UPDATE: GC 2019 moved to fall 2022
SPECIAL ONE DAY SESSION SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2021.
General Conference organizers announced that the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly — long postponed by pandemic — must wait to meet another year. The global gathering is now scheduled Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 2022, in Minneapolis.
At the same time, the Council of Bishops has announced a special one-day General Conference on May 8, 2021.
The special global gathering has only 12 pieces of legislation before it — all basically intended to help the church function until the full General Conference meets.
The virtual gathering is to form a quorum to suspend the rules and allow paper balloting. The vote on suspending the rules will be online. But after the online meeting's adjournment, the delegates will have an extended period in which to vote by paper ballot on the 12 legislative items.
Those ballots will be mailed in, with results to be announced by July 13.
Not on the agenda is any proposal to split the denomination, including the much-endorsed Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation.
In October, the Commission on the General Conference named a technology team to look at virtual options for ensuring full participation. The team’s report outlined several challenges before such a conference.
Those hurdles include the 16-hour time difference between delegates who live in the Philippines and on the U.S. West Coast, the inequity of internet availability and the difficulty in safeguarding voting.
With the slow rollout of vaccines, continued travel restrictions and limitations of virtual technology, the commission concluded Feb. 20 that a full, 10-day session was not possible this year either in-person or online.
- Story by United Methodist News Service
Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 2022, hundreds of delegates from around the world will converge on Minneapolis Minnesota for the General Conference. At stake, may be the future of The United Methodist Church.
Plans are well underway by the Host Team to showing you the best of what Minneapolis has to offer. Hundreds of volunteers are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to greet you, help you find your way around, and recommend places to explore and dine. Visit the welcome website to learn more.
The Michigan Conference will be represented by a team of elected Clergy and Lay delegates who will vote on a series of measures that hopes to unite faithful United Methodists who differ on these issues, but agree on our mission as a denomination. This site will provide you with accurate up-to-the-minute information, updates and resources you can use to follow this historic event.
If you are planning to attend General Conference in any capacity, guest, visitor, or participant, please let us know. Please email Michigan Communications at Contact@MichiganUMC.org
2022 General conference FEED
Watch LIVE coverage of all 2022 General Conference Plenary Sessions here. Don't miss a minute. See archived video feeds from General Conference on the Michigan Conference Vimeo Page https://vimeo.com/miumc