Dear Central Family:
The General Conference of the United Methodist Church is the denomination's top legislative body for all matters affecting the United Methodist connection and typically gathers every four years. The General Conference is comprised of 862 elected delegates from around the world and is the only body that may make policy decisions for the denomination.
The 2020 General Conference was postponed last May due to the global pandemic and was re-scheduled to convene in late August 2021 in Minneapolis, MN. Yesterday, the Commission on General Conference announced that the General Conference will be postponed again until August 29, 2022 due to the pandemic.
The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church has opted to call a special General Conference in May 2021 for the purpose of voting on a suspension of the rules so that 12 administrative proposals can be voted on by mail-in ballots. The proposals are intended to help the denomination function until the full General Conference can be held.
In early 2019, a diverse group of 16 leaders within the denomination put forth a Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation plan that provides for an amicable separation in the denomination. The proposal has drawn wide support from various advocacy groups within the denomination, but it appears that this legislation will remain sidelined until the
2022 General Conference. In the meantime, the existing provisions of the Book of Discipline, which provides for the governance of the denomination, will remain unchanged.
Should you desire to review more information about the postponement of the General Conference, you may wish to review this article from the United Methodist News Service.
On the Journey with You!
Dr. Jan Davis
Senior Pastor
Dr. Steve Pulliam
Executive Pastor
Brian Swain
Executive Director
