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More than 600 U.S. United Methodists spent three days grappling with possible options for forging what they hope will be a more just and inclusive church future. What united those at UMCNext, which met May 20-22 behind closed doors, was their opposition to the Traditional Plan.

United Methodists are wrestling with what’s next in a multinational denomination still deeply divided over the role of LGBTQ Christians. Some 350 U.S. United Methodists staked out their position during the May 17-18 gathering, launching a movement centered on voices they see as too often marginalized — namely people of color and queer and transgender individuals.

Nashville, May 17 - The United Methodist Publishing House has published an Addendum to the 2016 Book of Discipline containing the changes to the Book of Discipline resulting from the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference. The new text of each paragraph or subparagraph affected is included in the Addendum. These will replace the corresponding portions printed in the 2016 Book of Discipline, and should be used when preparing petitions to the 2020 General Conference. The majority of these...

The decision of the 2019 United Methodist General Conference was not the last word for many in the denomination. Every day seems to bring another public statement in support of LGBTQ people and their role in The United Methodist Church or in defense of the Traditional Plan, which states homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.”

NASHVILLE, Tennessee: Beginning today, United Methodists may apply online to serve as volunteer marshals or pages during The United Methodist Church’s 2020 General Conference. The denomination’s top legislative assembly will meet May 5-15, 2020, in Minneapolis. Approximately 175 volunteers are needed to serve as marshals and pages during General Conference. Marshals are responsible for assisting visitors and special guests in the visitor and reserved seating galleries, checking credentials to ...

Connecticut United Methodists are praying that a federal appeals court will reopen the immigration case of Nelson Pinos. His two teenage daughters, who are U.S. citizens, and the Rev. Vicki Flippin, pastor of the church where he sought sanctuary, were among those attending the May 14 hearing.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chicago: The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church approved a motion to work with the Connectional Table (CT) on proposed legislation for General Conference 2020 to create a regional structure similar to that of a central conference for churches in the United States. The proposed legislation, developed this quadrennium by the CT’s U.S. Contextual Ministries Advisory Group, puts forth a two-stage process for creating the regional conference: Stage I creates a ...

The Judicial Council rulings on the Traditional Plan and the disaffiliation legislation passed at the 2019 General Conference are presented in a chart with links to the full text of all of the rulings.

For Immediate Release April 26, 2019 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Council of Bishops expresses its deep gratitude to the Judicial Council for its careful review of the actions of the 2019 General Conference. The Judicial Council’s decisions are clear and sound, and they give helpful guidance to the Church. In Decision 1378, the Judicial Council ruled that the constitutional parts of the Traditional Plan enacted by the General Conference were severable from those parts that it ruled were ...

By Linda Bloom April 26, 2019 | EVANSTON, Ill. (UMNS) The United Methodist Church’s top court has found that while some provisions of the newly adopted Traditional Plan remain unconstitutional, the rest of the plan is valid as church law. That was the Judicial Council’s ruling on a requested review of the Traditional Plan, which was approved during a special denomination-wide legislative session in February to strengthen enforcement of bans on “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy and same-sex ...

April 23, 2019   To the People of The United Methodist Church I invite the people of The United Methodist Church to be in prayer for the Judicial Council, which is in session this week.  In particular, the Judicial Council is focusing on the constitutionality of matters related to the Special Session of the General Conference held in February. As the Judicial Council members reflect on the disaffiliation of local churches, they will also be clarifying the meaning of our connection, within ...

Beth Capen By Linda Bloom April 22, 2019 | UMNS The United Methodist Church’s top court is poised to review actions taken in February during a contentious legislative session that still threatens to divide the denomination. The Judicial Council meets April 23-26 in Evanston, Illinois. No oral hearings are scheduled, and the court’s rulings will be posted on its website at some point after the session concludes. Beth Capen, a member of the New York Conference, serves on the Judicial Council. ...

The New York Conference is preparing their response to aid those devastated by Cyclone Idai on the southeast coast of Africa. The NYAC has a long-standing relationship with the UMC in Mozambique.

The New York Conference gathered on Saturday, March 16, to reflect on and hear reports from Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton and the 2019 General Conference delegation about the special called session in St. Louis. Some 900 people attended the daylong event at the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase.

The following statement was presented at the special New York Annual Conference on Saturday, March 16, 2019, at the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase College: The vote at the United Methodist General Conference in St. Louis caused great harm and spiritual violence to the LGBTQIA+ community. The New York Annual Conference grieves this hurt. We pledge to continue to affirm the lives, ministries, and families of our LGBTQIA+ siblings. We pledge to continue to love and serve all people. We ...