General Conference

General Agencies

Gil Hanke, top staff executive of United Methodist Men. File photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

Commentary: After General Conference, people will still need the church

In an open letter to The United Methodist Church, the head of United Methodist Men points out one certainty leading up to the special 2019 General Conference: The church will continue its mission to bring others to Christ.

General Conference

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam speaks in 2014 in Atlanta. Dunnam, on behalf of the Renewal and Reform Coalition, submitted some modifications to the Traditional Plan. He and other advocates for current church policies on homosexuality are promoting the modified Traditional Plan. Photo by Steve Beard/Good News Magazine.

Groups push for modified Traditional Plan

Also on the table is a plan to dissolve the denomination. Either plan encourages a parting of ways over differences around homosexuality.

Bishops

Many United Methodists feel anxiety as the denomination heads toward a special General Conference in 2019. Louisiana Area Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, president-designate of the Council of Bishops, offers her thoughts on where we are as a church. Harvey appears in the first installment of “Seeing a Way Forward,” a series of UM News videos discussing the work of the Commission on a Way Forward.

Seeing a Way Forward: Bishop Harvey

As we head toward special General Conference 2019, UM News will highlight bishops’ perspectives on where we are as a denomination, starting with Louisiana Area Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey.

General Conference

The Rev. Jay Williams, lead pastor of Union United Methodist Church in Boston, speaks about his problems with the One Church Plan during the For Everyone Born convocation in St. Louis. Williams is a supporter of the Simple Plan legislation to remove restrictive language against homosexuality. Photo by Heather Hahn, UMNS.

New group pushes Simple Plan as way forward

The group promotes legislation it says will allow full participation of LGBTQ individuals in the life of the denomination.

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