The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church met on March 22 and decided they would cancel the General Conference's May 8, 2021, Special Session.
They originally called this Special Session to suspend the rules to vote up or down on pre-decided legislative items through paper mail-in ballots. If that passed, 12 legislative items were to be voted on by paper ballot to enable the denomination to continue its work until the regular General Conference gathering in 2022. Pending a passing vote, Special Sessions of Jurisdictional Conference would have been scheduled for July 2021 to work through voted on topics. The Protocol was not on the agenda.
The bishops announced that they would dedicate their regularly scheduled April meeting to conversations based on results of listening sessions that are occurring and discern a possible need for a new timeline toward General Conference 2020 set for August 29 to September 6, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
As updates to timelines become available, we will update them. We will keep our Transition Team Resource web page as up-to-date as possible. If you have questions, please submit them! Your questions help guide us in what information we need to be gathering, even if we do not have concrete answers yet. You can submit questions here: https://www.nwtxconf.org/submit-questions
Read their press release below or scroll down for the update in Spanish.
For Immediate Release
Monday, March 22, 2021
Bishops Reconsider May 8 Special Session of General Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church met on Monday, March 22, 2021 in an additional meeting to consider pressing matters related to the Council’s work. After much conversation, the bishops reached a decision that in the best interest of the church at this time, they would cancel the Special Session of the General Conference which was set for May 8, 2021.
The bishops announced that they will dedicate their regularly scheduled April meeting to conversation based on results of listening sessions that are occurring and discern a possible need for a new timeline toward General Conference 2020 set for August 29 to September 6, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
At the April meeting, the bishops will also discuss ways to empower the work at the Jurisdictional and Central Conferences.
“Much has been learned over the past few weeks and the extended timeline will allow for even deeper listening by the bishops at the general church level but also in our residential settings,” said Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, president of the Council. “We are thankful for the collaboration fostered with the Commission on General Conference and especially grateful for the work that had already begun in the planning for the Special Session,” Bishop Harvey added.
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Media Contact: Rev. Dr. Maidstone Mulenga
Director of Communications – Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church
202-748-5172
www.unitedmethodistbishops.org
La sesión Especial de la Conferencia General fijada para el 8 de mayo ha sido Cancelada.
El Consejo de Obispos de la Iglesia Metodista Unida se reunió el 22 de marzo y decidió cancelar la Sesión Especial de la Conferencia General que había sido fijada para el 8 de mayo de 2021.
Originalmente habían convocado a esta Sesión Especial para suspender las reglas para votar a favor o en contra de elementos legislativos predeterminados a través de boletas de papel enviadas por correo. Si eso pasaba, se votarían 12 artículos legislativos mediante boletas de papel para permitir que la denominación continuara su trabajo hasta la reunión regular de la Conferencia General en 2022. Pendiendo de una votación de aprobación, las Sesiones Especiales de la Conferencia Jurisdiccional se habrían programado para julio de 2021 para trabajar en temas votados. El Protocolo no estaba en la agenda.
Los obispos anunciaron que dedicarían su reunión programada regularmente en abril para conversaciones basadas en los resultados de las sesiones de monitoreo que están ocurriendo y discernir sobre la posible necesidad de un nuevo cronograma hacia la Conferencia General 2020 establecida para el 29 de agosto al 6 de septiembre de 2022, en Minneapolis, Minnesota.
A medida que las actualizaciones de los cronogramas estén disponibles, les actualizaremos. Mantendremos nuestra página web de Recursos del Equipo de Transición lo más actualizada posible. Si tiene preguntas, ¡por favor envíelas! Sus preguntas nos ayudan a orientarnos sobre la información que necesitamos recopilar, incluso si aún no tenemos respuestas concretas. Puede enviar sus preguntas aquí: https://www.nwtxconf.org/enviar-preguntas