GC2020 Legislation: The United Methodist Communion of Churches
by Chris Ritter
General Conference 2020 needs better options. The votes to uphold our current language on Christian marriage and sexuality are perhaps narrowly present, but the United Methodist Church has become ungovernable as currently constituted. All legislation allowing some of the church to leave are problematic in one way or another. We have no good plans, only various bad ones.
A few months ago a member of the Judicial Council called me to say the only solution for United Methodism is a new constitution. Would I be interested in writing one? At the time, I wasn’t. The Indy Team was assembled and my plate was full. When the Indy negotiations recently ended, I sat down and began typing. What follows is a new constitution that transforms the United Methodist Church into The United Methodist Communion of Churches. It includes detailed transitional provisions and is modeled somewhat on the Anglican Communion. [Read the plan and the legislation here.]
Chris Ritter is the Directing Pastor of Geneseo First United Methodist Church, a delegate to the 2019 General Conference, and author.