It is my prayer that the same spirit will empower and encourage us to see the possibilities and live the promise, said Bishop Leonard Fairley of the North Carolina Conference. The Commission also voted to hold the 2028 conference in Harare, Zimbabwe. 2024. The Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. We believe that delegates and attendees will be pleased with all the city has to offer, said Kim Simpson, Chair of the Commission on the General Conference. It also approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs for the next four years. ( Read more) While many churches and organizations have adapted technology for events that are based heavily on presenter/observer situations, that is not the type of gathering that embodies a General Conference. Also unknown is how many churches will depart before General Conference meets. In the press statement, the commission said a new already-secured venue would be announced at a later date as soon as logistical planning is complete. Its also a call to the whole church, reminding us of our responsibility to welcome all people into full belonging in our churches, honoring how they have always, already been welcomed by the grace of Jesus Christ.. Commission members, including DiPaolo, voted to deliberate in closed session Feb. 24. Dr. Maidstone I hope this letter will be the beginning of renewed dialogue and prayer for An announcement about the location will be forthcoming as soon as the required logistical planning is complete. Ultimately our decision reflects the hope that 2024 will afford greater opportunity for global travel and a higher degree of protection for the health and safety of delegates and attendees.. Many of us may have strong feelings about this development, but this is the new reality for Methodism in the world. At this point, the United Methodist Church needs to conduct new elections of delegates for the 2024 General Conference. This could lead to many more proposals coming before the next General Conference. Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. January 9, 2023 The Rev. Rev. 3: In regard to delegates who were elected from two previous annual conferences for the postponed 2020 General Conference that have since merged, (a) which delegates previously elected are eligible to serve at the postponed 2020 General Conference; and (b) if the merged annual conference is entitled to fewer delegates, what is the process under the Discipline for determining who among those previously elected is eligible to serve, including the date for determination of the delegates? Im excited that delegates and attendees will get to experience the regions warm hospitality and enjoy all the offerings that make Charlotte such a dynamic city.. The next General Conference will be in 2024. Keith Boyette in an email. Rich Jones, Northwest Texas Conference delegate and lead pastor of Wolfforth United Methodist Church. That means that everyone who was elected in 2020 is on the delegation for 2024. Proposals from three cities were considered, but ultimately Charlotte was determined to be the best fit. The Rev. Mulenga, Director of Communications With so much at stake, the commission received conflicting calls on whether General Conference should move forward. People think, Will there be a church for me to serve when I finish this (degree)? Millard said. We look forward to ways that we will honor the efforts of the Dakotas-Minnesota Local Host Committee when we finally meet together., The Commission appreciates that many people are disappointed about the circumstances of the 2020 General Conference and shares in the disappointment that it has not been able to be held, said Simpson. The delegates duly elected to the 2020 General Conference for the 2020-2024 Quadrennium stand as submitted and certified by the Technically, delegates elected to the 2020 General Conference are still eligible to serve at the 2024 session. ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom. Question for Clarification No. Dear Church Family, I wish to take a moment to address the delay of the United Methodist General Conference until 2024, as well as the formation of the new split-off denomination, the Global Methodist Church (GMC). 2023 Annual Conference Session. The Rev. The commission is made up of 25 members who are elected quadrennially by the General Conference body. Citing long wait times for visas, General Conference organizers announced that The United Methodist Churchs top lawmaking assembly, General Conference long postponed by pandemic must wait until 2024. A technology study team appointed by the Commission reported in February 2021 that it wasnt feasible to create a virtual alternative of the General Conference that would safeguard the integrity of the voting and credentialing process, meet legal requirements, and support the complexity of the legislative committees required by 507.11 including but not limited to interpretation in multiple languages, and meaningful participation across multiple time zones. Gary Graves, General Conference secretary, said the commission would look to the Judicial Council, the denominations top court, for clarity for what needs to be done should this be seen as a postponed General Conference instead of a new assembly. The bishops made the decision to seek clarification during a special session of the COB meeting held via Zoom on Friday, January 6, 2023. The assembly meets at the beginning of each quadrennium to consider revisions to church law, as well as adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy and economic issues. Kent Millard, president of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, said his enrollment staff have heard from prospective students who feel a call to United Methodist ministry but are reluctant to begin formal studies. The Global Methodist Church has launched, and traditionalist United Methodist churches and clergy are publicly announcing their intention to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church to join the new traditionalist Methodist denomination. The Global Methodist Church has launched, and traditionalist United Methodist churches and clergy are publicly announcing their intention to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church to join the new traditionalist Methodist denomination. General Conference 2020: Advance Daily Christian Advocate They have been more than gracious., According to Graves, It is always a monumental task to host the General Conference, but to prepare several times and still not be able to put those plans into action seems even more difficult. While the COB appreciates the clarity and guidance on that issue, the bishops feel that the decision has generated a number of other questions that arise from the language of the decision, and the COB therefore was petitioning the Judicial Council for clarification of the decision on four limited questions. That has left other bishops to take on expanded assignments. It is not their fault that we have experienced so many delays owing to a global pandemic. What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? Questions, anger follow General Conference delay. Like what you're reading? That new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, had plans to launch in conjunction with General Conference later this year. The Commission on the General Conference announced today that the 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 May 3, 2024, atCharlotte Convention Centerin Charlotte, North Carolina. Technically, delegates elected to the 2020 General Conference are still eligible to serve at the 2024 session. Good News argues that the launch of the Global Methodist Church would open the way for local churches to use the Disciplines Paragraph 2548.2. I hope this letter will be the beginning of renewed dialogue and prayer for Simpson expressed appreciation to all of those in the Dakotas-Minnesota Area who were involved in planning for hosting and providing volunteers for the Minneapolis event. The United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies typically have held a General Conference at least every four years since 1792. Hahn is assistant news editor for UM News. Other Protestant denominations in the U.S. already have undergone some form of separation over LGBTQ inclusion. The United Methodist Church The Advance Daily Christian Advocate, which contains the agenda, delegate listings and already submitted legislation for the 2020 General Conference, Board of Higher Education & Student Ministries, Congregational Development & New Ministries, Radical Inclusion & Racial Justice Resources, Bishops seek ruling on whether an annual conference can leave UMC, Conferences to Vote on Forwarding Protocol Legislation, Plans for Late-Arriving GC2020 Legislation, General & Jurisdictional Conference Informational Sessions with the Wisconsin Delegation. UMC Bishops ask church court for clarification on 2024 Conference. While many churches and organizations have adapted technology for events that are based heavily on presenter/observer situations, that is not the type of gathering that embodies a General Conference. The United Methodist Church, United Methodists to Meet in Charlotte for Worldwide Conference. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the General Administration Fund apportionment at 100 percent. 615.742.5406. Dear Church Family, I wish to take a moment to address the delay of the United Methodist General Conference until 2024, as well as the formation of the new split-off denomination, the Global Methodist Church (GMC). Make a tax-deductible donation at With the 2020 General Conference now delayed to when the next one was supposed to take place, it remains unclear whether new delegates will need to be elected. The Holy Spirit is moving in The United Methodist Church. It is true that the 2020 General Conference delegation has already put in significant time and service in relation to the postponed 2020 General Conference, and they should be commended for their service in a difficult time for the church and the world. Asbury Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which played host to the WCAs global gathering in 2019, has announced its plans to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church and possibly join the Global Methodist Church. In February, the Judicial Council ruled that any postponement of General Conference resets the submission deadlines for proposed legislation. Like what you're reading and want to see more? The Commission will meet again on March 28 to continue the work of preparing for the postponed 2020 General Conference and looking ahead for possible solutions that may help avoid delays in future meetings should unforeseen circumstances occur or persist. Shortly after the commissions announcement, the Resist Harm movement released a statement signed by more than 1,000 United Methodists urging bishops to hold charges related to LGBTQ restrictions in abeyance. 2024. WebThe Commission on the General Conference announced today that the 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 May 3, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Judicial Council elected in 2012 and 2016 and the United Methodist delegates elected in 2019 for the postponed 2020 General Conference (now scheduled for 2024) represent a significantly different United Methodist Church than the one that will exist during the 2024 General Conference. Most of the departing congregations identify as traditionalist. Nevertheless, both the postponement and the planned new denominations launch are leaving United Methodists across the theological spectrum with plenty of questions. We continue to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, seeking creative ways to be in mission and ministry as ambassadors of Gods unconditional love.. He is the chairman of the Transitional Leadership Council and president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a theologically conservative advocacy group. UMC General Conference postponed till 2024; bishops to explore various pathways WASHINGTON, D.C. The Commission on the General Conference today announced the further postponement of the postponed 2020 General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Question for Clarification No. Diane Degnan[emailprotected] Sign up for our free daily and weekly digests of important news and events in the life of The United Methodist Church. Council of Bishops Meanwhile, leaders of a planned new theologically conservative denomination announced that they are moving up the launch date without waiting for General Conference to act. The Rev. I believe the commissions decision to postpone General Conference until 2024 is exactly the wrong decision, said the Rev. This is significant language in that the General Commission on General Conference did not cancel the conference, they postponed it. He is the Executive Director of the Leadership, Education, and Development (LEaD) Hub North America of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. General Conference 2024 | Postponed from 2020 The Commission on the General Conference has announced that the 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 May 3, 2024, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The hope was that The United Methodist Churchs top lawmaking body would resolve the denominations longtime debate over LGBTQ inclusion and avoid costly litigation by adopting a formal separation plan. The Rev. WebThe Commission on the General Conference announced on March 3, 2022 that the 2022 General Conference session, postponed from 2020, would be further postponed until 2024. The assembly typically meets at the beginning of each quadrennium to consider revisions to church law, as well as adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy and economic issues. In a nonbinding vote last year, the Northwest Texas Annual Conference signaled its plans to join the Global Methodist Church under the protocol. Media contact: While the COB appreciates the clarity and guidance on that issue, the bishops feel that the decision has generated a number of other questions that arise from the language of the decision, and the COB therefore was petitioning the Judicial Council for clarification of the decision on four limited questions. The commission named a technology study team to explore virtual options for the assembly. 2023 Annual Conference Session. The Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. United Methodists reacted to General Conferences third postponement this time to 2024 with strong emotions ranging from outrage to relief. Manila, Philippines was chosen as the site for the 2024 General Conference. 2: If a person was elected as a lay or clergy delegate for the postponed 2020 General Conference and that persons status as a lay or clergy person has changed since election by the annual conference, do 34-36 of the 2016 Book of Discipline require that the delegate be declared ineligible to serve as a delegate in the status as elected and thereby creating a vacancy to be filled by the election of a new lay or clergy delegate if there is no reserve delegate to fill the vacancy? A forum for discerning God's future for The United Methodist Church, hosted by St. Stephen UMC, Mesquite, TX. ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom. Furthermore, conference delegates foresee that the process by which they worked across jurisdictional lines portends more grassroots activism ahead of the 2024 General Conference, the UMCs worldwide legislative assembly now slated to take place April 23May 4, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. Signed letter about Special Session of GC. The decision to postpone again was not an easy one, said Simpson, the commission chair. The most endorsed of these is theProtocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation, which if adopted, would allow churches and conferences to leave with church property and $25 million in United Methodist funds to form a new traditionalist denomination. Commission members remain hopeful and pray that the worlds circumstances improve to help make the next General Conference not only possible, but a reminder of the witness of The United Methodist Church as a global representation of the body of Christ.. On Feb. 24, the commission met online in closed session for 3 hours to deliberate on whether the international meeting could go forward as scheduled. WebThe Commission on the General Conference announced on March 3, 2022 that the 2022 General Conference session, postponed from 2020, would be further postponed until 2024. Even those committed to remaining in The United Methodist Church feel the frustration. Chelsea Morse, Associate Pastor. The Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. Who makes the decision as to whether there will be a new election of delegates for 2024? Find the official General Conference 2020 official page. The Conference is currently faced with the critical task of deciding how best to re-organize the church as a result of unresolvable disagreements around issues such as the performance of same-sex marriages, the ordination of self-avowed gay and lesbian In response to the decision, Council of Bishops President Bishop Cynthia Fierro Good News, a like-minded advocacy group, offered its support for the move in an email accidentally released before the General Conference commissions announcement. General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. Earlier Event: June 1. What is the Church's position on homosexuality? WebThe 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 May 3, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Book of Discipline requires that all petitions receive a vote. In 2020, delegates to the global UMCs General Conference were expected to consider a proposal to split the denomination, but the meeting was subsequently delayed three times due to the pandemic. UMC Bishops ask church court for clarification on 2024 Conference WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Council of Bishops (COB) of The United Methodist Church is petitioning the denominations top court for clarification on its recent decision regarding the General Conference that will be held in 2024. What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? Your support of The General Administration Fund apportionment implements trustworthy administrative oversight like the General Conference sessions. The South Georgia Conference also plans to have a special session on Aug. 20 to address matters related to church disaffiliations. It is such an honor to be able to host the 2024 General Conference of The United Methodist Church, said Mike Butts, Executive Director of Visit Charlotte. Secretary of the General Conference, Gary Graves, said the further postponement raises a number of additional questions not specifically addressed in The Book of Discipline 2016. The United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies typically have held a General Conference at least every four years since 1792. However, the new denominations Transitional Leadership Team announced plans to move the launch date up to May 1. However, the global pandemic has twice foiled plans for The United Methodist Churchs main global gathering. Earlier Event: June 1. According to Sara Hotchkiss, Business Manager of the General Conference, moving the legislative gathering to 2023 was an option that was discussed, but was not found to be feasible due to a number of reasons, including but not necessarily limited to the logistical challenges of planning, the remaining backlog of visa applications and interviews, and the proximity to the 2024 General Conference.