Like what you're reading? Nashville, Tenn.: As the pandemic continues and the wait time for visas stretches to over two years in some countries, the Commission on the General Conference announced today that the 2020 General Conference cannot be held in 2022 due to COVID-related and governmental policies/constraints. (A surge of centrist and progressive U.S. delegates was elected for the 2020 conclave after a 2019 special General Conference at which the UMCs bans against homosexuality were tightened.) In the meantime, 11 U.S. bishops have stepped down or taken on new roles as they bumped against the denominations age requirements for bishops to retire. 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. This marks the third delay of what many have expected to be a pivotal global gathering. Some have long advocated for General Conference to remove United Methodist bans on same-sex weddings and self-avowed practicing gay clergy. For Manchester, the delay will mean a few more years in the wilderness, he said. One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the General Administration Fund implements trustworthy administrative oversight, supports the legislative processes of the church and curates The United Methodist Churchs rich history. The Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church is called to be a community, diverse and united in Gods saving love, sent out in vital life-giving ministry for Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the General Administration Fund apportionment at 100 percent. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or [emailprotected]. Make a tax-deductible donation at We want to recognize the efforts of everyone who has worked so hard over several years to provide a welcoming experience. I fear we will shortly see renewed and intensified internal conflict across our connection, he wrote. More Who We Are General Conference Official Site Find information, news and resources for our next General Conference, April 23 May 3, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North 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. The United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies typically have held a General Conference at least every four years since 1792. Is there anything in our Discipline that requires delegates to be members of the United Methodist Church? Even amid uncertainties, ministry continues. However, those departures represent a fraction of the denominations more than 30,500 U.S. congregations. WebThe 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 May 3, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. A significant advantage of further postponing the 2020 General Conference to 2024 is that the Commission has already secured a venue for what would have been the regularly scheduled quadrennial event. The United Methodist Church What happened is that the 2020 General Conference has been postponed to 2024. General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. 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 coming General Conference was to have 862 voting delegates 55.9% from the U.S., 32% from Africa, 6% from the Philippines, 4.6% from Europe and the remainder from concordat churches that have close ties to The United Methodist Church. Sign up for our free daily and weekly digests of important news and events in the life of The United Methodist Church. The Rev. However, the new denominations Transitional Leadership Team announced plans to move the launch date up to May 1. I hope this letter will be the beginning of renewed dialogue and prayer for In addition, commission members described an increasingly complex interview process in some areas requiring two or three interviews, which also creates a roadblock that would preclude participation by many delegates outside the United States of America. Nashville, Tenn.: 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. General Conference the only body that can speak for the church has the final say on whether the protocol takes effect as written. 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. That new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, had plans to launch in conjunction with General Conference later this year. The Book of Discipline says that in the spirit of openness and accountability, almost all church meetings should be open. WebUnited Methodists to Meet in Charlotte for Worldwide Conference The 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 May 3, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is significant language in that the General Commission on General Conference did not cancel the conference, they postponed it. 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. MARCH 3, 2022 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. What is the Church's position on homosexuality? Is the local church administration allowed to replace their delegate? 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. Many also expressed weariness with the uncertainty that has faced the denomination since before the pandemic. 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. At the upcoming conference, the Commission will follow appropriate protocols related to COVID-19 to safeguard attendees health. May 10, 2022. Media contact: Council of Bishops The churchs court, known as the Judicial Council, ruled last month in Judicial Council Decision 1451 that the General Conference session to be held in 2024 is the postponed 2020 General Conference. The Book of Discipline 2016 requires the Commission to take necessary measures to assure full participation of all General Conference delegates. United Methodists reacted to General Conferences third postponement this time to 2024 with strong emotions ranging from outrage to relief. 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 Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church is called to be a community, diverse and united in Gods saving love, sent out in vital life-giving ministry for Still unknown is what General Conferences continued delay will mean for the proposed protocol,negotiated by professional mediator Kenneth Feinberg with a theologically diverse group of United Methodists. Sign up for our free daily and weekly digests of important news and events in the life of The United Methodist Church. 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. Commission members received a report based on conversations with multiple officials of the U. S. Department of State outlining the massive backlog of visa applications in some areas. "We engaged in a fair, thorough, integrity-filled discussion of the alternatives," said Simpson. 1: If an annual conference has vacancies in its General Conference delegation due to death, resignation, or otherwise, does JCD 1451 allow an annual conference to hold elections to fill the vacancies that have not already been filled by its reserve delegates? The Rev. This backlog has led to wait times up to 800+ days for scheduling an initial interview. Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. The Rev. After decades of intensifying debate and defiance the coming General Conference faces multiple proposals for denominational separation. Question for Clarification No. The United Methodist Church, United Methodists to Meet in Charlotte for Worldwide Conference. Joseph F. DiPaolo announced that he had resigned from the General Conference commission. The United Methodist Judicial Council released nine rulings dealing with such matters as the eligibility of some churches to exit and the role of conference trustees in setting the terms for disaffiliation. The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Earlier Event: June 1. Signed letter about Special Session of GC. Hotchkiss added, We appreciate the patience and understanding of the Local Host Committee as we have gone back to the drawing board on multiple occasions. The Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. However, there is one church, First United Methodist Church in Columbia, that has elected to stay the course and stay a part of the UMC, at least until the annual conference of 2024 is completed. UM News staff Sam Hodges, Jim Patterson, the Rev. This marks the third delay of what many have expected to be a pivotal global gathering. As the postponed 2020 General Conference now enters the typical cycle of preparation for a General Conference that would have been held in 2024, we will need to look to the Judicial Council for clarity regarding which preparations and processes are based on the postponed 2020 General Conference and which would need to be enacted should this be seen as a new 2024 General Conference., The Judicial Council recently ruled that, the deadlines for petitions submission in 507 are based on the date of the postponed General Conference and reset with each postponement.. However, there is one church, First United Methodist Church in Columbia, that has elected to stay the course and stay a part of the UMC, at least until the annual conference of 2024 is completed. 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 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 2024 United Methodist General Conference Delegation. The additional delay of General Conference brings additional complications. (202) 748-5172. It is problematic that the members of the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church who are making decisions about what can and cannot happen in relation to General Conference 2024 were elected for their 8-year terms in either 2012 or 2016 by delegations that included many persons who will not even be members of the United Methodist Church in 2024. Hahn is assistant news editor for UM News. What is Lent and why does it last forty days? The Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. 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. That new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, had plans to launch in conjunction with General Conference later this year. United Methodists reacted to General Conferences third postponement this time to 2024 with strong emotions ranging from outrage to relief. Director of Communications The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The focus of my reflections here is on this question: What are the implications of this development for the postponed 2020 United Methodist General Conference that is now scheduled to be held in 2024?. However, the teams report identified several obstacles to such a conference, including a 16-hour time difference among delegates in the Philippines and the West Coast, unequal internet availability and the difficulty in safeguarding voting. Phone: (608) 837-7328 or (888) 240-7328, Tuesday, April 23, 2024 to Friday, May 3, 2024. General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. In an essay for the theologically conservative advocacy group Wesleyan Covenant Association, the Rev. General Conference 2020: Advance Daily Christian Advocate Read Full Story, The Wisconsin Conference of The UMC Our request for clarification is to simply ask for specific clarification so that our work, both in the Annual Conferences and the General Church, can function with uniformity and alignment. General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. The association plans to hold a global gathering on May 7 to discuss its plans for the new denomination. In the meantime, both the Western North Carolina Conference delegation and the Minnesota Conference leadership announced how they hope to live into a hopeful and inclusive future. This is significant language in that the General Commission on General Conference did not cancel the conference, they postponed it. In response to the decision, Council of Bishops President Bishop Cynthia Fierro Hahn is assistant news editor for UM News. Proposals from three cities were considered, but ultimately Charlotte was determined to be the best fit. However, some churches already have decided to leave. Chelsea Morse, Associate Pastor. 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. 4: Based on the holding in JCD 1451, is the Commission on the General Conference required to schedule and make arrangements pursuant to 511.4 for a session of the General Conference to occur in the quadrennium after the adjournment of the postponed 2020 General Conference in 2024 and before December 31, 2027. Full participation of delegates in Christian conferencing as a means of grace was not seen as possible under these circumstances. Good News, a like-minded advocacy group, offered its support for the move in an email accidentally released before the General Conference commissions announcement. 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. The decision by the Commission on General Conference to postpone the 2020 General Conference Charlotte is a part of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference but due to the shorter timeframe for planning, both the Western North Carolina Conference and the North Carolina Annual Conference will co-host the event. I hope this letter will be the beginning of renewed dialogue and prayer for About General Conference ### Chief among those is: Will delegates elected to the 2020 General Conference be able to serve in 2024, or will annual conferences need to elect new slates? The delay is difficult for the denominations progressives too. 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. 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). During a March 9 webinar on General Conference and disaffiliation, Oklahoma Conference Bishop Jimmy Nunn said two Oklahoma churches have entered the disaffiliation process. Learn more General Conference 2020 General Conference further postponed to 2024 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 Too much has changed in United Methodism to hold a General Conference in 2024 with delegates elected in 2019, many of whom will not even be United Methodists when the General Conference meets in 2024. Charlotte, known as the Queen City, is the 16th most populous city in the U.S. and a major airline hub for American Airlines. I both understand the reasoning behind it, and at the same time lament the further harm the delay will inevitably produce, said Bryan, chair of the Missouri Conference delegation and lead pastor of Manchester United Methodist Church in Missouri. General Conference draws delegates from four continents. January 9, 2023 We are grateful to James Haun for his leadership as Local Host Committee Chair and his service on the Commission on the General Conference, said Simpson. Like what you're reading and want to see more? The Commission on the General Conference announced March 3 that the international legislative assembly already twice postponed from May 2020 by the pandemic could not go forward this year because of long waits for visas. Commission members received a report based on conversations with multiple officials of the U. S. Department of State outlining the massive backlog of visa applications in some areas. We previously would have had a General Conference focused almost exclusively on separation and departure; this may just be Gods way of gifting us with a General Conference where we can instead focus on resurrection through the process of renewing and rebuilding the new UMC.. 2024. The decision by the Commission on General Conference to postpone the 2020 General Conference We are grateful to James Haun for his leadership as Local Host Committee Chair and his service on the Commission on the General Conference, said Simpson. An announcement about the location will be forthcoming as soon as the required logistical planning is complete. The Wesleyan Covenant Association, which has been serving as a midwife to the planned Global Methodist Church, previously had encouraged churches to wait for the protocol to pass to make a move. It is not their fault that we have experienced so many delays owing to a global pandemic. Dr. Maidstone Mulenga serves as communications director for the Council of Bishops. Bishops do not have a vote on the commission. 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. It will help most of the African delegates to the GC to sort out their visa problems, he said. The commission is made up of 25 members who are elected quadrennially by the General Conference body. Diane Degnan ddegnan@umcom.org The next General Conference will be in 2024. The 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. That share can mean a hefty price tag. 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. George Wilson, a General Conference delegate from Liberia, said the postponement is good and timely. "The visa issue is a reality that is simply outside our control as we seek to achieve a reasonable threshold of delegate presence and participation. At the end of the day, I think we are all becoming weary and drained from waiting for the inevitable in perpetuity, said Jessica Vittorio, a General Conference delegate from the North Texas Conference. As the theatrical credo says, the show must go on, she said. Graves, General Conference secretary, told the commission that the group would discuss the Judicial Councils ruling at its next meeting on March 28. Question for Clarification No. That means that everyone who was elected in 2020 is on the delegation for 2024. Other Protestant denominations in the U.S. already have undergone some form of separation over LGBTQ inclusion. 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.. General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. The Council of Bishops is. The commission named a technology study team to explore virtual options for the assembly. The United Methodist Church and its predecessors have long maintained a policy that all congregations hold property in trust for the benefit of the entire denomination. What is the Church's position on homosexuality? The Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. But what I want doesnt matter.. That has left other bishops to take on expanded assignments. Who makes the decision as to whether there will be a new election of delegates for 2024? More Who We Are General Conference Official Site Find information, news and resources for our next General Conference, April 23 May 3, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North 750 Windsor Street, Sun Prairie, WI 53590 The United Methodist Churchs highest court ruled that new delegate elections are not required for the long-delayed and potentially pivotal 2020 General Conference, now set for 2024. The next General Conference will be in 2024. That means that everyone who was elected in 2020 is on the delegation for 2024. COVID-19 has tested the collective patience, understanding, compassion, resolve, and even faith of the world. The United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies typically have held a General Conference at least every four years since 1792. The most endorsed of these proposals, the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation, would allow theologically conservative churches and annual conferences church regional bodies to leave with property and $25 million in United Methodist funds to form a new denomination. Technically, delegates elected to the 2020 General Conference are still eligible to serve at the 2024 session. With the commissions decision now made, many United Methodists are moving forward with plans for the future. 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. What is Lent and why does it last forty days? Keith Boyette in an email. A forum for discerning God's future for The United Methodist Church, hosted by St. Stephen UMC, Mesquite, TX. That includes legislation to move United Methodist clergy to a new retirement plan as well as a proposal to give more flexibility to disaffiliating churches in handling pension liabilities. The delegates duly elected to the 2020 General Conference for the 2020-2024 Quadrennium stand as submitted and certified by the After 3 hours of discussion, he said, the vote to postpone was 14-9 with one abstention. The churchs court, known as the Judicial Council, ruled last month inJudicial Council Decision 1451that the General Conference session to be held in 2024 is the postponed 2020 General Conference. Read the Commissions announcement. 615.742.5406. WebThe 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 May 3, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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. WebGeneral Conference, which was scheduled to meet in August 2022, has been re-scheduled to 2024. Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, will. General Conference was scheduled to be in Minneapolis this year. Council of Bishops 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. He went on to say that he hopes to help congregations live into their conscience. That question will likely land before the Judicial Council, the denominations top court. Rev. Annual conferences have approvedthe disaffiliation of about 130 U.S. churches in the past two years. The Philippines Central Conference is more attentive to the post-quarantine era as far as ministry is concerned.. (A surge of centrist and progressive U.S. delegates was elected for the 2020 conclave after a 2019 special General Conference at which the UMCs bans against homosexuality were tightened.) One can empathize with the desire of these delegates to serve in 2024, but the most important question for the United Methodist Church in relation to GC 2024 is this: What arrangement for GC 2024 will best represent the United Methodist Church of 2024? I believe that the answer is clear. 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. It also approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs for the next four years. Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, will. International call to prayer marks anniversary of Ukraine invasion, Church brings Christ to villagers doorsteps, Group plans for budget cuts, regionalization, Bishop: Time to move from rancor to revival, Church court addresses disaffiliation questions. 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. General Conference 2020: Advance Daily Christian Advocate 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.. I want to give everyone the space to do what needs to be done without feeling like anyone is missing a window of opportunity.. We continue our steadfast scenario planning, seeking security and certainty for our customers first and foremost, said Andy Hendren, Wespaths top executive, and also working with stakeholders from all viewpoints, in a neutral, bridge-building, and non-anxious way, to serve the church as it changes even as its future is still in flux.. 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. Our work in these specific areas needs to be conducted in a manner that is consistent across the church, said COB President Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton of New York Area. 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. We are going to have to find ways to move forward without a General Conference, for now, she said. Rev. In response to the decision, Council of Bishops President Bishop Cynthia Fierro Media contact: At present, a disaffiliating church must pay a share of its conferences unfunded clergy pension liability. WebGeneral Conference, which was scheduled to meet in August 2022, has been re-scheduled to 2024. ( Read more) After the commission's announcement, Council of Bishops President Cynthia Fierro Harvey said in a statement that she and her fellow bishops would begin "to explore various pathways for sustaining the worldwide mission and witness of The United Methodist Church, given the announcement of this further and understandable delay.". The COVID-19 menace first led the Minneapolis venue to cancel events in 2020 and then led the commission to delay again until August this year.