Thousands of United Methodists gather in Charlotte, North Carolina, for their major denominational meeting, known as the General Conference.
It is a highly anticipated gathering. Typically, it is held every four years, but Church leaders delayed the 2020 gathering until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the 11-day gathering will take place from April 23 to May 3. Among those attending are hundreds of voting delegates – United Methodists from around the world who have been elected to represent their regional church body – but up to a quarter of international delegates are not confirmed as able to attend. . The delegates, half clergy and half lay Methodists, are the decision-makers of the General Conference.
What is General Conference?
General Conference – the only entity that can speak for the entire denomination – is a business meeting at which delegates set policy, adopt budgets and address other company-wide issues. the Church. It is the only agency capable of modifying the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, which includes church law. It also includes social principles, which are non-binding statements on social and ethical issues. There is also worship and fellowship.
This will be the first General Conference since more than 7,600 mostly conservative congregations left United Methodist Church between 2019 and 2023 because the denomination essentially stopped enforcing its ban on same-sex marriage and having “self-proclaimed practicing homosexuals” serving as clergy and bishops.
Delegates in Charlotte are expected to vote this year on whether to eliminate LGBTQ-related bans. Similar efforts have failed in recent years, but with the election of more progressive delegates and the departure of many conservatives, supporters of lifting the bans are optimistic.
What other key questions are worth considering?
— Disaffiliations: The rules that allowed American congregations to leave between 2019 and 2023. They allowed them to leave with their properties, held in trust for the denomination, under friendlier legal terms than normal. Some want similar conditions for international churches and for U.S. churches that missed the 2023 deadline.
— Regionalization: A proposal to restructure the naming into regional conferences around the world, rather than having separate names for the United States and other jurisdictions. This would more precisely define the role of the regions and place American congregations in their own regional body. Under this proposal, all regions would be able to adapt Church policies to their local context, including those on marriage and ordination.
— Budgets: Due to all the disaffiliations, the conference will vote on a very reduced budget proposal for the years to come.
“Committed to rebuilding the church”
New York Area Bishop Thomas Bickerton, president of the denomination’s Council of Bishops, addressed the recent schism head-on in fiery remarks during Tuesday’s opening worship service, which included music and communion .
Bickerton spoke of his recent visit to a Texas conference that lost more than half of its churches and said those remaining were determined to rebuild the church. He said General Conference participants should do the same: not pursue controversy.
“Are you committed to the revitalization of the United Methodist Church? Bickerton said to applause. “Are you here to work for a culture marked by compassion, courage and camaraderie?…If you can’t accept that, what are you doing here anyway? Maybe, just maybe, You’re not in the right place.”
He alluded to the criticism leveled at the denomination during the debates on disaffiliation and said he clings to his core beliefs.
“Don’t tell us we don’t believe the Scriptures,” he said. “Do not tell us that we do not believe in the doctrine of the Church. And Lord, have mercy, do not tell us that we do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. …We must rebuild the Church. and we must do it together.
Although thousands of Methodists attend the conference, there are only 862 official voting delegates from the following regions of the church:
• 55.9% from the United States
• 32% from Africa
• 6% of the Philippines
• 4.6% from Europe
• 1.5% from concordant (affiliated) churches
Last week, only about three-quarters of international delegates were confirmed able to attend, the General Conference Committee reported Thursday. The other quarter includes 27 delegates who were unable to obtain visas or passports, others who were unable to attend the meeting for various reasons and 62 delegates who have still not been confirmed. African groups sharply criticized faith leaders, blaming them for delays in providing necessary documents and information and raising questions about whether African conferences would accept the results of the conference vote.
How are congregations preparing?
It varies widely, but those who have long been active in the movement to repeal LGBTQ bans are focusing heavily on the conference. Fir treest Pittsburgh United Methodist Church, for example, hosted a go-live service on April 14 for three members attending the conference in different capacities. “It will be deeply meaningful to me personally to vote in favor of these changes,” said member Tracy Merrick, who will serve as a delegate.
United Methodists are part of a larger global family of Methodists and other groups in the tradition of 18th-century British Protestant revivalist John Wesley, who emphasized evangelism, holy living and social service. They share many beliefs with other Christians, with distinct doctrines. United Methodists traditionally ranged from liberal to conservative. Until recently, they were the third largest and most widespread American denomination. Methodist missionaries planted churches around the world, which grew dramatically, especially in Africa. Some have become independent, but churches on four continents remain part of the United Methodist Church.
There were approximately 5.4 million United Methodists in the United States in 2022, but this figure will decrease significantly due to the 2023 disaffiliations.
Their number is estimated at 4.6 million in Africa, Asia and Europe. This is lower than previous estimates but reflects more recent denominational reports.
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