news stories Tagged “General Conference 2016”
Bishop Webb offering fall gatherings for A Way Forward
July 24, 2018 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
This fall, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb is hosting six gatherings around the Conference in preparation for Special Session of General Conference to talk about Commission on a Way Forward for The United Methodist Church. The gatherings will include a presentation of the plan and process of General Conference, a time to remember our mission, and worship and prayer. Click here to find the dates and …more
GC2016 wrap-up: Farewell, Portland. Thanks for the doughnuts.
May 23, 2016 / By Joey Butler
Believe it or not, General Conference 2016 spent more than twice as much time debating a Rule of Order than the hot topic of human sexuality. After almost three days of considering an alternative method for discussing legislation, The United Methodist Church’s top legislative body referred its most difficult subject – sexuality — to a study commission and moved on to other matters. A move to adjourn at 6:30 every …more
May 19 wrap-up: New missionaries, special GC costs
May 20, 2016 / By Joey Butler
A day after tabling potentially contentious legislation on human sexuality, General Conference 2016 moved through its calendar at a steady clip, possibly noticing that time to finish its task is running short. Though discussion on the difficult subject was avoided, that other difficult subject — money — had to be addressed. Would the “way forward” set the church financially backward? How much does the bishops’ plan cost? The …more
GC2016: Oppose mascots that demean Native Americans
May 20, 2016 / By Sam Hodges
Delegates to General Conference 2016 overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on United Methodist agencies to raise awareness about the harm caused by sports teams that use mascots or symbols that disrespect Native Americans. The petition that passed May 19 had been amended in the Discipleship Committee, deleting language that would have called on United Methodist groups not to have meetings in cities that have sports teams with such mascots or symbols. There …more
Delegates react to plan to defer human sexuality petitions
May 20, 2016 / By Kathy L. Gilbert
Love will keep us together, the Rev. Eli Sule Yakku of Central Nigeria said at the end of a long day filled with both kind and harsh words on the floor of the 2016 General Conference over lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people and their role in The United Methodist Church. The day started with a silent vigil by LGBTQ clergy and clergy candidates. Delegates walked past people wearing robes …more
Americans are more polarized than ever. We United Methodists don’t want to be.
May 20, 2016 / By Tom Berlin and Mike McCurry
In an ever-more-polarized society, the United Methodist Church this week has tried to model an approach to disagreement that the U.S. political system would do well to emulate. Despite deep differences over gay marriage and whether gay men and lesbians can be ordained as clergy, we are working hard at our once-every-four-years meeting to stay united as we search for solutions. Like Americans, we United Methodists have …more
Imagine No Malaria celebration rocks the house
May 19, 2016 / By Crystal Caviness and Barbara Dunlap-Berg
“Our God is able!” Celebrating the success of the Imagine No Malaria initiative, launched in 2008, speakers, singers and dancers offered even more for United Methodists attending General Conference 2016 to imagine – Abundant Health: Our Promise to Children. “Health is the ultimate design of God for humanity,” said Bishop Thomas Bickerton, Imagine No Malaria chair. “Health and wholeness have been a hope for Methodists since John …more
GC2016 puts hold on sexuality debate
May 19, 2016 / By Heather Hahn and Sam Hodges
General Conference delegates apparently have hit the pause button on the denomination's quadrennial debates related to homosexuality. Late afternoon May 18, the delegates voted by 428 to 405 to accept the recommendation of the Council of Bishops to delay a debate on homosexuality at this gathering of the denomination’s top legislative assembly and let a proposed commission study church regulations. The bishops asked for the …more
May 18 wrap-up: Sexuality dominates debate in unexpected ways
May 19, 2016 / By Joey Butler
Last week it was debating how to debate. Today, it was voting on whether to vote. A day of tension, frustration and confusion ended in a decision to “put a pin in it.” Delegates to General Conference 2016 spent most of the day deciding whether to move forward on dozens of petitions regarding the denomination’s stance on human sexuality, or whether to refer that difficult subject to …more
Offering a Way Forward: A Statement from the Council of Bishops
May 18, 2016 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor's Note: Below is a statement released by the Council of Bishops on Wednesday, May 18, 2016: "Your bishops were honored to receive the request of General Conference to help lead our United Methodist Church forward during this time of both great crisis and great opportunity. As far as we can discover, this is the first time that a General Conference has ever made such a request of the Council …more