Ask The UMC The UMC really series

The United Methodist Church is forging a new identity beginning with actions taken at the 2020/2024 General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina (April 23-May 3, 2024). This series will explore in some detail what elements of this new identity are already in effect, which will go into effect in January 2025, and what will go into effect beginning in late spring 2026 should 31 proposed constitutional amendments be ratified by the annual conferences in the coming months.

Parts 1-3 of this series will focus on what is already in effect now.

Part 4-6 will address the Revised Social Principles, the deletion of disaffiliation legislation, and the mandate to create processes for reaffiliation, which go into effect on January 1, 2025.

Part 7 will address the process of regionalization, assuming the 28 constitutional amendments required to do so are ratified, and the work on the Global Book of Discipline that still lies ahead.

Part 1: De-centering the United States: United States Regional Committee
Part 2: Ending some chargeable offenses
Part 3: Reinstating some clergy
Part 4: Speaking to the world with (closer to) one voice: Revised Social Principles
Part 5: Ending disaffiliation
Part 6: Opening the door to reaffiliation
Part 7: De-constructing colonialism, patriarchy, racism, and inequity: Regionalization and other constitutional amendments

Part 1: Decentering the United States: The United States Regional Committee

By passing legislation immediately creating a United States Regional Committee, the 2024 General Conference has already taken a significant step to de-center the United States in the ongoing work of the General Conference.

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Part 2: Ending some chargeable offenses

The 2024 General Conference removed the description of one chargeable offense against clergy and removed a second chargeable offense against clergy entirely.

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Part 3: Reinstating some clergy

The 2024 General Conference made provisions for clergy who had been removed or forced out because of their sexual identity or because they presided at a same-sex marriage or union ceremony to be reinstated. Learn about how this happened, how it works and the three clergy reinstated by annual conferences in 2024.

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Part 4: Speaking to the world with (closer to) one voice

The 2024 General Conference adopted a thoroughly revised set of Social Principles, the result of listening and feedback across the whole of the church worldwide over a period of more than a decade. Learn more about why this was necessary. how the process unfolded, and how the Revised Social Principles better reflect the voices of the whole of the denomination, helping it address the world with closer to one voice.

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Part 5: Ending disaffliation

The 2024 General Conference received nearly 30 petitions to request that the disaffiliation provisions of the expired Paragraph 2553 be extended in some way. Instead, it deleted the paragraph. How did this happen, and what will happen now that disaffiliation is no longer an option?

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Part 6: Opening the door to reaffiliation

The 2024 General Conference has required annual conferences impacted by disaffiliation to develop their own policies to readmit those congregations that wish to reaffiliate. Two annual conferences have completed this task. Others are in process.

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This content was produced by Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications.

Ask The UMC series: The United Methodist Church really is ...

Part 1: Decentering the United States: The United States Regional Committee

Part 2: Ending some chargeable offenses

Part 3: Reinstating some clergy

Part 4: Speaking to the world with (closer to) one voice

Part 5: Ending disaffliation

Part 6: Opening the door to reaffiliation

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