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Special Edition: General Conference Updates and Responses

March 4, 2022



WNCC E-News: Special Edition

The Commission on the General Conference announced yesterday the further postponement of General Conference until 2024 due to pandemic and government-related obstacles. 

"We engaged in a fair, thorough, integrity-filled discussion of the alternatives," said Commission Chairperson Kim Simpson. "The visa issue is a reality that is simply outside our control as we seek to achieve a reasonable threshold of delegate presence and participation. Ultimately our decision reflects the hope that 2024 will afford greater opportunity for global travel and a higher degree of protection for the health and safety of delegates and attendees."

This special edition of E-News includes a pastoral response to this news from WNCC Resident Bishop Ken Carter, a statement from Council of Bishops President Cynthia Fierro Harvey, the full announcement from the Commission on the General Conference, and a vision of the future for United Methodists in Western NC from our General and Jurisdictional conference delegates. 

 
Bishop Carter’s Pastoral Response to the General Conference Announcement

"We learned yesterday of the postponement of the General Conference of the United Methodist Church until 2024. The decision was made with deliberation by the Commission on the General Conference, which is a global body composed of laity and clergy. I note here that bishops do not serve as voting members of the commission. 

This postponement, a response to the global pandemic and consequent complexities related to global health and the supply chain of visas allowing for travel, was particularly shaped by the presence of delegates to the General Conference who live in forty nations. For this reason, it is not comparable to a large cultural or sporting event that might happen in the United States. We are a global church. 
 
There are understandable disappointments related to the postponement of the General Conference. While some will choose to blame or disparage others for this decision, I urge us to take a higher ground.  I write pastorally, with genuine respect and love for all of our people, and with a focus on a particular question: 
 
How will we live and serve together in the interim?"

Read Bishop Carter's full pastoral response here. 

Council of Bishops President Cynthia Fierro Harvey's statement on the postponement of General Conference and the full announcement from the Commission on the General Council.

#BeUMC: Celebrating the Core Values that Connect the People of the United Methodist Church

#BeUMC celebrates the core values that connect the people of The United Methodist Church. No matter the challenges we face, God is with us, and we continue to have opportunities to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!

We invite you to share your stories of faith and experiences of God within The United Methodist Church on social media using the hashtags #BeUMC and #WNCCUMC. 
A Vision of Hope for the Future of United Methodists in Western North Carolina

The Western North Carolina General and Jurisdictional Conference delegation has been meeting almost monthly since our election in 2019. Since the postponement of the 2020 General Conference, conversations have focused significantly on issues related to inclusion, equity, and justice. As a part of that work, the delegation wrote a statement of hope for the future of The United Methodist Church and the Western North Carolina Conference.  As the announcement has been made for further postponement of the General Conference, we remain hopeful about God’s dream for the future. The delegation is committed to fulfilling the dream of a church that goes into the world to love all our neighbors and share the Good News of the Gospel.
 

Director of Communications: Melissa McGill

Associate Director of Communications: Aimee Yeager

 

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