Update on the UMC

This email is regarding the recent decisions made by the General Conference, and tries to specifically address what those actions mean for us. These are my interpretations of the top hot button issues, so please ask me to clarify if needed. Following this letter are the FAQ’s, which was received from the South Georgia Conference.

In a nutshell, the definition of marriage has been broadened – meaning that marriage is between a man and a woman, AND FOR OTHERS, it is between two persons of faith.

Yes. LGBTQ persons can become pastors and churches can receive a pastor who identifies as a LGBTQ person – BUT, the authority to examine and credential candidates for ministry in the local church and annual conference remains – meaning that LGBTQ clergy will not be appointed in the future UNLESS the church were open to the appointment.

FAQs for South Georgia Pastors and Laypersons
Regarding What ‘Did’ and ‘Did Not’ Happen at the
General Conference 2020/2024 in Charlotte
Features corrections made on May 15 after feedback from Bishop Graves’
Post-General Conference meetings with Pastors and Laity.

1. Did the United Methodist Church change our core doctrines: the divinity of
Jesus, virgin birth, authority of the Bible, etc.?
No. Our Church’s Constitution includes Restrictive Rules (¶17) that do not allow
our Articles of Religion to be changed or removed. They all remain the same. We
are orthodox in the core doctrines that we share with Christians worldwide.
Changing core doctrines was never discussed at the General Conference.
Consider going back and reading ¶102 (Basic Christian Affirmations) and ¶104
(Articles of Religion).
2. Has the United Methodist Church redefined marriage?
The UMC recognized the reality of marriage in differing contexts. An amendment
was made from the floor and adopted to include two prevailing definitions of
marriage today: marriage is between a man and a woman, and for others, it is
between two persons of faith. The Social Principles are a prayerful and thoughtful
effort by the church to address human issues in the contemporary world from a
sound biblical and theological foundation, as historically demonstrated in United
Methodist traditions. The Social Principles are not church law. No affirmation of
same-sex marriage was added to The Book of Discipline.
3. Were restrictions on LGBTQ clergy removed?
Yes. The ban was removed, but the authority to examine and credential
candidates for ministry in the local church and annual conference remained. The
Council of Bishops was adamant that they would not appoint LGBTQ clergy to a
church in the future unless the church were open to the appointment. There is no
desire to harm the church, the pastor, or the broader denomination.
4. Was language prohibiting same-sex marriage in a local church or church
property removed?
Yes. At the same time, protections for clergy and churches were explicitly written
in The Book of Discipline. No pastor or local church can be punished for
choosing to do or not do a wedding. Local churches received written assurance
that they control what weddings happen in their local context through a

declaration by the Judicial Council to clarify ¶2533 makes clear that nothing
prevents the local church’s Board of Trustees from prohibiting a ceremony.
5. Was specific language related to adultery removed from clergy chargeable
offenses?
No, adultery is still considered immoral in the UMC.

Delegates moved the definition of immorality from a section on chargeable
offenses (¶2702) to a section on examining persons for ministry (¶304). While the
previous version of ¶2702 stated, “immorality including but not limited to, not
being celibate in singleness or not faithful in a heterosexual marriage,” it did not
define all immorality; rather, it only highlighted two types. The delegates
expanded on the definition of immorality in ¶304 by adding language requiring
integrity in all personal relationships, “social responsibility and faithful sexual
intimacy expressed through fidelity, monogamy, commitment, mutual affection
and respect, careful and honest communication, mutual consent, and growth in
grace and in the knowledge and love of God.”
6. Was the United Methodist abortion stance changed?
No. The UMC position remains relatively the same and added protections for
reproductive rights such as fertility treatments, IVF, surrogacy, etc. These are not
outside the scope of our current position, which continues to include the following
statements:
● “Our commitment to the sanctity of human life makes us reluctant to
condone abortion.”
● “We unconditionally reject abortion as a means of birth control or gender
selection.”
● “We support measures requiring parental notification.”
● “We oppose late term abortion and partial birth abortion. We call for an
end to this except when the life of the mother is in danger.”
● “We recognize the tragic conflicts of life may lead to decisions on
abortion.” (Rape, incest, etc.)
● “We support and encourage pastors, congregations, campus ministries to
offer compassionate care and explore alternatives to abortion.” (Adoption,
etc.)
● “We support use of reproductive strategies..including fertility treatments, in
vitro fertilization IVF, surrogacy, and others.”
The revised Social Principles reveal a clear commitment to life and a recognition
of tragic conflicts.

7. Were protections previously developed for traditional United Methodists
removed?
● The Book of Discipline was amended to include protections for traditional
United Methodist pastors and churches. Delegates returned local control
to pastors and churches and wrote additional protections for them.
● A handful of sections added in 2019 by delegates who have since left the
United Methodist Church were removed. Traditional delegates who
remained United Methodist believed those sections did harm by driving a
wedge between people. As mentioned above, delegates crafted new
protections for traditional churches and pastors who plan to remain in the
UMC.

8. Are annual conferences required to prepare local churches to accept gay
clergy?
No. ¶425.1 is about training churches for open itineracy, not about preparing
churches to accept gay clergy. The section includes many categories, including
female clergy. The Council of Bishops made it clear they would not do harm by
appointing clergy to churches that were not ready to receive them.
9. Did the UMC vote against Israel?
No. Two petitions related to investing in government bonds of specific foreign
nations were submitted to the delegates. One passed, and the other was
defeated.
A petition to amend ¶717 on “Sustainable and Socially Responsible Investments”
would have been church law but was defeated in the legislative committee and
did not appear before the main body for consideration.
General Conference delegates did approve a resolution calling on United
Methodist institutions not to invest in the government bonds of countries that
have been cited by the U.N. Security Council of the International Criminal Court
for prolonged military occupations (this includes Israel, Turkey, and Morocco).
The resolution is advisory and not church law.
There was also a third petition to amend 6111 which was amended to express
more support for the Israel economy. An existing resolution titled, “Opposition to
Israeli Settlement in Palestinian Land,” was edited include an amendment to the
19th paragraph which states, “The United Methodist Church does not support a
boycott of products made in Israel.” There was a call for peace, urging nations
not to purchase arms from any nation in the Middle East.
What we can acknowledge is that this General Conference occurred as
pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses have met with many arrests.
The revisions to our Social Principles were completed in 2019, before the

regularly scheduled 2020 General Conference, and long before the tragic events
of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists killed over 1,200 people.

10.Did the General Conference vote down the Nicaean Creed?
No. Our doctrinal heritage already includes the historic creeds.
¶102. Section 1 – Our Doctrinal Heritage already includes our alignment on the
Apostle’s Creed, Nicaean Creed, and Chalcedon Creed, stating, “United
Methodists profess the historic Christian faith in God, incarnate in Jesus Christ
for our salvation and ever at work in human history in the Holy Spirit. Living in a
covenant of grace under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we participate in the first
fruits of God’s coming reign and pray in hope for its full realization on earth as in
heaven….The determination of the canon of Christian Scripture and the adoption
of ecumenical creeds, such as the formulations of Nicaea and Chalcedon, were
central to this consensual process. Such creeds helped preserve the integrity of
the church’s witness, set boundaries for acceptable Christian doctrine, and
proclaimed the basic elements of the enduring Christian message. These
statements of faith, along with the Apostles’ Creed, contain the most prominent
features of our ecumenical heritage.” These creeds are also a central part of our
worship and liturgy, which can be found in our Book of Worship and United
Methodist Hymnal.
11. Are apportioned church funds now used to promote homosexuality?
No. The paragraph prohibiting collecting funds was removed, but no
apportionment dollars were budgeted for any group or project promoting LGBTQ
causes.
General Conference removed a 2019 ban that prohibited collecting funds to
support LGBTQ causes because it was later revealed this included support for an
LGBTQ suicide prevention program: Suicide rates are five times higher for
LBGTQ children and youth. Investing in suicide prevention of children and youth
sounds like something we could affirm regardless of sexual orientation.