General Conference

The Rev. Nathan Ndayiziga, a Methodist pastor from Burundi, gives communion to Emilia Lovejoy during a 2019 service at HopeGateWay Church in Portland, Maine. The church is among multiple congregations in the process of disaffiliating from The United Methodist Church. HopeGateWay is doing so in solidarity with LGBTQ members. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Sara Ewing-Merrill.

Churches across theological spectrum exiting

Churches in Maine and Texas and the largest church in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference are in the process of severing ties with The United Methodist Church.

Judicial Council

Bishops Thomas J. Bickerton (center) and Gregory V. Palmer (right) confer with colleagues on legislative procedures during the 2019 United Methodist General Conference in St. Louis. Bickerton is the Council of Bishops representative on the Commission on the General Conference. The commission — meeting behind closed doors — reviewed an investigation that found evidence of four ineligible people casting votes using the credentials of delegates who were not present. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Court won’t rule in advance on protocol legislation

As part of its first session since the pandemic started, the United Methodist Judicial Council issues nine more decisions from the current docket.

General Church

Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr. addresses the Liberia Annual Conference meeting in Gbarnga, Liberia, in March. Quire is among African bishops in The United Methodist Church who have been discussing a denominational split and what that might mean for them and their conferences. Photo by E Julu Swen, UM News.

African bishops not united on church future

Three episcopal leaders from Africa signal they would go with a new traditionalist denomination if The United Methodist Church splits, but others aren’t joining in such statements.

General Church

Delegates from the Philippines and Southeast Asia sing during the 2019 United Methodist General Conference in St. Louis. Nearly 300 Filipino United Methodists joined a virtual conversation March 16 to talk about the Christmas Covenant and other plans for the future of The United Methodist Church. More webinars are planned for church members in Africa and Europe. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Restructuring legislation gets a hearing

The drafters of the Christmas Covenant are leading webinars in the Philippines, Africa and Europe about their proposal for changing the denomination’s global structure.

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