General Conference organizers voted in April to shorten The United Methodist Church’s next legislative assembly by two days.
At the same time they moved forward with Minneapolis as the host city while exploring adding a possible second site in Canada for delegates unable to secure a visa to the U.S.
During the commission’s online meeting, Fulbright and Sharah Dass, the General Conference business manager, outlined the steps their office is taking to enable as many of the 708 elected clergy and lay delegates as possible to meet safely and comfortably in Minneapolis. Elections of delegates are just beginning at United Methodist annual conferences around the world.
New Conference Framework
General Conference typically meets over a two-week period. The commission, at this point, has approved a framework for a schedule that spans nine days with more detailed programming decisions to come later.
The framework calls for opening worship at 3 p.m. U.S. Central time Monday, May 8, followed by adoption of the rules. The next three days will include orientation for delegates from Africa, Europe and the Philippines as well as meetings by the Standing Committee on Regional Conference Matters outside the U.S.A., and a new General Conference legislative committee that will deal solely with U.S. matters. The U.S. legislative committee will only be meeting at this General Conference. It will go away after the formation of the new U.S. Regional Conference.
Plenaries and other legislative sessions begin on Friday, May 12. As has been the pattern for recent General Conference sessions, Sunday, May 14 will be a day of worship and rest, and General Conference is set to complete its work at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 16.
This tight schedule means that delegates will need to do a lot of preparation ahead of time. The commission is working with United Methodist Communications to prepare webinars for delegates to prepare for General Conference.
While organizers do not know yet how many petitions will be submitted to General Conference, they already know of two significant packages that will be coming before delegates:
- Legislation to create a General Book of Discipline that specifies what parts of the denomination’s law book apply to all regions of the denomination and what parts can be adapted by regional conferences.
- A proposal to unify Discipleship Ministries, United Methodist Communications, Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry into a single agency.
Safety Concerns and Financial Constraints
GC organizers were holding a meeting after receiving a letter from the denomination’s InterEthnic Strategy Development Group raising concerns about the Minneapolis location following the federal government’s crackdown.
The interethnic group consists of leaders of the denomination’s five ethnic caucuses representing Asian American, Black, Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Islander United Methodists. The group’s letter, among other things, urges the commission to develop a comprehensive safety plan in partnership with church leaders.
Both the decision to shorten General Conference and stick with Minneapolis result in part from financial considerations.
The commission is working within a $10 million budget for an event that typically costs between $12 million and $14 million. The organizers are also working to make up for a $1.8 million budget deficit inherited from multiple earlier General Conference sessions.
By staying in Minneapolis, Fulbright said, the commission is able to realize credits in the city after the pandemic-caused postponement of the 2020 GC.
Your Generosity Can Continue the Work
By supporting the General Administration Fund apportionment you help support the implementation and administrative oversight for all General Conference sessions. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the General Administration Fund apportionment at 100 percent.
excerpt from a story by Heather Hahn, multimedia news reporter, United Methodist News Service
This story shows the impact of the General Administration Fund—one of seven apportionment funds of The United Methodist Church—to maintain the structures that keep the Church connected, transparent, and accountable. Your church’s support enables the coordination of General Conference, the Judicial Council, and other systems that ensure integrity and stewardship in our shared mission.
When your church supports the General Administration Fund, you help the Church steward its resources wisely and live out its mission with integrity.
