The theme of this year’s annual conference was “A New Creation,” with speakers emphasizing the church’s ability to maximize facilities to connect with the community, and the importance of enthusiasm, hospitality, and generosity. The following amendments (we are only showing the key language) were agreed to by large margins at the 2016 General Conference and were sent down to annual conferences for voting. The results of all votes from all annual conferences will be combined to determine the outcome.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment I
As the Holy Scripture reveals, both men and women are made in the image of God and, therefore, men and women are of equal value in the eyes of God,,, The United Methodist Church shall confront and seek to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, whether in organizations or in individuals, in every facet of its life and in society at large…
Proposed Constitutional Amendment II
The United Methodist Church acknowledges that all persons are of sacred worth… no conference or other organizational unit of the Church shall be structured so as to exclude any member or any constituent body of the Church because of race, color, national origin, ability, or economic condition, nor shall any member be denied access to an equal place in life… of the Church because of race, color, gender, national origin, ability age, marital status, or economic condition. The key addition is the word “gender.”
Proposed Constitutional Amendment III and IV
These amendments have to do with the Central conference being more in line with election procedures followed by the other conferences.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment V
The key change here is the addition of the following:
These provisions shall not preclude that adoption by the General Conference of… provisions for the Council of Bishops to hold its individual members accountable for their work, both as general superintendents and as presidents and residents in episcopal areas.
All appointments were confirmed including the reappointment of our own Pastor Elzie Odom, Jr. An ongoing problem of sexual harassment within the body was brought up ad hoc, and Bishop McKee promised an open, careful evaluation of the problem and additional solutions and safeguard to those already in place which are deemed by some to be insufficient. Bishop McKee also spoke on the subject of LGBT inclusion in the life of the church with emphasis on research showing that whatever the General Conference may decide, the vast majority of members will stay in the United Methodist Church, but that we may lose some on one side of the question or the other no matter what is decided.
The overall spirit of the conference was very good and a sense that we are going to move forward in a positive direction in the love and grace of Jesus the Christ and in the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
Vin Scheihagen, Lay Delegate to Annual Conference
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