And Church D might be open in their stance that they do not support lesbian or gay relationships, while still relating to each individual as a child of God.Īlso under the plan, each Annual Conference would have more autonomy in setting standards for the ordination of qualified candidates with regard to their orientation. Church C might not say anything one way or the other. Church B might encourage and ask for an openly gay pastor, as well as advertise their support of gay marriage, including in their facilities. So, Church A might openly advertise that the LGBT community is welcome. In essence, the “One Church Plan” would delete the exclusionary language currently in T he Book of Discipline and allow each local church to make their own decision about how they will respond/include LGBT congregants and requests for marriage. The Council of Bishops reviewed the recommendations and will allow all three recommendations from the Commission on the Way Forward (COWF) to come to the special called General Conference in 2019, with their recommendation being for the “One Church Plan.” The commission has met various times since the 2016 General Conference and this year submitted a report which included three plans for moving forward. The Commission on the Way Forward: A group of 32 United Methodists, commissioned by the Council of Bishops, including 2 bishops, clergy, and laity, charged with creating options for how the UMC might move forward on issues that relate to LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/allied) inclusion, marriage, and ordination. Our annual conference meets in June to assign, commission and ordain leaders to service, set a budget, decide policy, and response to issues that specifically relate to missions and ministry in our conference. Our Annual Conference is The Pacific Northwest (PNW) and includes Washington and the panhandle of Idaho (with a couple of extra churches in Montana and Canada). In essence, they serve as the legislative branch of the UMC.Īnnual Conference: The body and annual meeting of churches in a particular state/region/”conference”. The General Conference is the ONLY body of the UMC that can change our polity ( The Book of Discipline). The Pacific Northwest Conference is allocated two out of the 864 that will be seated. The number of delegates is decided much like the House of Representatives (more people = more representatives). General Conference: The quadrennial meeting of The United Methodist Church including clergy and laity from each annual conference. As a body, the bishops do not hold power to make legislative decisions. Specifically, the General Conference of 2016 asked the Council to lead the church when it came to a stalemate relating to LGBT inclusion. The Council of Bishops will regularly respond to national and global issues. The Council of Bishops: All of the active and retired Bishops from across the global United Methodist connection function together as the executive branch for the denomination. This letter will cover the basics of what’s happened with links if you’re interested in learning or reading more.Īs always, as your pastor, I’m happy to meet and talk about anything that concerns or interests you. For some of us this upcoming meeting has been interesting, for others it’s been painful, for others frustrating, and for still others, it hasn’t even come across our screen. ![]() Over the last few months, United Methodists have been hearing about the work of the Commission on the Way Forward with, now, anticipation is growing for the special called General Conference in February of 2019. – Patrick Scrivenįor updates and information about the GC2019, including statements from leaders across the Western Juriisdiction, please visit: For those who haven’t started to do so already, I hope this example with inspire you to consider your own plans for keeping your congregation well informed and encouraged to be in loving conversation with one another. Debbie has generously agreed to share it with our larger audience as an example, and has updated it since she originally sent it to members of Moscow First UMC earlier this year.Īs the special session draws closer, it should be expected that interest in many local churches will grow, especially as we move past the holidays. ![]() Debbie Sperry to share information and open dialogue with her local church members about February’s special session of General Conference. Credit: Sam Valadi via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.Įditor’s Note: The following letter was written by Rev. Louis, Missouri is the site of the special session of General Conference in February of 2019.
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