Update, January 2022

: Created: 30 January 2022; Last Updated: 04 March 2022

Another update on the state of our United Methodist Church. I last posted over a year ago, and while I have continued my activism in the Western Methodist Justice Movement, I’ve slowed down a lot, while keeping active in the Arvada UMC, just a mile from our house here in Arvada, Colorado, USA.

Movement towards a resolution of the impasse that initially was hoped to be resolved by the 2019 General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, has been slowed and delayed by the continuing crisis of the worldwide pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus and its illness, COVID-19. General Conference 2020 was postponed twice, and may or may not happen Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 2022, despite calls from young adult UMs to schedule it at a time that doesn’t coincide with the start of the school year. Disappointment, relief, anxiety—mixed emotions surround the postponement. [Update: now postponed to 2024!]

United Methodist congregations continue to wait with more or less patience for the resolution. There are now new Methodist movements forming, the Liberation Methodist Connexion, a progressive, inclusive, and liberationist expression, and the Global Methodist Church, a conservative evangelical expression of Methodism. Here are two stories about groups of Methodists forming:

Liberation Methidost Connexion

More on the Global Methodist Church

Here’s a recent overview from UM-Insight: https://um-insight.net/in-the-church/umc-future/debate-about-church-future-heats-up/

GC2020 Resource Page has all legislation introduced for the 2020 General Conference. Note that if it is decided to skip the GC 2020 altogether, all proposed legislation will need to be re-introduced! The Commission on the General Conference outlines next steps for when it might finally happen.

There are individual churches disaffiliating with the United Methodist Church utilizing the paragraph in the book of order, The Book of Discipline, paragraph 2553, which was added at the 2019 GC.

While there appear to be provisions for an Annual Conference to disaffiliate with all its churches and property, in paragraph 33 and Judicial Council decision 1366, the process depends on General Conference. The Protocol, if it is passed by General Conference, has provisions for this, in a new paragraph 2556.(1.b., 3.b.)

Most recently, a group has publicized a letter to the Bishops calling for a graceful, not legislative solution to the problems related to the treatment and inclusion of LGBTQIA persons in the UMC which were not aleviated by the GC of 2019. GC 2019, in fact, exacerbated the problems and harm to LGBTQIA persons, a development which led to the revolt of churches who insisted that the church be inclusive and non-punitive towards these folks. This revolt is what inspired this site to be expanded to document it.

Here is the UMNews story and the associated document:

The Christmas Covenant is a plan for regionalization of the UMC in response to the very different missional settings around the world. It was written by leaders from The Philippines, Europe, and Africa, and proposed to the 2020 GC by the Philippines Cavite Annual Conference, and continues to garner support. (See this previous story from December, 2019.) The Mountain Sky Conference and the California-Pacific Conference have both endorsed this plan, as have East Mindanao Philippines, Visayas Philippines and Mindanao Philippines Conferences. The Connectional Table is also supporting it.

Among the many suggestions for reorganization as outlined in this section of this site, is the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation, a plan developed by a cross-section of a number of viewpoints of the UMC, facilitated by a famed mediator. The Judicial Council delayed consideration of the constitutionality of the protocol in their April 2021 meeting.

Other stories of significance on the reorganization of the UMC in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic include these:

Bishops Urge Attention to Dates

Christmas Covenant and Protocol complement each other. 2/14/20

Filipinos Gather To Consider Plans 4/6/21

Delegates Call For Jurisdictional Conferences to Meet—and elect new leadership 4/23/21

Gathrings Consider the Plan 10/4/21

What Happens If GC Doesn’t Happen? Part 1. 9/30/20, Part 2. 10/7/20

On A Distributed GC

Technology Study Team Formed 10/27/20

Does the UMC or GC actually exist? 10/12/20

Groups Discuss UMC Future 2/24/21

Another Vision for the UMC, from 4 Continents: Out of Chaos 12/20/20 - 2/23/21