[Due to our move to Arvada from Denver in April-June, 2020, a scooter accident with an mTBI (concussion), and some surgery, my work on this site has fallen behind events--infrequent as they have been since the cancellation of the 2020 General Conference due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. Here are some significant happenings to date (December 10, 2020):]
Neocolonial Manipulations by Good News and WCA Are Resurfacing:
"American exceptionalism plays a crucial role for United Methodist traditionalists in defining their worldview and reaction to situations in the global church. They have difficulty admitting failure with humility; instead, they have a tendency to blame and break the institution, burn the house and point to everyone else but themselves as the problem. Sadly, this evil persists today in our denomination." By Lloyd Nyarota, Special to United Methodist Insight, Dec. 9, 2020 (also here).*
Council Urges No New US Bishops for 4 years, by Heather Hahn, UM News, November 6, 2020; Related: Filipinos debate, approve extension of bishops' terms, By Gladys P. Mangiduyos, Dec. 8, 2020 | UM News
Delegates discuss mapping new church vision, By Heather Hahn, Dec. 3, 2020 | UM News (also here).
New Progressive Methodist denomination starts: "A group of progressive United Methodists and other Christians launched a new denomination named the Liberation Methodist Connexion, or LMX. The new church aims to center on the voices of people of color as well as queer and transgender individuals — those the LMX organizers see as marginalized in The United Methodist Church." by Heather Hahn, United Methodist News, Dec. 2, 2020. Religion News Service story.
Norway, Germany move to more inclusivity, "The United Methodist Church in both Norway and Germany made decisions about becoming more inclusive of LGBTQ people in their congregations. During a virtual meeting in late November, the Norway Conference made plans to issue a public apology to LGBTQ people as part of an ongoing process leading to full inclusion. The United Methodist Church would be the first church in Norway to issue such an apology." By Karl Anders Ellingsen and Klaus Ulrich Ruof, Dec. 1, 2020 | UM News
Protocol Legislation Tops Agenda of UMC 'High Court,' "The United Methodist Judicial Council expects to decide soon whether it has the jurisdiction to consider the constitutionality of legislation for a proposed plan for separating the denomination. A March 11 request from the Council of Bishops for a ruling on the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation has been added to the docket for the top court’s first judicial session since the coronavirus pandemic began. The court will also revisit a request concerning improper voting at the 2019 General Conference. by Linda Bloom, UM News, November 14, 2020
New General Conference dates announced: "Organizers have announced that the next General Conference will be Aug. 29-Sept. 7, 2021, in Minneapolis, despite pleas that the decision-making body not meet at the start of the academic year. However, the organizers are still looking for ways to ensure delegates, even if they can’t meet in person, can participate online in what many expect to be a historic legislative meeting." By Heather Hahn, UM News, May 26, 2020
*[Here for your reference is the website of the Renewal and Reform Coalition, which is leading a movement away from the United Methodist Church (in my opinion): Methodist Crossroads is a project of the Renewal and Reform Coalition, a collaborative effort of Good News, Confessing Movement, UMAction, the Renew Women’s Network, Lifewatch, and Transforming Congregations.]