An Update on Our Denomination

The United Methodist Church, May 2022

Rev. Ethan Gregory

Friends,

It has been quite some time since you’ve received an update like this from one of your pastors. Like United Methodists all across our connection, our hearts, our minds, our time, and our attention have been taken up by myriad other important matters and events in these last two years. Even just in recent days and weeks, with one mass shooting after another, our capacity for concerning ourselves with yet another thing seems minimal or even impossible.

And so, I invite each of us to take a deep breath. Save this article in your to-be-read folder for whenever is best for you. Things are not dire within our beloved United Methodist Church. These are simply updates that I know a congregation like ours cares deeply about:

General Conference Delayed

At an organizational level, The United Methodist Church is organized similarly to the US government. We have a legislative branch, the General Conference, which meets regularly every four years to make amendments to and add to The Book of Discipline, the governing document for our denomination. The General Conference is the only body that can act and speak on behalf of the entire denomination as a whole and meets regularly every four years. The last time General Conference met in regular session was in 2016 right here in Portland.

The 2020 General Conference was scheduled to meet in the spring of 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It has been twice delayed throughout the pandemic and earlier this spring was delayed a third time by the Commission on General Conference to sometime in 2024. Even though large gatherings are beginning to be held already in the US, this is the right and just decision by the Commission. The General Conference is a global body, with members from Africa, the Philippines, Europe, and the US. Many of our siblings and neighbors around the world are not yet vaccinated and waitlists for visas into the US are well over a year for some countries.

With the delay of the 2020 General Conference, this means our denomination has not yet been able to address a desire by some to formally part ways and split The UMC. This matter will be front and center in 2024. In addition, there is a movement within the denomination to ask the General Conference to create a “Regional Conference” for the US. This would allow the US church to potentially become fully affirming of LGBTQ+ people, while still being in connection and relationship with United Methodists around the world.

In the Meantime

Formation of the Global Methodist Church (GMC)

You may have heard me mention this in my sermon on Sunday, May 1. As of this month, the Global Methodist Church (GMC) has formally launched. This new denomination is being formed and constituted by current and now former United Methodists who hold an exclusionary view related to LGBTQ+ persons. These clergy, laity, and their congregations have grown frustrated by the delay of General Conference and are choosing to exit The United Methodist Church on a congregation by congregation and clergy by clergy basis. These “disaffiliations” are largely utilizing a paragraph added to The Book of Discipline during the special 2019 General Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri.

We are likely to see a number of congregations move to the GMC and elsewhere between now and even after the next General Conference. Thankfully in the Greater Northwest Area and the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, of which we are a part, disaffiliations like this are very minimal. It is important to note at this time, a congregational vote on whether to stay or leave The UMC is not required of anyone, even though some GMC and other traditionalist communications are presenting a false sense of urgency.

Elections of New Bishops

Like the General Conference, the five US Jurisdictional Conference sessions have also been delayed due to the pandemic. Jurisdictional Conferences are regional bodies within the US, whose primary task is to elect and assign bishops to their “episcopal areas.” At First Church, we are a part of the Western Jurisdiction and more precisely, the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area, constituting the Alaska Missionary Conference, the Pacific Northwest Conference, and the Oregon-Idaho Conference, all presided over by Bishop Elaine Stanovsky.

Traditionally, jurisdictional conferences meet in July, following the regular session of General Conference. In a recent decision by the Judicial Council (the judicial branch of The UMC), it was decided that jurisdictional conferences may convene this year to replace those bishops who have already retired in the last years or who are currently now serving in retired status. These conferences are expected to convene in either August or November of this year. In the Western Jurisdiction four new bishops will be elected, one of whom will follow our own Bishop Stanovsky as she retires later this year.

Where Love Lives

My friends, the answer to that question is simple. In the Western Jurisdiction, in our own area and annual conference, and especially within our own First United Methodist Church of Portland, this will be the place “Where Love Lives.” As we have for almost 30 years now, we will continue to be United Methodists who joyfully and boldly practice full inclusion of LGBTQ+ peoples in our midst and bear witness to the rest of the denomination and to our world of what reconciliation and justice look like. Practically, this means we will gladly celebrate and recognize the individual belovedness and sacred worth, marriages, and calls to ordained ministry of all peoples, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

In the days and seasons ahead we’ll continue to make ourselves appropriately aware of movements and developments within The United Methodist Church as well as committing ourselves to continue being people called United Methodists, but more importantly we will continue to be a people who make disciples of Jesus Christ and transform the world right here in our community. I hope these updates answer any lingering questions you may have at the moment. I, along with the other pastors on staff, are always available to visit with you further. And, as a way of bearing witness, I hope you’ll join me and other members of First Church for the Portland Pride Parade on Sunday afternoon, June 19.

It remains a great joy and privilege to be in ministry with each of you in this place called First Church.

Blessings!

Rev. Ethan