The 2020/2024 Book of Discipline marks significant shifts in the polity and policies of The United Methodist Church. This series explores these shifts in five different areas, noting the highlights of changes within each of them.
Part 1: Local Churches, Annual Conferences and General Agencies
At a General Conference that seemed focused on the three R's (regionalization, revised Social Principles, and removing language targeting non-heterosexual people for disparate treatment), new legislation related to local churches, annual conferences and general agencies was less emphasized, but significant.
READ STORY Part 2: Bishops
Bishops will have greater flexibility to address unforeseen circumstances, greater equity between bishops in and outside the United States, and clearer processes for addressing issues and, if need be, removing bishops from active service."
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Part 3: Clergy
There were more changes made by the 2024 General Conference related to clergy than any other topic. The nature of many of these changes reflects an appreciation of clergy leadership in all its forms and its role in the future of the denomination.
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Part 4: Churchwide
Changes with churchwide impacts, in addition to regionalization and the revised Social Principles, moved the denominations toward greater equity and inclusion.
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Part 5: Human Sexuality
The 2024 General Conference made more changes regarding the denomination's position on human sexuality than any previous General Conference in the history of American Methodism.
READ STORY
This content was produced by Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications.
