The United Methodist General Conference, the highest legislative decision-making body in the denomination, is meeting April 23 to May 3, 2024, Charlotte, NC. We know a lot of information is available and that finding it all can feel overwhelming. We hope this page will serve as a gentle landing for you to learn more about the General Conference, proposals for Regionalization, Removing Discriminatory Anti-LGBTQ+ Language, and Revised Social Principles, as well as roundtable discussions held by UMCNext and resources from Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN). We also hope to include informative links from some of our local partners. If you have resources you would like to share, please email communications@foundryumc.org
General Conference - Website for the General Conference in Charlotte, NC, April 23 to May 3, 2024. You can find the schedule and links to all the proposed legislation. If you see a reference to “2020”, yes, the 2020 General Conference is being held this year!
Removing Discriminatory Anti-LGBTQ+ Language from the United Methodist Book of Discipline
Foundry, in conjunction with partners locally and across the United Methodist connection, has worked
for years in efforts to remove discriminatory anti-LGBTQ+ language from the rules of the United
Methodist Church. This
document summarizes needed changes and corresponding legislation.
The Future of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the UMC: Bishop Karen Oliveto (Virtual Porch presentation
organized by Reconciling Ministries Network)
While you can read the current wording on the books in the official rules here, you might like this 4-part “A History of Incompatibility” in comic form from Rev. Charlie Baber in the Wesley Bros comic.
The Social Principles serve as the United Methodist Church’s official summary of stated convictions on social issues of the day. The General Board of Church and Society went through an extensive process to gain input to a complete revision of the Social Principles, as opposed to the more minor revisions that have been made at each General Conference since 1972 (the current denomination was formed in 1968) Read more on the Revised Social Principles, including proposed legislation.
Legislation on a wide range of topics has been submitted for the General Conference’s consideration. All the legislation is available in three volumes of the Advance Daily Christian Advocate click here for the proposed legislation.
Here are links to legislation from a few different entities:
This January 2024 article from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership looks at statistics on churches that have chosen to leave the United Methodist Church.
