The United Methodist Church's highest legislative physique on Thursday accepted a sequence of measures to restructure the worldwide denomination to present every area better equity in adapting church life to its personal customs and traditions.
The first measure voted on on the UMC Common Convention on the Charlotte Conference Heart in North Carolina was an modification to the church's structure that divided the denomination into 4 equal areas—Africa, Europe, the Philippines, and america.
Underneath the plan, every area might modify a bit of the denomination's guidelines, the E book of Self-discipline, to go well with native wants. Whereas church areas in Africa, the Philippines, and Europe have already got some latitude in adapting church life, america doesn’t.
The vote to amend the structure handed 586–164, or 78 %, surpassing the two-thirds majority required for constitutional adjustments. It should now go earlier than every smaller church area, convened in annual convention, for ratification by the top of 2025.
If ratified by two-thirds of annual convention delegates, the restructuring would permit the 4 areas to set their very own {qualifications} for the ordination of clergy and lay leaders; publish their very own hymnals and rituals, together with marriage ceremonies; and arrange their very own courts of justice. The brand new E book of Self-discipline would have one part that might be revised and tailored for every of the 4 regional conferences.
The 2-week international gathering is the primary Common Convention assembly in 5 years, largely as a result of delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It follows a painful schism that has separated some 7,600 U.S.-based church buildings from the denomination — a loss representing 25 % of all U.S. congregations.
Regionalization was the primary activity and got here unexpectedly early within the negotiations. Common Convention often doesn’t cope with main proposals till the second week.
This isn’t the primary time Methodists have tried to regionalize their operations. The final try in 2008 handed the Common Convention, however failed to achieve two-thirds ratification amongst particular person conferences around the globe.
The Reverend Dee Stickley-Miner, government director of mission engagement on the Common Council of International Ministries, who labored on the plans with church leaders exterior the US, mentioned this time the measures are extra clearly worded and have been created. and vetted by Methodists in varied fields.
Regionalization was conceived as an enterprise of decolonization. The Methodist motion, which grew out of the 18th century motion began in England by John and Charles Wesley, has all the time been centered in america. This new regionalization, if accepted, will decentralize the Church.
“We actually understood how international the United Methodist Church is and the way that requires some adjustments in how we construction ourselves to see america alongside different areas in order that Jesus can keep within the heart and never in a single area,” Stickley-Miner mentioned.
However the regionalization plan can also be an acknowledgment that cultural and theological variations separate Methodists, particularly with regards to sexuality. Many church leaders consider that Methodists around the globe can stay below one umbrella provided that they’ve room to vary on problems with same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ individuals.
A number of Methodist coalitions within the US and overseas opposed the measure, together with the Wesleyan Covenant Affiliation and Good Information Journal.
On Thursday, delegates accepted 5 of the eight measures within the regionalization package deal; the remaining three, which concern solely the US, can be voted on later and are thought-about procedural.
