Wednesday was a banner day at General Conference with many significant petitions passed by the body:
Gay Clergy Allowed, Same-Sex Wedding Penalties Removed
In the morning plenary session, the General Conference passed the consent calendar that appeared in Tuesday's Daily Christian Advocate. On that calendar were two items: The removal of Book of Discipline ¶304.3 that banned “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy, and the removal of penalties for clergy who officiate same-sex weddings.
You can read the United Methodist News story on this historic action at this link. Bishop Farr and Rev. Kim Jenne, director of Connectional Ministries, briefly unpack both of these items in this video.
All Regionalization Measures Pass
On Wednesday, delegates passed the final piece of legislation in the worldwide regionalization package of petitions. These measures, a few of which are constitutional amendments, aim to put the different geographic regions of the denomination on equal footing. According to United Methodist News Service, under the legislation, the U.S. and each central conference — church regions in Africa, Europe and the Philippines — would become regional conferences with the same authority to adapt the Book of Discipline, the denomination’s policy book, for more missional effectiveness. Two Missouri delegation members worked on this legislation ahead of General Conference. View an informational video from them on our Facebook page.
Compass Retirement Plan Passes
After voting to close the clergy retirement security program (CRSP) on Monday, the body voted to pass the Compass retirement plan presented by Wespath. Compass is a defined contribution plan rather than a defined benefit plan, which is what historically has been offered. Read more about Compass in this story.
Disaffiliation and Reaffiliation
On Wednesday, the General Conference voted to remove Book of Discipline ¶2553, the pathway for disaffiliation that was passed at the Special Session of General Conference in 2019. Additionally, in a separate measure, the General Conference voted that, where applicable, every annual conference should have a policy of reaffiliation for the churches seeking to return to the connection.
View the full wrap-up at umnews.org.
Missouri and Mozambique Celebrate Connection
Mozambique and Missouri delegations gathered Tuesday night to celebrate more than 30 years of friendship and partnership in ministry.
What Now?
While some of the most newsworthy items have passed at General Conference, there are still dozens of petitions that must be considered before the close of session on Friday. Those items include things like the denomination's budget, removing the ban on same-sex weddings, the last batch of revised social principles (including one on gun violence), sustainable Wespath investments, sacramental authority for deacons and more. You can watch the livestream at this link.
