often the topic that leads to the most heated disagreements.

“I feel that we’re going good in this General Conference, that our voices are being heard — the progressives and even me as a traditionalist,” said Lucille Grace Hilario, a lay delegate and director of connectional ministry in the Middle Philippines Conference.

April 30 Week 2 Day 2 Tuesday Wrap-Up:

Some LGBTQ bans lifted, Episcopal communion approved

On the second full day of General Conference voting, delegates fast-tracked a large number of items via the consent calendar.

Because consent calendars often contain dozens of items voted upon at once, sometimes it is hard to keep track of what was actually approved. However, the Rev. Gary Graves, secretary of the General Conference, paused the morning plenary session to make note of an important item that delegates had just passed: affirming and entering into a full communion relationship with the Episcopal Church.

LGBTQ bans slowly being eliminated

Quietly, General Conference is making historic changes to The United Methodist Church’s policies related to LGBTQ people.

Without debate, delegates voted 667-54 for the changes on the day’s consent calendar, which allows the lawmaking assembly to approve multiple pieces of legislation in bulk. To make it onto the consent calendar, petitions must receive no more than 10 “no” votes in legislative committee and have no implications for the denomination’s budget or constitution. 

Some of the items passed during the April 30 morning plenary eliminate parts of the Traditional Plan passed by a vote of 438-384 at the 2019 General Conference. That package aimed at strengthening the denomination’s longtime restrictions on same-sex marriage and “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy.

Communion with Episcopal Church gets closer

Full Communion with the Episcopal Church was approved by delegates via consent calendar during the morning plenary session. The session, during General Conference’s ecumenical day, was halted briefly to

acknowledge its passage.

If the Episcopal Church affirms the agreement, which might not happen until meetings scheduled for 2027, it will mean that the two denominations recognize each other as the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church in which the Gospel is rightly preached and taught.”

General Conference reduces requested giving

Delegates voted to reduce a key component of calculating apportionments — the portion of church giving requested to fund the general-church budget. 

During an afternoon session on April 30, delegates passed the new base rate for The United Methodist Church’s apportionment formula in the most contested plenary vote so far at this year’s General Conference.

As a result, conferences will shift from their current base rate of 3.29% to a base rate of 2.6% for 2025 and 2026. Then, if the apportionment collection rate is 90% or higher in those years, the base rate will jump to 2.9% for 2027 and 2028.

May 1 Week 2 Day 3 Wednesday Wrap-Up:

40-year ban on gay clergy struck down. New clergy retirement plan approved. Disaffiliation agreement ended, return policy adopted

In an emotional morning, General Conference has eliminated the ban on “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy. Following the vote at break, delegates and observers sang hymns in joy.

Compass Pension Plan passes. General Conference delegates have supported the request by Wespath, The United Methodist Church’s pension and benefits agency, to move to a defined contribution retirement plan for U.S. clergy.

40-year ban on gay clergy struck down.

Without debate, General Conference has removed The United Methodist Church’s ban on the ordination of clergy who are “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” — a prohibition that dates to 1984.

During the morning plenary May 1, General Conference approved the change alongside 22 pieces of legislation on the consent calendar, which allows delegates to pass multiple petitions in bulk if they have overwhelming support in legislative committee and have no budgetary or constitutional impact.

The vote on the consent calendar was 692-51, with approval at 93%. Delegates and observers applauded after the vote.

Also on the consent calendar, delegates voted that superintendents are not to penalize clergy or churches for holding— or refraining from holding — same-sex weddings.

New clergy retirement plan approved

A new retirement plan for United Methodist clergy in the U.S. has won approval overwhelmingly at General Conference.

The plan is called Compass, and was conceived and championed by Wespath, the denomination’s pension and benefits agency.

Wespath retirement plans going back generations have offered U.S. clergy a monthly pension benefit for life, but Compass is a defined contribution plan, more like a 401(k) offered by most corporate employers.

Disaffiliation agreement ended, return policy adopted

By a vote of 516-203, delegates supported ending the disaffiliation policy added by the special 2019 General Conference and used by more than 7,600 U.S. churches to leave The United Methodist Church. Passing that petition deletes Paragraph 2553 from the Book of Discipline.

Delegates also approved by a vote of 629-96 a reaffiliation policy to welcome churches that wish to rejoin The United Methodist Church, and adopted by a vote of 593-139 the last of the regionalization petitions aimed at giving the regions equal standing in church decision-making.

May 2 Week 2 Day 4 Thursday wrap-up:

coming soon

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May 3 Week 2 Day 5 Friday Wrap-Up:

coming soon

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"Legislation has been written. Flights and rental cars acquired. Detailed plans have been made. But what matters most as we gather together in Charlotte, is our love for one another - how we treat one another, and how we discern together. May we empty ourselves, and prepare to listen deeply to one another and listen for the still small voice of God among us. May we gather in love, disagree in love, and prepare one another for future ministry with the love of Christ at the center of it all. In Jesus name, Amen."

-Jeff Campbell, General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries

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