General Conference News Update
May 19, 2016
What happened Thursday:
Thursday started with rumors that there would be attempts to review Wednesday's action to adopt the recommendations of the Council of Bishops. Then the rumors changed to the opposite; that there would not be such action. Then when the General Conference returned from its lunch break, there were a series of attempts to challenge Wednesday's action, but the presiding officer of the afternoon, Bishop Bruce Ough, turned the attempts away.
The conference also voted to end UMC membership in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, supported legislation to raise awareness about the harm caused by sports teams that use mascots or symbols that disrespect Native Americans, and commissioned 29 new missionaries who come from 11 countries that will be sent to 16 countries.
Here's a link to the UMNS wrap-up for May 19. See a video version of the wrap up, as well as stories below.
Also, our friends in the Pacific Northwest have a wonderful news site.
Greg Nelson, Director of Communications
Speaking to the conference
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With 864 delegates on the floor at General Conference, not everyone ends up speaking during the 10 day meeting. Oregon-Idaho Lay Delegate Jan Nelson has had a couple of chances. Here's a clip of one of those from Monday.
You can see other speakers, debate, and reports by viewing the archives on the UMC.org website.
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Delegates react to plan to
defer human sexuality petitions
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Love will keep us together, the Rev. Eli Sule Yakku of Central Nigeria said at the end of a long day filled with both kind and harsh words on the floor of the 2016 General Conference over lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people and their role in The United Methodist Church.
The day started with a silent vigil by LGBTQ clergy and clergy candidates. Delegates walked past people wearing robes and holding crosses draped with a “Shower of Stoles.” Many United Methodist clergy and clergy candidates came out as gay in the past two weeks. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.
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Church ‘growth committee’ fails constitution test
The proposed establishment of a United Methodist “Standing Committee on Strategy and Growth” funded by $20 million taken from denominational coffers was ruled unconstitutional May 19 by the church’s top court.
In Decision 1320, the United Methodist Judicial Council noted that the amended petition did not include how the committee’s membership “is to be determined nor how the $20 million is to be spent.”
Day of service
As thousands of United Methodists inside the Portland Convention Center were in General Conference sessions, some took a chance to travel to another area of the city and be in service. Watch the Untied Methodist News Service Video.
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Archives:
Pre-Conference:
Did you miss Update #1? Read it here.
Did you miss Update #2? Read it here.
Looking for Update #3? Read it here.
And update #4. Read it here.
Updates during Conference:
May 10 update, May 11 update, May 12 update. May 13 update, May 14 update
Week two:
May 16, May 17, May 18
