The delegates duly elected to the 2020 General Conference for the 2020-2024 Quadrennium stand as submitted and certified by the 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. Question for Clarification No. 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 Commission chairperson Kim Simpson said the decision to postpone once again was an exceedingly difficult one, with many factors to consider -- including visas and passports, the health and safety of delegates, volunteers and other attendees, vaccination rates, and the need for provisions for quarantine or medical care should any delegates contract COVID-19. As the theatrical credo says, the show must go on, she said. ### Earlier Event: June 1. 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. General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. COVID-19 has tested the collective patience, understanding, compassion, resolve, and even faith of the world. About General Conference Mulenga, Director of Communications "We engaged in a fair, thorough, integrity-filled discussion of the alternatives," said Simpson. Retired Bishop Warner Brown Jr. also is serving as interim bishop in Sierra Leone after the 2020 passing of Bishop John Yambasu in a car crash. What is the Church's position on homosexuality? 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. ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom. Our people are hospitable and welcoming, and we trust that the delegates who gather for what promises to be an historic gathering will be blessed by the city of Charlotte and the state of North Carolina and its warmth and beauty., We bathe this gathering in deep prayer while also praying for each delegate who will seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we spend time in Holy Conferencing. 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. 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 Rev. People think, Will there be a church for me to serve when I finish this (degree)? Millard said. Meetings of the Connectional Table in Atlanta were productive, with efforts to come up with a consensus budget, move toward a U.S. regional conference and streamline the leadership bodys own membership all moving forward. In an essay for the theologically conservative advocacy group Wesleyan Covenant Association, the Rev. 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 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. 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.. General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. I believe that we are at an inflection point that is forcing us to think beyond our legislative processes. Here are the four questions on which the bishops are seeking clarification: The bishops are asking for an expedited hearing in the matter. What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? It is about to get eased from COVID-19, and we have time to breathe to focus on mission and ministry because of the postponement of the General Conference.. 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.. The Rev. It also approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs for the next four years. ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom. Technically, delegates elected to the 2020 General Conference are still eligible to serve at the 2024 session. While the COB appreciates the clarity and guidance on that issue, the bishops feel that the decision has generated a number of other The additional delay of General Conference brings additional complications. The commission did not cite vaccines as an issue, but visas. 615.742.5406. 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. Media contact: Molly Vetter, a General Conference delegate and senior pastor of the Westwood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. COVID-19 has tested the collective patience, understanding, compassion, resolve, and even faith of the world. With so much at stake, the commission received conflicting calls on whether General Conference should move forward. 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. 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. Find the official General Conference 2020 official page. 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. 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.. 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. The United Methodist Church, United Methodists to Meet in Charlotte for Worldwide Conference. During a March 9 webinar on General Conference and disaffiliation, Oklahoma Conference Bishop Jimmy Nunn said two Oklahoma churches have entered the disaffiliation process. With the commissions decision now made, many United Methodists are moving forward with plans for the future. Citing long wait times for visas, General Conference organizers announced that The United Methodist Churchs top lawmaking assembly long postponed by pandemic must wait until 2024. 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 Wesleyan Covenant Association has been shepherding the formation of the Global Methodist Church, and DiPaolo serves on the associations leadership council. 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. Media contact: Our emails go out on Tuesdays each week. 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 Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. The United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies typically have held a General Conference at least every four years since 1792. The next General Conference will be in 2024. 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. WebUnited Methodists to meet in Charlotte for worldwide conference. 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. Many of us may have strong feelings about this development, but this is the new reality for Methodism in the world. Many also expressed weariness with the uncertainty that has faced the Commission members, including DiPaolo, voted to deliberate in closed session Feb. 24. Dr. Maidstone Mulenga serves as communications director for the Council of Bishops. After decades of intensifying debate and defiance the coming General Conference faces multiple proposals for denominational separation. The Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. 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. The commission is made up of 25 members who are elected quadrennially by the General Conference body. Question for Clarification No. 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. Now, some theological conservatives announced that they no longer are waiting for General Conference to act but launching that new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, on May 1. That measure allows churches with conference approval to join another evangelical denomination.. We are going to have to find ways to move forward without a General Conference, for now, she said. 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. Many also expressed weariness with the uncertainty that has faced the This will hopefully allow churches to make their decisions, and will leave the denomination as a whole better positioned to address needed changes with the congregations that intend to stay long term. 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 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. The United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies typically have held a General Conference at least every four years since 1792. Question for Clarification No. (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.)