General Conference Charlotte

Join Bishop Carter, Rev. Kim Ingram, and Jennifer Davis on Tuesday, May 7, at 4 p.m. as they walk us through all that happened during the General Conference in Charlotte. Questions for the panel may be submitted in advance.

Recalling the people who nurtured and encouraged his faith, United Methodism’s first Native American bishop said, “My friends, we have much more in common than not.” Wilson, who often shares the way Indigenous cultures look far into the future as they consider decisions, this time closed with a story from the six tribes that make up the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in the northeastern United States.

Newly passed legislation guarantees at least five bishops per jurisdiction. General Conference 2016 created the Jurisdictional Study Committee to examine the number, boundaries and missional priorities of the jurisdictions.

The United Methodist Church approved full communion with the Episcopal Church, leaving a similar move by the Episcopalians needed to clinch the deal. Retired Bishop Sally Dyck, the ecumenical officer of the Council of Bishops, said another ecumenical relationship also deepened, this one with the Moravian Church. The Rev. Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, delivered the sermon during morning worship centered on the day’s ecumenical theme.

General Conference delegates approved a new retirement plan for United Methodist clergy in the U.S. Called Compass, it is a defined contribution plan rather than the defined benefit plan that historically has been offered.

The WNCC Delegation to General Conference offer a statement on the historic events of the General Conference.

Today, the General Conference took historic action to remove paragraph 304.3 from our Book of Discipline. This action was affirmed by more than 93% of the worldwide body. There are two important implications for us in this.

General Conference delegates voted to delete the church disaffiliation policy from the Book of Discipline. They required annual conferences to set a reaffiliation policy for churches that want to return. They also passed the last of the regionalization petitions.

Read and watch daily summaries of what happened at General Conference.

Without any debate from the floor, the delegates gathered for the General Conference of The United Methodist Church voted to remove a ban on the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy that dates back to 1984.