This year’s 11-day collection will take place from April 23 to May 3. Among the attendees are many voting delegates (United Methodists from around the world who have been elected to constitute the framework of their regional church), but up to a quarter of the foreign delegates. they are not shown to attend. Delegates, part clergy and part lay Methodist, are the decision-makers of the General Conference.
ONE-FIFTH OF UNITED METHODIST SCHISM OVER MARRIAGE AND LGBT ORDINATION
General Conference—the entity that can speak on behalf of the entire denomination—is a business assembly where delegates set policies, adopt budgets, and address other church-wide business. It is the framework that can amend the Book of the United Methodist Church. It also includes social principles, which are non-binding statements on social and moral issues. There is also worship and camaraderie.
This will be the first General Conference since more than 7,600 mostly conservative congregations left The United Methodist Church between 2019 and 2023 because the denomination necessarily stopped enforcing its bans on same-sex marriage and having “self-proclaimed practicing homosexuals” serve as clergy and bishops.
The Rev. Tracy Cox of First United Methodist Church and members of her congregation pray for Tracy Merrick, who will attend United Methodist General Conference as a delegate representing Western Pennsylvania, as well as Anais Hussian and Joshua Popson, who will also attend in April. September 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
It’s possible. Delegates in Charlotte are expected to vote on its approval. Similar efforts have failed in recent years, but with more progressive delegates elected and many conservatives leaving, advocates of lifting the bans are optimistic.
Disaffiliations: The regulations that allowed U. S. congregations to leave between 2019 and 2023. They were allowed to leave with their properties, considered valid for the denomination, under friendlier legal terms than normal. Some need similar situations for foreign churches and for U. S. churches that missed the 2023 deadline.
Regionalization: A proposal to restructure the denomination at regional meetings around the world, instead of having separate names for the U. S. U. S. and other jurisdictions. This would more accurately delineate the role of the regions and position U. S. congregations in their own regional body. According to this proposal, all regions could adapt the Church’s policies to their local context, adding those relating to marriage and ordination.
Budgets: Because of all the disaffiliations, the convention will vote on a greatly reduced proposal for the next few years.
New York-area Bishop Thomas Bickerton, chairman of the denomination’s Council of Bishops, addressed the recent schism head-on in forceful remarks at Tuesday’s opening service, which included music and communion.
Bickerton spoke of his recent stopover at a Texas convention that lost more than a portion of its congregations and said those who remained were determined to rebuild the church. He said that the participants of the General Conference deserved to do the same, without continuing the controversy. .
“Are you committed to the revitalization of The United Methodist Church?” said Bickerton to applause. Are they here to work for a culture of compassion, courage, and camaraderie?. . . If they can’t settle for that, what are they doing here?Anyway? Maybe, just maybe, you’re in the place. “
He alluded to the complaint directed at the devout denomination over the disaffiliation debates and said he stood by his core beliefs.
“Don’t tell us we don’t do the Scriptures,” he said. Don’t tell us we don’t do it in the doctrine of the Church. And Lord, have mercy, don’t tell us we don’t do it in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. . . . . We want to rebuild the church and we want to do it together.
Although thousands of Methodists attended the conference, there were 862 official voting delegates from the following church spaces:
No. La last week, only about three-quarters of foreign delegates were able to attend, the General Conference Committee reported Thursday. The other quarter includes 27 delegates who were unable to download visas or passports, others who were unable to participate for reasons and 62 delegates who have yet to show up. African teams harshly criticized religious leaders, blaming them for delays in providing mandatory documents and information and raising questions about whether African meetings would settle for the effects of the convention vote.
However, religious leaders defended their work on Tuesday, telling General Conference that visa requirements are stricter than in the past, that some regional meetings had not followed the correct procedures for sending reserve delegates and that some potential delegates had won invitations sent through “one or more unauthorized persons. “Delegates are now required to wear photo badges, under increased scrutiny to determine the authenticity of their badges. The convention overwhelmingly approved a solution “to make any and all efforts to pay attention and conscientiously to the voices of underrepresented regions. “
It varies greatly, however, those who have long been active in the motion to repeal LGBTQ bans are largely focused on the convention. First United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, for example, held a commission service on April 14 for 3 members who attended the convention in other capacities. “It will be profoundly meaningful to me to vote in favor of those changes,” said Tracy Merrick, a member who will be a delegate.
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They are part of a wider global circle of relatives of Methodists and other groups in the culture of the 18th-century British Protestant revitalizer, John Wesley, who emphasized evangelism, holy living and social service. They share many ideals with other Christians, with different characteristics. Historically, United Methodists ranged from liberals to conservatives. Until recently, they were the third largest and most widespread devotional denomination in the United States. Methodist missionaries planted churches around the world, which grew dramatically, especially in Africa. Some have independent churches, however, churches on four continents remain part of the United Methodist Church.
5. 4 million in the U. S. This number will be minimized due to the 2023 disaffiliations.
4. 6 million in Africa, Asia and Europe. This is a decrease than previous estimates but reflects more denominational reporting.