Some of you know that the United Methodist Church General Conference began this week in Charlotte and continues through May 3. General Conference is the highest legislative body of the UMC, with voting delegates attending from across the globe. Several crucial pieces of legislation are on the table, including removing exclusionary language for our LGBTQia friends.
You may be hearing a lot about General Conference through various news outlets, so I thought it might be helpful to offer you a summary from the Minnesota Conference of the UMC newsletter about what’s happening over these two weeks and then to offer three things you can do.
FROM THE MINNESOTA CONFERENCE UMC NEWSLETTER
General Conference, The United Methodist Church’s top legislative body, convenes on Tuesday, April 23, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Each delegate has been assigned to one of 13 legislative committees that will meet throughout this first week to review and provide recommendations on hundreds of petitions. Petitions approved by a legislative committee will move on for consideration by the full body of delegates when they are all together in plenary session next week.
This denominational gathering is important for a couple of reasons: It highlights our connectionalism at work and celebrates the ways in which we are making a difference together as a worldwide church. Additionally, the decisions made impact the ways in which we live and work together in ministry as part of that greater connection. There is great anticipation that The United Methodist Church will chart out a new future with proposed legislation on revised social principles, regionalization, and removal of the restrictive language related to LGBTQIA+ persons. But because the legislative process is complex, there is bound to be some disappointment that not every hope is met. Whatever happens or does not happen at General Conference, the ministry we are committed to in the Minnesota Annual Conference will go forward. We will continue to be a church that is rooted in Jesus, grounded in Wesleyan theology, inclusive of all persons, and engaged in the work of justice and reconciliation, with the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. General Conference will not change who we are as the Minnesota Conference or who we are in Christ.
3 THINGS YOU CAN DO
Pray. To start, you might like to use Bishop Lanette Plambeck’s Prayer for General Conference as a framework.
Stay informed. There are several ways to stay connected to what’s happening at the General Conference. Here’s a list to choose from.
- 10 things to know about General Conference
- Official General Conference web page
- General Conference News and Commentary through UMNews.org.
- Subscribe to the Daily Digest to receive the latest news from General Conference.
- General Conference Facebook page
Be assured. Echoing the statement from the Minnesota Conference above, let me assure you that whatever happens at General Conference will not derail our strategic commitment at Park to be a place of welcome and belonging. Rooted in Jesus, we will continue the work of being inclusive of all persons. Christ is all and in all (Col. 3:11).
Much love,
Pastor Gregg
