Thursday, May 2, 2024
General Conference Update: South Georgia Edition
The South Georgia delegation continues to put in long hours as they faithfully do their work at General Conference. We thank them for the tireless service and continue to lift them in prayer.
A Message from Bishop Graves to South Georgia United Methodists
Delegates to General Conference voted on many items on Wednesday; one being the removal of LGBTQ restrictive language. In this video, Bishop David Graves, episcopal leader of the South Georgia Conference, shares a message to South Georgia United Methodists about the decisions made. Watch video
General Conference makes changes in language about human sexuality
On Wednesday, May 1, the General Conference took action that removed paragraph 304.3 from the United Methodist Book of Discipline, which removes discriminatory language against LGBTQ+ persons. This action was affirmed by more than 93% of the worldwide body. With the removal of this language and the passing of additional legislation related to human sexuality, several areas of the Book of Discipline will be revised. Bishop David Graves and Dr. Ben Martin offer their insight into these decisions.
More information about decisions being made will be forthcoming after General Conference from the Bishop and delegation. Here is a timeline of post-General Conference informational sessions.
New clergy retirement plan approved
(UM News) A new retirement plan for United Methodist clergy in the U.S. won approval overwhelmingly at General Conference, by a vote of 658-64. 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 corporate employers. Wespath leaders said the denomination’s steady numerical decline over many years required a new, sustainable approach to supporting retired clergy. Read more
Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of UMCOR
Watch the "UMCOR: Partners in Relief" video shared at General Conference
In 1940, General Conference made a momentous decision to create a new organization for relief work among war refugees in Asia and Europe: the Methodist Committee on Overseas Relief, now the United Methodist Committee on Relief, or UMCOR. UMCOR is a vital part of UMC Global Ministries’ work, bringing together the service and missional aspects of ministry. Today, the General Conference celebrated the 80th anniversary of UMCOR!
Elections held for all 9 Judicial Council spots
(UM News) The General Conference held elections May 1 for all nine spots on the Judicial Council — The United Methodist Church’s top court. It is expected that the church court will gather before the close of the Charlotte gathering and elect officers. Read story
Votes of Note
- (UM News) General Conference delegates supported the end of a disaffiliation policy added by the special 2019 General Conference. Read more
- (UM News) Over the past three days, delegates have passed the last three Worldwide Regionalization petitions giving church regions equal standing in decision-making. Now members of Annual Conferences will have the opportunity to ratify the plans.
- (UM News) Jurisdictions across the United States will have more say about the number of bishops they need. General Conference delegates had rejected one but passed four other petitions recommended by the Jurisdictional Study Committee, eliminating the formula for calculating bishops while guaranteeing at least five bishops per jurisdiction. Read more
- (UM News) Delegates approved a resolution condemning racial-ethnic discrimination and gender-based violence against Asian Americans. The resolution’s sponsor, the New Federation of Asian American United Methodists, includes Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Malaysian, Nepali, and Indonesian members.
- (UMNews) Delegates approved a reaffiliation policy to welcome churches that wish to rejoin The United Methodist Church. “With a spirit of grace, we welcome those churches which have disaffiliated or withdrawn to rejoin The United Methodist Church,” the newly adopted policy says. “Where applicable, every annual conference shall have a policy of reaffiliation for the churches seeking to return to the connection.”
Schedule for Thursday, May 2
Today's agenda includes:
8:00 - 9:00 AM - Worship
- Commissioning of Missionaries
9:00 - 12:00 PM - Plenary Session
- Monitoring Report
- Mission Bicentennial
- Administrative Committee Reports
- Consent Calendars
- Calendar Items & Conference Business
1:30 - 6:30 P.M. - Plenary Session
- Recognition of New Judicial Council Members and those members completing their service
- Calendar Items & Conference Business
- Evening Devotion
What's happening at General Conference
Wrap-ups from United Methodist News
Conference Updates
Stories and Videos
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Following General Conference
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Praying for General Conference
Praying for delegates, bishops, speakers, and all those who lead and attend the General Conference sessions is a powerful way to participate. Pray for God to guide the General Conference’s decisions, for Christ to lead us into the future, and for the Holy Spirit to empower us to go on toward perfection in our love of God and one another. Join with others from South Georgia as we pause to pray each day 4:01 pm. View daily prayers here.
General Conference Resources
Have questions about General Conference? Ask The UMC
Have questions about what’s happening at the General Conference, or how things work, or who was at the microphone when, or what specific actions mean? Ask The UMC is on site at the legislative assembly, ready to reply by email or live chat. Non-General Conference questions are welcome, too, as always. Learn more
General Conference Guide
An important resource for delegates, church members and journalists, this guide contains information about the conference schedule, the legislative process and historical background. Download the guide: English | Français | Português
Advance Edition Daily Christian Advocate
The Advance DCA contains all legislation submitted for consideration by the delegates at General Conference. View ADCA
Daily Christian Advocate & Legislation Tracking
The Daily Christian Advocate is the most important reference for delegates of General Conference (and those closely following the session). It contains daily transcripts of the conference proceedings, news stories and features, and daily summaries of legislative committee actions. General Conference delegates and first reserves receive free access to the website DailyChristianAdvocate.org. Others may access the site for a one-time fee of $49.99, which allows you to create an account and have ongoing access through General Conference, including legislation tracking. View the DCA
Top Tools for Sharing with Your Local Church
#1 GC by the Numbers Infographic - This one-page infographic provides a quick snapshot of General Conference by the numbers.
#2 The Road to General Conference Infographic - Gain a better understanding of The UMC with this information detailing the church's structure from the local church, to the district, through the annual conferences and beyond with the infographics below. (4 pages)
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