United Methodist News Service – Recent Articles

• No-shows a problem for General Conference
  Church officials are still scrambling to get delegates from Africa and other non-U.S. parts of The United Methodist Church to the legislative assembly that begins April 23 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Conference online document altered
  A Dakotas Conference’s online Q&A about General Conference had answers maliciously changed, Bishop Lanette Plambeck says.
• Following the news at General Conference
  United Methodist Communications and United Methodist News have been preparing for the challenge of covering and publicizing developments of the long-delayed General Conference. Here’s how interested people can track the historic event, set for April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Courageous Conversations at General Conference
  The Courageous Conversations project began in 2015 with the goal of equipping churches with tools to facilitate learning opportunities on any subject.
• Wespath and breakaway church
  During the April 10 livestream event, Wespath staff addressed its relationship with the Global Methodist Church that broke away from The United Methodist Church in May 2022.
• Bishops urged to prepare for seismic shift
  United Methodist Council of Bishops President Thomas J. Bickerton sees potential for big changes coming out of General Conference — including an end to the denomination’s bans related to LGBTQ people. Bishops, he said, will have a role to play in what comes next.
• Big changes proposed for clergy retirement
  Wespath, The United Methodist Church’s pension and benefits agency, is asking General Conference to authorize a new retirement program for U.S. clergy.
• Video resource: The church budget process
  Rick King, chief financial officer of the General Council on Finance and Administration, talks about the agency’s role in helping prepare the general church budget and several pieces of legislation that relate to the budget.
• Queer Delegate Caucus debuts in Charlotte
  Members of the first caucus of LGBTQ delegates at a General Conference believe their time has finally come, but stress their efforts for full inclusion will continue whether or not the votes go their way.
• Video resource: Making sustainable investments
  Andrew Hendren, top executive of Wespath Benefits and Investments, talks about the agency’s proposal to make the church’s clergy benefit plans and commitment to investments that protect the environment and human rights.