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The Way Forward

The United Methodist Church is holding a special General Conference February 23-26, 2019, in St. Louis, Missouri. The goal of the meeting is to find a way forward through our disagreements about same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBTQ clergy.

UMC.org/GC2019 is the best source for keeping up to date with the General Conference as it happens. A live stream during the sessions allows you to watch and listen in on all of the proceedings.  You can learn more about General Conference, get trustworthy news updates, and find resources on the United Methodist Church website.

 

GC Proposal Overviews

What is the Commission on a Way Forward?

The Commission on a Way Forward was proposed by the Council of Bishops and approved by the 2016 General Conference. Their charge was to complete an examination and revision of every paragraph of the Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality, as well as to explore options that maintain and strengthen the unity of the church.

How can I learn more about the Commission’s work?

Where can I read the Commission’s report?

The Commission on the Way Forward developed three plans, detailed in their final report. The Council of Bishops has indicated its majority recommendation for the One Church Plan, which could allow for different approaches in different places.

Summary of the three plans

  • provided by the Florida Annual Conference at meetings in September 2018

General Conference update

  • provided by the Florida Annual Conference in January 2019

Point of View (POV) Conversation

To prepare our congregation for General Conference, we held a two-part conversation on November 7 and 14, 2018. Our staff shared about the proposals for the future of the UMC; using the lens of empathy, context and mission, we started to engage in difficult conversations and understand each others’ points of view. View both parts of the conversation to learn how we can love God, grow as disciples, and serve others as we search for the way forward for the church.

Participant Packet

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