News

Global influence, unity impress youth delegate

By Lisa Diehl, Kansas Area communications director The 2012 General Conference wasn’t alternate lay delegate Tyler Ward’s first international gathering. He attended the Global Young People’s Gathering in Berlin in 2010. Tyler Ward “The Global Young People’s convocation was more global in nature,” Ward said. “That’s one of the things that’s been bugging me...

2012 General Conference brings surprises

By Rich Peck, United Methodist News Service, and Lisa Diehl, Kansas Area communications director United Methodists from five continents addressed a wide range of challenging issues, including church structure and human sexuality, and engaged in an Act of Repentance toward indigenous people during their 10-day legislative gathering.   From left, Kansas West Conference lay delegates Dixie Brewster and Penney Schwab with...

Delegates retain human sexuality language

Kansas East pastor proposes substitute for petition on Paragraph 161.F Delegates to the General Conference rejected two amendments to the Book of Discipline that would have added language that United Methodists agree to disagree on the topic of homosexuality. The “Book of Discipline,” Paragraph 161F states: “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” Petition 21032,...

End to "guaranteed" appointments approved

By Lisa Elliott Diehl, area communications director General Conference voted twice today to end the United Methodist Church’s history of guaranteed clergy appointments. Petition 20303 was part of the Consent Calendar adopted this morning. The recommendation came from the Study of Ministry Committee. The petition deleted language that refers to security of appointment and added language that described next steps if an elder or associate member is not continued under appointment. If the...

General Conference Adopts Worldwide UMC Committee Proposals

TAMPA May 1, 2012 – The 2012 General Conference overwhelmingly adopted the two key proposals submitted by the Study Committee on the Worldwide Nature of The United Methodist Church. A “Covenant for a Worldwide United Methodist Church” will be placed in the denomination’s upcoming new Book of Discipline. It includes a litany that can be used in gatherings to help build greater mutual respect and understanding among various geographic regions of the church. The...

Pan Methodist covenant a 'Sankofa Moment'

United Methodist Bishops  Alfred Norris and Sharon Zimmerman Rader, Bishop John White, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Thomas Hoyt, Senior Bishop, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Dr. Robert Johnson, representing African Methodist Episcopal Church – Zion and Dr. Stephen Sidorak, Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns presented good news Tuesday afternoon at General Conference in Tampa.  Bishop Rader began the press conference praising the...

Meet the General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates, alternates

The General Conference is the top legislative body in The United Methodist Church. It meets every four years to set policy and direction for the church. General Conference is the only entity that speaks for The United Methodist Church. General Conference delegates and alternates and Jurisdictional Conference alternates, front row from left, Steve Johnson, Rev. Junius Dotson, Rev. Nathan Stanton and Rev. Mark...

Rural churches celebrate 'planting seeds of hope'

By Deborah White*   FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS)--Members of 25,000 rural United Methodist churches are "planting seeds of hope in every place," leaders of Town & Country Ministries emphasized during a Rural Life Celebration April 26 at the 2008 General Conference.   About 100 volunteers from rural areas across the United States formed a colorful procession down the aisles of the assembly hall in the Fort Worth Convention Center. They passed out "Seeds of Hope" packets of zinnias,...

General Conference delegate profile: Rev. Pat Ault-Duell, clergy delegate leader

HUTCHINSON—Rev. Pat Ault-Duell was elected as the first clergy delegate to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church by the clergy members at the 2007 Kansas West Annual Conference. She is leading the Kansas West Delegation along with Dixie Brewster, the first-elected lay  delegate. Ault-Duell is currently the senior pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Hutchinson. She is married to Rev. Tim Ault-Duell, who is the pastor at South Hutchinson United Methodist Church....

Delegates consider voting rights, ministry status

By Lisa Elliott DiehlConnection editor General Conference considered a flood of petitions to increase the voting rights of Local Pastors and establish a Commissioned or Consecrated Local Pastor. The conference referred those decisions to a new study committee on the ordering of ministry in the United Methodist Church. “The Higher Education Legislative Committee recommended creating this study group because we need to be clear about how our orders and statuses fit together in a wholistic...