In a February meeting in Copenhagen Denmark more than 80 United Methodist leaders from four continents pressed forward with a years-long effort to revamp the Book of Discipline, the denomination’s main policy book. The leaders wanted to make clear what parts of the Discipline bind all United Methodists together and what parts can be adjusted by the church’s different geographic regions.
That work has only grown more urgent now that United Methodist voters have ratified regionalization.
The leaders hope their work will make the idea of regionalization into a practical reality for how United Methodists carry out ministry worldwide.
Bishop Harald Rückert, who chaired the gathering, explained the assignment to the congregation of Jerusalem United Methodist Church, where those gathered to worship on February 8.
Regionalization Dictates Change in Policy Book
“Basically, we are tasked to try to help our church move into the future where we grant each other in our connection more freedom to do mission in a way that really addresses the needs of our context,” the German bishop said.
He added that the goal is “to grant us this freedom and at the same time stay together united as one United Methodist Church.”
The work in Copenhagen eventually will result in legislation that will be up for approval by the next General Conference scheduled in 2028.
General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly according to the Discipline, authorized the leaders to propose what’s being called the General Book of Discipline that truly applies worldwide.
The standing committee’s European accompaniment team has started work with United Methodists in the Czech Republic who have embarked on the Book of Discipline’s process for becoming an autonomous church. The three regional conferences in Europe also are starting to look at a possible restructuring.
Paragraph 101 lists the parts of the Discipline that are not up for adaptation. These essentials include the denomination’s constitution, doctrinal standards and Social Principles. What is under discussion is the Discipline’s Part VI — the policy book’s biggest section — which deals with matters of church organization and administration.
Church leaders are combing through Part VI to propose which provisions should remain in the nonadaptable General Book of Discipline and which should be moved to a newly created Part VII that contains the provisions that each regional conference can adapt.
A Universal Book of Discipline
The hope is that the work will result in a slimmer, more universal Discipline that doesn’t set up U.S. church policies as the default around which United Methodist regions in Africa, Asia and Europe must adapt.
Leading the work is the group Rückert chairs — what is now called the Standing Committee on Regional Conference Matters Outside the USA (previously the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters). The group is a permanent legislative committee of General Conference that meets between sessions. It is the only church body with a majority of its members from outside the U.S.
The standing committee plans to make final decisions on its legislation to General Conference at its next in-person meeting in February 2027.
At present, the bishops are forming an interim committee that will organize the first U.S. regional conference that’s set to convene after the 2028 General Conference.
This will be just an organizing body. U.S. annual conferences — bodies comprising multiple churches — will elect the General Conference and jurisdictional delegates who will be the voters at the regional conference.
The church leaders in Copenhagen expressed their prayers and support as United Methodists in the U.S. embark on de-centering themselves.
The church leaders also expressed excitement for the work ahead.
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excerpt from a story by Heather Hahn, assistant news editor for UM News
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