Conference Acts on Protocol, Christmas Covenant

United Methodist Bishops Rodolfo A. Juan (left), Ciriaco Q. Francisco (center) and Pedro M. Torio Jr. preside over a session of the Philippines Annual Conference Cavite, meeting in Tagaytay City, Philippines. The conference endorsed and sent to the 2020 General Conference legislation for the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation and for the Christmas Covenant, two key proposals for the future of The United Methodist Church. Photo courtesy of the United Methodist Youth Fellowship of Philippines Annual Conference, Cavite.

TAGAYTAY CITY, Philippines (UM News) — The Philippines Conference Cavite has endorsed and sent to the 2020 General Conference legislation for the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation and for the Christmas Covenant. Both proposals foresee major change for The United Methodist Church. Gladys P. Mangiduyos and Sam Hodges report. 

The annual conference, meeting in regular session Feb. 12-14 in Tagaytay City, Philippines, also endorsed and forwarded the Christmas Covenant, another potentially key piece of legislation for the future of The United Methodist Church. Both proposals were developed after the official petition deadline for the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly, scheduled May 5-15 in Minneapolis.

However, a little-used part of the Book of Discipline — the denomination’s policy book — lets annual conferences submit legislation later if they meet between 230 and 45 days before General Conference.

Other annual conferences are due to take up the protocol, but PAC Cavite, as the conference is known, appears to be the first to endorse it and send it on to General Conference.  Read more>