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Articles about developments of alternatives for the future of The United Methodist Church: discussions of options, other expressions of the Methodist or Wesleyan Way, new alignments, petitions and resolutions approved in annual conferences, etc.

Leadership Gathering Revs Up Participants to Hold Conversations on UMC's Future

by Cynthia B. Astle (Used by permission of United Methodist Insight.) 
September 27, 2019

LEAWOOD, Kansas – Part history lesson, part camp meeting and part church politics, the future of The United Methodist Church as a worldwide denomination took center stage at the 2019 session of the Leadership Institute at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.

Billed early on as the official debut of the “Next Generation UMC” Plan, the event turned out to include a presentation on the competing Indianapolis Plan along with references to other “futuring” schemes now submitted for action at the 2020 General Conference May 5-15, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minn. (See accompanying article).

Read more: Leadership Gathering Holds Conversations on UMC Future

Annual event becomes forum on church’s future

By Sam Hodges
Sept. 27, 2019 | LEAWOOD, Kan. (UM News)

A typical Leadership Institute at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection offers advice to church leaders of various denominations for growing their congregations in size and mission work.

Not this year.

With The United Methodist Church actively entertaining the possibility of a breakup, due to longstanding divisions over homosexuality, Leadership Institute 2019 turned into a centrists’ and progressives’ forum for discussion and strategizing about the denomination’s future.

Read more: COR Leadership Institute Focuses on Future of UMC

by Cynthia B. Astle (Used by permission of United Methodist Insight.) 
June 10, 2019

It’s official: the Rev. Thomas Lambrecht, vice president of Good News has written a column noting that “reform and renewal” forces are getting their collective butts kicked in 2020 General Conference elections. Thus far, according to Rev. Lambrecht, U. S. conservative forces for GC2020 have been reduced by about 20 percent. Among those NOT elected to General Conference are some prominent names such as the Rev. Rob Renfroe (Texas Conference), president of Good News; and the Rev. Jeff Greenway (Western Pennsylvania Conference), a leader of the Wesleyan Covenant Association.

Read more: 'Reform & Renewal' Forces Acknowledge 20 Percent Delegate Drop

by Council of Bishops Press Release (from UM-Insight)

September 23, 2019

CHICAGO – Dozens of key African-American laity, clergy and episcopal leaders met in Chicago on Sept. 19 and 20 to discern and map out the future of the Black Church in The United Methodist Church as a prelude to the 2020 General Conference.

Organized by the Ebony Bishops and facilitated by the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR), the meeting brought together leaders of the different constituencies of the Black Church for a time of prayer, reflection, and mutual conversation around concerns about the future of both the Black Church and the United Methodist Church and  what the Black Church has to offer in this season of discernment.

Read more: Black Leaders Meet to Discuss Future of United Methodist Church

  1. The Current Three-Way Standoff in the UMC
  2. The winding road ahead for United Methodism
  3. The Bursting of the Methodist Wineskin
  4. Reflections on Where We Are
  5. Western Jurisdiction Holds "Fresh United Methodism Summit"
  6. African Pastor Calls For Honesty in Global Methodism
  7. Two Traditionalist Arguments that Fall Flat
  8. Global? Who You Calling 'Global'?
  9. Papers, Discussions, Research: UM-Insight.org
  10. Parody Humor; Venn Diagram; First African Reconciling Congregation
  11. GC2020: Pick Up a Pen, Start Writing
  12. The struggle for the perfect plan
  13. State of the UMC: Bloggers weigh in
  14. The US & the Central Conferences at the UM Scholars Conference
  15. Speech: Four Words, Three Rules, Two Standards, One Grace
  16. Commission on General Conference added to confusion
  17. Bishop Richard Wilke: A plea to the United Methodist Church
  18. Diverse group of United Methodists explores separation
  19. Plans canceled for GC2024 in Philippines
  20. Connectional Table Approves Legislation Creating New U.S. Structure
  21. Mainstream UMC Survey Results Show Urgency
  22. Scholars gather to champion LGBTQ inclusion
  23. Petition Process Open for 2020 General Conference
  24. Judicial Council Docket - October, 2019
  25. Church leaders look at options for future of denomination
  26. Apportionment collection rates down after GC2019
  27. Conferences Mull Denomination's Future
  28. What does it mean to Dissolve The United Methodist Church?
  29. Where The Money (Doesn't) Come From
  30. Bishops Release Rulings of Law on Ordinations, Finances
  31. Two Bishops Offer Plan for UMC Future
  32. Arbitration: A Possible Help in the Coming Separation
  33. UMC Bishops pose five questions to Judicial Council on Traditional Plan
  34. A Letter to Centrists
  35. General Conference is Broken; Annual Conferences Are Not
  36. US elections see shift in GC2020 delegates
  37. 76% of US Annual Conferences Reject Traditional Plan
  38. How To Restructure The UMC
  39. "Where Do We Go From Here?"
  40. June 20 Marks Four Significant Elections
  41. Inclusive Methodists secure Jurisdictional Conference majorities
  42. Recommended candidates offer open letter to leaders and colleagues
  43. A Texas-Size Wakeup Call for WCA
  44. "Know When To Hold 'Em, Know When to Fold 'Em..."
  45. Mountain Sky Conference Report
  46. An Open Letter to the WCA
  47. How The West Can Help the Rest
  48. Annual Conference 2019 Petition Results

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