Summary: This legislation would create a new structure, a regional conference, for churches in the United States. Under this proposal, U.S. United Methodists would vote on initiatives that solely affect the United States and leave General Conference to address truly global matters. The regional conference would have the power to make some changes to the Book of Discipline, excluding portions that a General Conference may designate “non-adaptable.”
Learn more: Plan proposal | FAQ | Narrative | Press release – July 23, 2019
Summary: Under this legislation, an annual conference would choose to join one of three groups tentatively being called the Traditional Methodist Church, the Open Methodist Church, and the Progressive Methodist Church. The Traditional Methodist Church would begin with a Book of Discipline that includes the Traditional Plan. The Open Methodist Church and Progressive Methodist Church would begin with a Book of Discipline modified to include the Simple Plan as presented in St. Louis, which called for eliminating restrictions on same-sex unions and ordination of gay persons as clergy, as well as removing the church’s official position that homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
Learn more: Plan proposal | UMNS report – August 8, 2019
Summary: This legislation envisions a Traditionalist United Methodist Church that would maintain the denomination’s current restrictions on same-sex weddings and ordination of gay clergy. A separate Centrist/Progressive United Methodist Church would remove those restrictions, as well as church teaching that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. The legislation holds out the possibility of a third denomination, a Progressive United Methodist Church, that would practice immediate full inclusion of LGBTQ persons.
Learn more: Plan proposal | UMNS report – August 13, 2019
Summary: This legislation would keep intact The United Methodist Church as a denomination while allowing for greater regional autonomy across the connection. The doctrinal standards in the The Book of Discipline would be retained, but the language and policies that have excluded LGBTQ persons would be removed. Pastors would be able to determine if a couple is ready for marriage and it would be up to annual conferences to determine if a candidate meets the criteria for ordination. This proposal calls for the passage of proposed legislation that would create a U.S. Regional Conference to deal with matters affecting only the U.S.
Learn more: Plan proposal | UMNS report – August 19, 2019
Summary: This legislation would dissolve The United Methodist Church and form four new global denominations instead. The new Methodist expressions would be traditionalist, moderate, progressive, and liberationist in orientation. A special General Conference before 2024 would take up the plan of separation, and a moratorium on complaints, charges, and church trials related to the church’s restrictions around homosexuality would be in place until separation occurs.
Learn more: Plan proposal | UMNS report – September 25, 2019
Summary: This legislation proposes a period of discernment leading to the creation of “fresh expressions of Methodism” that various like-minded groups could form. Each new form of Methodism would remain in “full communion” with The United Methodist Church through at least 2028 and potentially beyond, meaning that each would accept the validity of the other’s baptism and ordination, but no denomination would be forced to accept doctrine, polity, members, or ministers. The legislation also includes a “gracious exit” option for churches that don’t want to commit to the “gracious affiliation” process this plan calls for.
Learn more: Plan proposal | Executive summary | Plan timeline