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Daily Wrap-ups
Friday, May 2
Thursday, May 1
Wednesday, April 30
Tuesday, April 29
Monday, April 28
Sunday, April 27
Saturday, April 26
Friday, April 25
Thursday, April 24
Wednesday, April 23

Friday, May 2

Assembly approves $642 million churchwide budget
(UMNS) Following a declaration that “the budget defines who we are and what we believe” as the church, the 2008 United Methodist General Conference approved a $642 million denominational spending plan for the next four years built around four areas of mission and ministry. “(The budget) is our mission statement of what God is calling us as people of The United Methodist Church to be about in the world,” said Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, president of the church’s finance agency, in presenting the proposed budget on May 2, the final day of the 10-day legislative assembly. With minimal discussion, the delegates approved the budget by a vote of 750-28 and later approved the “apportionment formula” by which it is funded through money requested of the church’s 63 U.S. annual (regional) conferences and their local congregations. Less than 2 percent of the money placed in local church offering plates goes to fund denominational ministries and administration. More>>

Delegates reject petitions on evaluation of ineffective clergy
(UMNS) Delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference rejected two petitions dealing with clergy ineffectiveness and guaranteed appointments The delegates followed the recommendations of the ministry and higher education legislative committee and voted 824-25 to not amend paragraph 334.1 of the United Methodist Book of Discipline. The petitions asked that bishops appoint an ineffective pastor to less than full-time service. More>>

United Methodists reject divestment from Israel
(UMNS) United Methodists have rejected attempts to have the denomination endorse divestment from Israel as a way of addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict. The actions occurred during General Conference, the church’s top legislative body, meeting April 23-May 2 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. A number of petitions, including five from U.S. annual (regional) conferences, were folded into one petition on "divestment" that called on the denomination’s pension board and finance agency "to review and identify companies that profit from sales of products or services that cause harm to Palestinians and Israelis and begin phased selective divestment from these companies." That petition was rejected May 2 by General Conference delegates as they voted on a special consent calendar. More>>

Justice petitions address welfare, hate, torture
(UMNS) New resolutions adopted by United Methodists touch on a variety of social justice issues, including a living wage, hate crimes and the use of torture. More>>

Church tackles difficult subject of abortion
(UMNS) The United Methodist Church will continue to “sit at the table” and retain its 35-year membership with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. In a May 2 vote of 416-384, the 2008 General Conference affirmed continued membership of the denomination's Board of Church and Society and the Women's Division of the Board of Global Ministries in the organization. More>>

Judicial Council defers two ruling requests from General Conference
(UMNS) Meeting on the evening of May 1, the top court of The United Methodist Church decided to defer two requests for rulings that came from the floor of the 2008 General Conference. The Judicial Council said both issues would require more study and would become docket items for its October session. More>>

Church supports justice for migrants
(UMNS) The United Methodist Church supported justice for migrants worldwide and reform of U.S. immigration laws. Delegates to the denomination's top legislative body, meeting April 23-May 2, adopted resolutions covering both global migration and immigration issues in the United States. More>>

United Methodist Social Creed celebrated
(UMNS) United Methodists celebrated the 100th anniversary of the denomination's Social Creed during the last day of their General Conference. “The Social Creed tradition of The United Methodist Church represents several streams of social concerns embodied today in the General Board of Church and Society,” said Jim Winkler, top executive of the board. The original creed, written in 1908, was a denominational statement decrying child labor and supporting the economic rights of workers, better workplace conditions, better wages and worker safety. More>>

Agency focuses on centennial, health initiatives
(UMNS) Leaders of the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits told the 2008 General Conference about 100 years of accomplishments and pledged to focus on the health of clergy and lay workers in the future. The agency's history is a “legacy of care and concern for the welfare of those who are called to serve--clergy and lay workers alike,” said Bishop Ben R. Chamness, chairman of the agency's board of directors. He spoke May 1 during a centennial celebration for the agency, which was created by the 1908 General Conference. The Board of Pension and Health Benefits, one of the top 100 pension funds in the United States, cares for more than 74,000 participants. It has grown from managing $200,000 in assets to managing $16 billion today. It also has become the largest denominational investor in affordable housing in the United States, with commitments of more than $1 billion. More>>

Bishop Ward: ‘Wait, watch and receive the spirit of God'
(UMNS) As the 2008 General Conference closes, delegates and other participants need to wait and watch so they can receive the ascended spirit of God. Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the Mississippi Episcopal Area delivered that message in her sermon on May 2, the final day of the gathering at the Fort Worth Convention Center. “God bless you as you go,” she said. “How glorious it is to be a witness to the way God will be in the world beyond this place.” Ward urged the delegates as they return to their homes to focus less on the decisions made and more on the things they learned. “We learned much about God,” she said. More>>

Thursday, May 1

United Methodist mission statement revised
(UMNS) United Methodist General Conference delegates have refined the denomination's mission statement to infuse a mission directive into the life and work of the church. The statement now reads, "The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." The latter phrase was added in the revision and will now appear in the United Methodist Book of Discipline , the church's official law book. Bishop Gregory Palmer of the Iowa Conference, newly installed president of the Council of Bishops, said in an interview that the change, recommended by the Council of Bishops and the Task Force to Study the Episcopacy, gives the church a way to live out its directive to make Christian disciples. More>>

United Methodists will pledge to ‘witness'
(UMNS) People who join United Methodist churches henceforth will promise to be faithful in “their witness” as well as in their “prayers, their presence, their gifts and their service.”The 2008 United Methodist General Conference voted April 30 to add the witness phrase to the liturgy the church uses when a person makes a profession of membership. The new phrase highlights the mission and evangelistic responsibility of church membership. More>>

Gates thanks United Methodists for partnership
(UMNS) United Methodists have decided to wipe out malaria because “brothers and sisters don't sit back and let each other die,” said William H. Gates Sr., co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “I am here today to thank you,” he told the 2008 United Methodist General Conference on May 1, during its worldwide legislative meeting. “We are proud to be your partner in this campaign to end the world's worst killer of children. We believe the campaign cannot succeed without you.” The United Methodist Church is a founding partner of the Nothing But Nets anti-malaria campaign, which fights the disease by purchasing and distributing insecticide-treated sleeping nets in Africa. More than $20 million has been raised since the campaign began in 2006.  More>>

United Methodists support people of Tibet, Sudan, Taiwan
(UMNS) United Methodists have officially affirmed support for “the people of Tibet and their struggle for independence and autonomy.” The action came May 1 as General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, met at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The petition on Tibet was among the consent calendar items approved that day. More>>

Judicial Council elects first woman president
(UMNS) The Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe is the new president of the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church. She is the first woman to lead the denomination's “supreme court.” The 2008-2012 council met May 1 to elect officers and organize. The other new leaders are Jon R. Gray, vice president, and the Rev. Belton Joyner, secretary. The group will have an orientation meeting in July in Chicago and will convene in late October for its first official session. Henry-Crowe, a clergy member of the South Carolina Annual (regional) Conference, has been dean of Cannon Chapel and Religious Life at Emory University since 1991. Elected in 1992 to her first eight-year term on the Judicial Council, she was elected to a second term in 2004. More>>

Church joins global health campaign
The United Methodist Church “ramped up” its commitment to fight malaria by agreeing to enter into a capital campaign to raise $75 million to $100 million for global health. “This is a milestone in the church’s long history of caring for the poor and the whole person,” said Bishop Janice Riggle Huie on May 1 in announcing the 2008 General Conference’s approval of the Global Health Initiative. “This is a milestone in the church’s long history of caring for the poor,” says Bishop Janice Riggle Huie. Agencies and boards of the church will join with the United Nations Foundation and other organizations to combat the diseases of poverty: HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The initiative represents an expanded global partnership, Huie said. The hope is that the partnership, led by the people of The United Methodist Church and organized by the U.N. Foundation, will raise $200 million to fight malaria in Africa. Development of the partnership has received support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. More>>

Interpreters assist General Conference delegates
(UMNS) A 140-member team of interpreters and technicians is making it possible for nearly 300 international delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference to participate in worship, committee discussions and floor debates. Interpreters for the April 23-May 2 legislative meeting are available for nine languages: American Sign Language, 3; French, 30; German, 6; Korean, 6; Mandarin Chinese, 4; Portuguese, 27; Russian, 10; Spanish, 10; and Swahili, 26. They work in two-person teams, allowing each a slight break after 30 consecutive minutes of translations. The breaks are only partial during committee work, as the "off" person must keep track of petition numbers and other resources. Language-equipment technicians and transporters are also multilingual, although they do not serve as interpreters. More>>

Exhibit Narrates the Journey to Inclusiveness
(UMNS) Edie Sunday of Saginaw, Texas, recalled being a teenager visiting Lake Junaluska Assembly in North Carolina after the 1968 merger that created The United Methodist Church and seeing black youth and white youth from the same hometown worshipping together for the first time. “The tragedy of that era was that they were all Methodists but because of this stupid segregation thing, they had never even met.” said Sunday. More>>

Wednesday, April 30

Church adopts proposed creed as litany
(UMNS) A proposed new Social Creed for The United Methodist Church became a “companion litany” instead after action by the denomination's lawmaking body on April 30. A task force under the leadership of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society worked on the “poetic” 2008 Social Creed that was proposed to the denomination's General Conference meeting in Fort Worth through May 2. Even though it will not replace the United Methodist Social Creed, the Rev. Neal Christie, staff on the board and a member of the task force, said it is “a gift to the church and reinforces and reframes the creed.” More>>

Four jurisdictions will each lose one bishop under new plan
(UMNS) Delegates to the General Conference of The United Methodist Church approved a plan that will result in one less bishop in each of four of the five U.S. jurisdictions, beginning in 2012. In an April 29 legislative session, delegates agreed that savings from those reductions will be used to fund new episcopal areas outside the United States. Those new areas -- each to be led by a bishop -- will not be created until the 2012 General Conference. The North Central, Northeastern, South Central and Western jurisdictions will each have one less bishop under a new formula for determining the number of bishops. The action will not affect the Southeastern Jurisdiction, as it already has one less bishop than the present formula allows, and it is not requesting an additional Episcopal leader. The Northeastern Jurisdiction will lose a bishop in both 2008 and 2012. More>>

United Methodists uphold homosexuality stance
(UMNS) Delegates to the 2008 General Conference on April 30 rejected changes to the United Methodist Social Principles that would have acknowledged that church members disagree on homosexuality. Delegates instead adopted a minority report that retained language in the denomination’s 2004 Book of Discipline describing homosexual practice as “incompatible with Christian teaching.” The adopted wording in Paragraph 161G also states that “all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God,” and that United Methodists are to be “welcoming, forgiving and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us.” More>>

Petitions seeking to control Judicial Council ruled unconstitutional
(UMNS) Legislative petitions to direct how the Judicial Council organizes and how it works are unconstitutional, says The United Methodist Church’s top court. But requiring the entire court to be present to rule on the constitutionality of General Conference actions is permitted by the Book of Discipline, the council said. On April 27, the denomination's Judicial Council responded to the 2008 General Conference's request for a declaratory decision on four petitions submitted to it. The petitions relate to recusal, conflict of interest issues, judicial conduct and the establishment of a quorum. Issued on April 30, Decision 1096 says the General Conference can determine the number and qualifications of Judicial Council members and how they are elected. But the constitution of the church empowers the Judicial Council "to adopt its own methods of organization and procedure." More>>

Delegates celebrate 100th anniversary of men's ministry
(UMNS) General Conference delegates celebrated on April 30 the 100th anniversary of ministry to men in The United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations. “This is huge,” said the Rev. David C. Adams, top executive of the Commission on United Methodist Men, in a six-minute video presentation. “Other men's ministries over the years have come and gone. But United Methodist Men has been steadfast.”At the 1908 General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, delegates officially authorized the newly created Methodist Brotherhood. More>>

Delegates reinvest and affirm hope in Africa University
(UMNS) Amid all the elements that seek to divide United Methodists, Africa University is a uniting, connectional dream come true. That’s the message delegates to the denomination's legislative assembly received during a report from its nearly 16-year-old Pan-African institution. In a report about the church-related school in Mutare, Zimbabwe, associate vice chancellor of institutional development James Salley said the 2008 General Conference's theme of "A Future With Hope" directly parallels the school's mission of educating future leaders for Africa in a Christian environment. Africa University "is bringing about a continental and global change in the name of Jesus Christ," Salley said. More>>

Sight, sounds, movements create worship experience
(UMNS) What we do in worship matters. That's a guiding principle shaping the sights, sounds, feel and movement experienced in the physically engaging worship services of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. "Worship helps form us. The question is what are we being formed into?" said Marcia McFee, co-director of music and worship at the quadrennial event. "It's not enough to sing the word. It's not enough to talk the word. Something happens when we act." She believes getting physical in worship can help the church act like the body of Christ that it is. Worshippers at General Conference clapped, sang, offered liturgies in American Sign Language, moved with songs of faith from around the world and turned en masse to face one another across the communion table in the center of the arena to enter what McFee calls "the physicality of spirituality." More>>


Tuesday, April 29

Liberia President Sirleaf Addresses United Methodists
(UMNS) Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf told a worldwide gathering of United Methodists that her country and her church share a common commitment to eradicate poverty. Sirleaf, a member of the Monrovia (Liberia) United Methodist Church, greeted delegates to the denomination's top lawmaking body as “fellow Christians and fellow Methodists” many times during her April 29 address to the 2008 General Conference. More>>

Delegates continue Study of Ministry Commission
(UMNS) A commission studying the ordering of ministry in The United Methodist Church is being continued for four more years. Delegates to the 2008 General Conference voted on April 29 to continue the commission work authorized by the 2004 legislative assembly to study the theological, ecclesial and practical groundings of its system of lay, licensed and ordained ministry. That commission was to bring clarity to the church's understanding of its ministry orders and make recommendations to the 2008 General Conference. However, after four years, the group found more questions and asked for more time--either by the current commission or a new one. Delegates to the 2008 assembly directed the United Methodist Council of Bishops--in consultation with the boards of Higher Education and Ministry and Discipleship and the Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns--to establish a 28-member Study of Ministry Commission for 2009-2012. The delegates also authorized $150,000 for its work. More>>

United Methodists raise bishops' retirement age by 2 years
(UMNS) The 992 delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference increased by two years the mandatory retirement age for bishops. The decision impacts three of 14 bishops who were retiring on Aug. 31 following the regular sessions of the five U.S. jurisdictional conferences in July and the central conference meetings in Africa, Europe and the Philippines in the fall and in 2009. The increase in the retirement age was proposed by a task force studying the episcopacy, and a hand vote the delegates took on April 28 made the decision effective at the conclusion of the 2008 General Conference. Changing the retirement age from 66 to 68 reflects the way Social Security is moving in allowing people to work longer if they choose, said Peggy Sewell of the episcopal services office at the United Methodist Council on Finance and Administration. More>>

Proposed new hymnal will go to 2012 assembly
(UMNS) United Methodist congregations in the United States could have a new United Methodist Hymnal within five years.
Delegates to the 2008 General Conference set part of the agenda for the 2012 assembly late in the evening of April 28 as they approved creation of a hymnal revision committee. The committee will bring a proposed hymnal to the next session of the denomination's top legislative body. Delegates from around the world also approved a four-year study of issues around developing an Africana hymnal with findings to be reported to the 2012 session. More>>

Judicial Council releases rulings on docket items
(UMNS) Working through a regular docket while meeting during 2008 General Conference, the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church released rulings on four cases that emerged prior to the 10-day legislative assembly. The church's top judicial authority affirmed two bishops' decisions of law, sustained the church trial conviction of a pastor in the Rocky Mountain Annual (regional) Conference and the revoking of his credentials for ministry, and ruled that annual conference commissions on religion and race do not have the authority to investigate complaints. The nine-member council meets during General Conference to complete action on items received before the legislative gathering and to respond to requests for decisions that arrive from the floor during plenary sessions. More>>

United Methodists, Lutherans take root together
(UMNS) In a rootless, restless world, Christians “have a powerful testimony to give,” according to the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Bishop Mark Hanson, who also is president of the Lutheran World Federation, preached during the April 29 morning worship at the United Methodist General Conference—one day after conference delegates overwhelmingly approved an agreement of full communion with the ELCA. Pointing to an increasingly rootless society, as well as the worldwide migration caused by famine, war, poverty and national disasters, Hanson reminded the 992 delegates and visitors that “in a rootless, restless, hopeless world, we have good news to share.” More>>

United Methodist Celebrate Higher Education
(UMNS) A 120-member student choir, college presidents and delegates attending the 2008 General Conference celebrated United Methodist higher education and church-related schools for their “open hearts, open minds and open doors.” More than 1,000 delegates and visitors attended the banquet and program celebrating higher education on April 28 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, site of the 2008 General Conference. The event honored the institutions for educating the next generation of students that will determine the future of the United Methodist Church. The evening included a video presentation on the 122 United Methodist-related academic and theological institutions. Openness is "not just a slogan" at United Methodist institutions, said the voiceover on a video. Students from all over the world attend church-related schools and, when they walk through "the global doors," they put a face on United Methodist education, the video said. More>>

Monday, April 28

Uganda children's choir awes General Conference
(UMNS) “I was just praying to God in my heart that I would perform well,” said Solomon Mutende, 10, of Uganda. Thousands of teary-eyed United Methodists know God answered that prayer after watching Solomon and the Hope for Africa Children's Choir perform before a worldwide gathering of United Methodists. The energetic performance on April 28 was one of the most blessed moments of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the church's legislative assembly meeting through May 2 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The appreciative crowd gave the youngsters an impromptu standing ovation after the children sang and danced to one song during a planned “celebration moment.” The audience even demanded an encore. More>>

Five New Members Elected to Judicial Council
The 2008 General Conference on April 28 elected five new members to the top court of The United Methodist Church. The nine-member Judicial Council acts as the church's top legal arbiter and will be made up of five clergy and four laity through 2016. Two lay persons were elected to the Judicial Council: Angela Brown (California-Nevada Annual Conference) and Ruben Reyes (Philippines). Three clergy persons were elected to the Judicial Council: Kathi Austin-Mahle (Minnesota Annual Conference), F. Belton Joyner (North Carolina Annual Conference) and William B. Lawrence (North Texas Annual Conference).  More>>

Charlene Black, three others elected to University Senate
Four persons were elected to the University Senate: Maxine Clarke Beach (New Jersey Annual Conference), David Beckley (Mississippi Annual Conference), Maxie Dunnam (Kentucky Annual Conference) and Charlene Black (South Georgia Annual Conference). Dr. Black is co-chair of the South Georgia delegation and is a lay member of Statesboro First United Methodist Church. The University Senate is the professional educational advisory agency for The United Methodist Church and all educational institutions related to it. The University Senate represents those interests held in common by The United Methodist Church and its affiliated schools, colleges, universities, and graduate schools of theology. Among other tasks, the University Senate provides an effective review process for the educational institutions qualifying for affiliation with the denomination and for denominational support. The University Senate has twenty-five members elected by the General Conference and is related to the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. More>>

Assembly creates committee on faith and order
(UMNS) Creation of a study committee that will provide leadership in faith and theology for The United Methodist Church was authorized April 28 by the 2008 General Conference. The Committee on Faith and Order was authorized by a vote of 454-360. It will reflect on matters of faith, doctrinal teaching, order and discipline. It will have three broad responsibilities:

• To lead and coordinate studies commissioned by the General Conference about matters of faith, doctrine, order and discipline of the church;
• To support and provide resources for the Council of Bishops; and
• To prepare resources and study materials for the church upon request from General Conference, the Council of Bishops or the Connectional Table.

The committee will function independently but fall under the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns staffing, budgeting and financial affairs. More>>

Assembly creates new study group on church structure
(UMNS) After lengthy debates lasting through the dinner hour, delegates to the 2008 General Conference took a hesitant step toward reorganizing the 11.5 million-member United Methodist Church so it does not appear to be a U.S. church with satellite communities in Africa, Asia and Europe. The last time the quadrennial legislative assembly met in 2004, nearly 1,000 delegates from around the world created a Task Force on the Global Nature of the Church. That six-member group proposed the possibility of making the United States a "central conference" esimilar to other conferences outside the United States. The group said it prefers the word "worldwide" rather than "global," since global might b associated with the "homogenization and dominance of Western economy and culture." More>>

Sixty Years Later, The Advance Still Offers Hope
(UMNS) Justa Mamani came from her home in Bolivia to deliver a message of thanks to delegates at the 2008 United Methodist General Conference.Justa Mamani of Bolivia thanks delegates for donations to The Advance. "I want you to know that the donations you give to The Advance are what sustain my community today," she said, during an April 28 presentation on the denomination's voluntary giving program at the Fort Worth Convention Center. More>>

More support for Katrina needed, bishops say
(UMNS) United Methodists have been generous in their response to Hurricane Katrina relief--but more is needed. During a "Katrina Report" on April 28 to delegates of the church's General Conference, Bishop William Oden of Dallas thanked church members for the $3 million raised so far for the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal, but he noted that "Katrina fatigue has set in." He called for a recommitment to the rebuilding and reconstruction of the U.S. Gulf Coast. More>>

Sunday, April 27

United Methodists formally admit Côte d'Ivoire
(UMNS) The United Methodist Church in Côte d'Ivoire , the largest regional conference of the worldwide denomination with almost 700,000 members, has received its full rights and responsibilities. The action came April 27 at the 2008 General Conference, which meets every four years to conduct the business of the church. As a result, United Methodists in the West African country, which has only two delegates at this General Conference, will receive significantly greater representation at future assemblies. Expenses related to its bishop will now be covered by the United Methodist Episcopal Fund instead of by its own conference. Four years ago, the Methodist Protestant Church of Côte d'Ivoire, an autonomous church, was admitted to the United Methodist fold, but the Judicial Council later ruled that the decision of the 2004 General Conference was incomplete. More>>

Church makes Malawi district a missionary conference
(UMNS) United Methodist district in the African country of Malawi was elevated to the standing of a “missionary conference” by the denomination's 2008 General Conference. Some 990 delegates to the assembly supported the measure by a vote of 92 percent. “It opens up Malawi for church agencies to empower the local people,” said Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, leader of the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area and the now missionary conference in Malawi . With 18,329 members and 17 pastors, there is a “tremendous level of ministry,” he said. More>>

Bishop Gregory Palmer receives leadership gavel
(UMNS) "The church owes me nothing. I owe the church and the Lord of the church everything,” said Iowa Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, as he was installed April 26 as the new president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. Palmer, 54, will serve a two-year term as leader of 69 active and 87 retired bishops in the United States, Africa, Europe and the Philippines. He is the 39th president of the Council of Bishops and its fifth African-American president. After the ceremonial passing of the gavel, Palmer assured the bishops that he would make sure the "singular honor" bestowed upon him is multiplied. More>>

Delegates strengthen the black church for the 21st century
(UMNS) The transformational power of the initiative that empowers African-American churches with a renewed sense of ministry was approved by the delegates to the 2008 General Conference. The 12-year-old initiative known as Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century (SBC-21) has helped hundreds of struggling black churches connect with successful ones to gain insights and encouragement for their ministries. The General Conference delegates, in a vote of 739 to 15, approved the initiative that is "taking revitalization from the pew to the pavement,” said the Rev. Dorothy Watson-Tatem, a member of the project's coordinating committee and delegate from the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conference. More>>

Leaders remember Central Jurisdiction's dissolution
(UMNS) General Conference 2008 honored men and women who worked 40 years ago for the end of a separate Central Jurisdiction for black Methodists and who sacrificed to integrate The United Methodist Church. “We honor you today for your life witness and your stand as an ambassador of justice and reconciliation in the church,” said Erin Hawkins, chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. Hawkins led the April 27 celebration of the dissolution of the Central Jurisdiction, which was formed in 1939 as a segregated place for black Methodists in the merger of the Methodist Protestant Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It was dissolved in 1968 as part of the union of The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church that established The United Methodist Church and formed the five current geographic jurisdictions in the United States. More>>

Carcano speaks out for modern-day outcasts
(UMNS) The church must be empowered by a "hope beyond ourselves" if it is going to eliminate poverty, a United Methodist bishop told the denomination's top legislative body. That hope comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, said Bishop Minerva Carcaño of the church's Phoenix Area during the April 27 worship service at General Conference. The United Methodist Church has declared ministry with the poor as one of its four areas of focus for the immediate future. More>>

Church Task Force to Examine Global Warming
(UMNS) The top lawmaking body of The United Methodist Church has directed United Methodist agencies and organizations to look for ways to care for the earth and reduce global warming. A task force will report to the 2012 General Conference on a plan for evaluating how the denomination's churches, institutions and staff contribute to global warming. More>>

Elections Tomorrow
On Monday, April 28, the General Conference will vote to elect new members of the Judicial Council and the University Senate. Click here to view a complete listing of all nominees.

Saturday, April 26

Daily Wrap-up for April 26
Click here to read the complete daily wrap-up for Saturday, April 26.

Hutchinson says be moved by 'water and the Spirit'
(UMNS) Bishop William W. Hutchinson, episcopal leader for the Louisiana area, challenged United Methodists during the April 26 morning worship service to move toward the baptismal waters and to be moved by the Holy Spirit. The worship service was one of 18 services scheduled during the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, being held April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. Thousands were sprinkled with the water as young confirmands moved throughout the meeting space, wetting branches and shaking them over worshippers. Those present made signs of acceptance and renewed their baptismal commitment as musicians sang, “Rain down, rain down, rain down your love on your people.” More>>

Rural churches celebrate ‘planting seeds of hope'
(UMNS) Members of 25,000 rural United Methodist churches are “planting seeds of hope in every place,” leaders of Town & Country Ministries emphasized during a Rural Life Celebration April 26 at the 2008 General Conference. About 100 volunteers from rural areas across the United States formed a colorful procession down the aisles of the assembly hall in the Fort Worth Convention Center . They passed out “Seeds of Hope” packets of zinnias, long-stemmed flowers that come in a variety of bright colors. Volunteers throughout the parade carried 25 T-shaped poles covered with 25,000 paper butterflies. Senior citizens in the Redbird Missionary Conference spent three months cutting out the butterflies. Leaders of the celebration asked delegates to “shake their seed packets high” if they have ever attended a town and country church, lived in a house constructed of wood, eaten food grown in a rural area or seen small church signs bearing the United Methodist cross and flame symbol. More>>

South Georgia young adult participates in Rural Life Celebration
Margaret Bagwell, member of the South Georgia Conference and daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Bill Bagwell (Trinity UMC - Warner Robins), participated in today's Rural Life Celebration at General Conference. Margaret is part of the US-2 Program of the United Methodist Church's General Board of Global Ministries. The program is a two-year leadership development and mission service opportunity for young adults between the ages of 20 and 30 to be actively involved in mission service and social justice work within the United States.

Margaret began the program serving in campus ministry in North Dakota. Last February she moved to Louisiana where she works with the United Methodist Committee on Relief's Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La. as their community outreach director. The depot serves as a warehouse where relief supplies are stored before they are shipped across the U.S. and around the world in times of disaster. Sager Brown is also involved in local outreach projects to the community. Margaret's US-2 term will end in June 2008.

Pension Initiative needs millions to help retired pastors
(UMNS) For many retired United Methodist pastors serving in Africa, the Philippines and Eastern Europe, retirement often becomes “a transition to homelessness,” said Barbara A. Boigegrain, chief executive of the church's Board of Pension and Health Benefits. Boigegrain made that statement in a video during an April 26 report from the Central Conference Pension Initiative to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the quadrennial meeting of the church's top legislative body. Bishop Benjamin Chamness, Fort Worth Area, told delegates the initiative has raised $7.8 million but needs $20 million to fully fund pensions for retired pastors in areas outside of the United States. He challenged delegates to contribute to the fund while at General Conference. More>>

Conflicting paragraphs should be reconciled, Judicial Council says
(UMNS) The United Methodist Church's top court, in a decision issued at the start of the denomination's 2008 General Conference, said that two paragraphs of the denomination's Book of Discipline are in conflict and should be reconciled. In Decision 1089, the Judicial Council ruled that the secretary of the 2004 General Conference, Carolyn Marshall, did not have the proper authority in ruling Paragraph 705.3 (a-g) of the Book of Discipline was “superseded.” Paragraphs 705 and 706 outline a complicated formula for assigning and nominating individuals to the many boards and agencies of the church. More>>

Finance report emphasizes abundance over scarcity
(UMNS) In a world that has embraced the “myth of scarcity” amidst a “culture of consumption,” God offers abundant life through Jesus Christ—a spiritual truth that the church must live out and reflect in managing its own finances. Speaking on behalf of the finance agency of The United Methodist Church, Los Angeles Area Bishop Mary Ann Swenson delivered that message April 24 to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. “The idea that ‘more is better' … is an American idea that has spread around the globe, and it has become toxic,” said Swenson, president of the board for the General Council on Finance and Administration. “It is a turbulent, muddy river that has flooded and polluted our ability to see the abundance of what God has already given to us.” More>>

Invitation, personal ministry make disciples, laity told
(UMNS) If the laity of The United Methodist Church want to reclaim the Methodist heritage of winning communities for Christ, they have to invite people to church, carry the name of Christ with them and claim a personal ministry. That is the advice Lyn Powell, lay leader of the North Georgia Annual (regional) Conference, gave to the 992 delegates attending the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. More>>

Pathways can lead to transformation
(UMNS) Offering examples of positive ministries, Ohio West Area Bishop Bruce Ough told General Conference 2008 delegates how clergy and lay members are helping cast a vision for the people of The United Methodist Church. “Early in this quadrennium, (the Council of Bishops) looked across the landscape of United Methodism to seek out the best qualities of who we are and the most fruitful practices of our discipleship,” Ough said. The bishops found the practices and qualities aligned along seven basic pathways:

1. teaching the Wesleyan model of reaching and forming disciples of Jesus Christ;
2. strengthening clergy and lay leadership;
3. developing new congregations;
4. transforming existing congregations;
5. ending racism as we authentically expand racial and ethnic ministries;
6. reaching and transforming the lives of new generations of children; and
7. eliminating poverty in community with the poor. More>>

United Methodist delegates receive message of hope
(UMNS) The 992 delegates and visitors attending the legislative assembly of The United Methodist Church were provided with a message of hope, reconciliation and a blueprint for Christian life. In a prayer for the church and the rest of the world, Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher of the Illinois Great Rivers Annual (regional) Conference said people "in God's human family" hunger for hope.
Hope was the theme of the Episcopal Address, delivered on behalf of United Methodist bishops to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. That address, the Laity Address, along with a first-ever Young People's Address, are highlights of this April 23-May 2 meeting, which brought delegates and visitors from around the world together to discuss and handle matters for the denomination.
Christopher's April 24 message at the Fort Worth (Texas) Convention Center was filled with songs and provocative multimedia and multisensory images about how people received and experienced hope, gave hope and were transformed by encountering Christ and engaging in Christian community. The message allowed the delegates to experience hope rather than listening to the often-delivered message about the church. More>>

Request anticipates constitutionality questions
(UMNS) Petitions that would mandate the membership in decision-making bodies of The United Methodist Church have resulted in the 2008 General Conference's first request to the church's Judicial Council. Near the end of its business session late in the evening of April 23, delegates voted to ask the denomination's "supreme court" for a declaratory decision on the constitutionality of "various petitions that require mandatory membership levels for select groups of people" in the General Conference and on denominational boards and agencies. Kevin Goodwin, delegate from the Peninsula-Delaware Annual (regional) Conference, asked for the ruling in light of previous Judicial Council decisions where language about the makeup of membership using words such as "required," "shall" and “must" were ruled unconstitutional, while statements saying membership of certain groups was "recommended" has been upheld. More>>

Wednesday, April 23

Daily wrap-up: United Methodists begin legislative marathon with worship
(UMNS) Meeting once every four years, 992 delegates from United Methodist churches in the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe, opened their 10-day legislative sessions with the singing of “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and “Are We Yet Alive.” Some 5,500 visitors, conference officials and choir members observed the pageantry from the galleries of the Fort Worth Convention Center. The two-hour service featured praise bands, a full orchestra, choirs, music, prayers and Scripture in many tongues, and symbols of the Christian faith using ordinary elements of glass, wood, bread, fruit of the vine and water. More>>

Bishop opens General Conference 2008 with ‘resurrection hope'
(UMNS) On the 40th anniversary to the day of the creation of The United Methodist Church, and within 40 miles of where it happened, United Methodists from 129 annual conferences and 50 countries gathered at the Fort Worth (Texas) Convention Center for the start of the 2008 General Conference. Under the leadership of Marcia McFee of Truckee, Calif., and Mark Miller of Plainfield, N.J., co-music directors for the General Conference, more than 6,500 people filled the arena Wednesday night for a two-hour worship service. The rousing worship featured praise bands, a full orchestra, choirs, music, prayers and Scripture in many tongues, and symbols of the Christian faith using ordinary elements of glass, wood, bread, fruit of the vine and water. Bishops Gregory Palmer, Iowa Area, and Janice Riggle Huie, Houston Area, led the service of Holy Communion, with the Lords’ Prayer being offered by each worshipper in his or her own native language. More>>

Church can be key to fighting AIDS, speakers say
(UMNS)When it comes to solving the global AIDS/HIV crisis it is time to “pray and pay,” said the Rev. Donald Messer, author of Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence—Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis. Messer shared the sobering statistics of the virus during the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Committee's “Lighten the Burden II” event at First United Methodist Church, Fort Worth, April 22. On the eve of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the denomination has only raised $2.5 million of an $8 million commitment made in 2004 to help put a stop to the world's greatest health crisis, according to the executive director of an ecumenical global AIDS action network. More>>

Council accepts resignation of Bishop Edward Paup
(UMNS) The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church accepted the resignation of Edward W. Paup as a bishop in the denomination. Paup, 62, leader of the Seattle Area, is leaving the episcopacy to become the top executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. In his letter of resignation, which was read publicly, he indicated that his resignation would be effective at the close of the workday on Aug. 31. His new job begins Sept. 1. He was elected March 11 by the governing members of the New York City-based agency. The action marks the first time in the 40-year history of the denomination that an active bishop has left the council to serve a churchwide agency. More>>

Delegates get oriented on ‘hows' and ‘whys'
(UMNS) The “hows” and “whys” of the United Methodist General Conference were the focus of several special orientations on April 23 before the opening evening worship of the legislative body. Orientations were offered for delegates from countries outside the United States as well as women delegates, racial and ethnic minority delegates and delegates under the age of 30. In the morning, a ballroom full of international delegates was ringed by a half-dozen people translating basic information about General Conference into German, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Spanish, Russian and Korean. More>>

News briefing offers glimpse into assembly changes
(UMNS) When United Methodists convene this spring in Fort Worth, Texas, for their worldwide assembly, they can expect wider international representation, a denominational budget built around four new areas of focus, and carefully choreographed opening sessions aimed at fostering unity through common ministry instead of gridlock over divisive social issues. The 2008 General Conference will meet for 10 days--two fewer than the 2004 gathering in Pittsburgh and with no break--but still must sort through more than 1,500 petitions, which is about the same amount of business conducted at the previous assembly. In addition to hearing opening addresses from a United Methodist bishop and lay person, delegates will hear the first-ever Young People's Address--delivered jointly by six teens and young adults who promise a presentation "different from anything that's ever been presented to General Conference before." The new approaches are among a bevy of changes outlined during the United Methodist Pre-General Conference News Briefing, an informational session attended by more than 200 delegation representatives and church journalists. The Jan. 24-26 briefing, sponsored by United Methodist Communications, was held near the Fort Worth Convention Center, where General Conference will open on April 23. More>>

United Methodists explore church's global structure
(UMNS) Would making The United Methodist Church in the United States a regional body be the best way for the denomination to function as a worldwide body? Ten speakers explored that question during a Jan. 25 panel discussion on "The Worldwide Nature of the Church: What It Means" during the Pre-General Conference News Briefing sponsored by United Methodist Communications. General Conference, which meets every four years, is the denomination’s top legislative body. During its meeting April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, the 2008 assembly will consider proposed structural changes to the denomination that acknowledge the fact that the church is growing outside of the United States and that 30 percent of United Methodist members now live outside the United States. Proponents say the structural changes would make the church more effective and equitably organized for worldwide ministry. Opponents say the changes may actually serve to fragment the denomination into national entities, among other things. More>>

United Methodists explore divestment proposals
(UMNS) Would divestment from companies connected to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land help bring about change in the Middle East? Four United Methodist speakers explored that question during a Jan. 25 panel discussion on "Divestment, the Middle East and Sudan" during the Pre-General Conference News Briefing in Fort Worth, Texas. The Rev. Steve Sprecher, a director of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, called divestment "a time-honored policy" within The United Methodist Church. Sprecher was part of the committee of the Board of Church and Society that led the social action agency to send a petition to General Conference recommending divestment from Caterpillar Inc., the heavy equipment manufacturer based in Peoria, Ill. The petition charges that the company profits from illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and contributes to the occupation by supplying Israeli Defense Forces with heavy equipment. More>>

Task force recommends ways to improve health
(UMNS) A new unified effort to improve the health of clergy and lay employees of The United Methodist Church will be recommended by an inter-agency denominational health task force when the 2008 General Conference meets in April. The task force formed after the 2004 General Conference directed the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits to examine the feasibility of a mandatory health insurance plan for the denomination. Currently, HealthFlex, the denomination's voluntary health insurance plan, covers slightly more than half of the church’s annual (regional) conferences in the United States. After an in-depth study, task force members concluded that they could not recommend a mandatory plan. Instead, they made four recommendations to confront health issues by changing The Book of Discipline, the church's book of rules and by-laws. More>>

Judicial Council to be 'on call' at General Conference
(UMNS) The top judicial body of The United Methodist Church has a light docket of cases for its spring meeting but will be "on call" to handle questions of law that rise from the floor of the 2008 General Conference. The closing of General Conference, the denomination's top legislative meeting, also will serve as the beginning of the new eight-year terms of Judicial Council members who are re-elected or elected by the churchwide assembly.  The nine-member Judicial Council acts as the church's supreme court and often is asked from the floor to make rulings during General Conference, which meets every four years. The 2008 General Conference will meet April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. The council meets twice a year but, during a General Conference year, its spring session coincides with the legislative gathering. More>>

United Methodist ethnic ministries seek $12.3 million
(UMNS) The six ethnic ministries of The United Methodist Church are requesting a $12.3 million slice of the denomination's $642 million pie for the next four years. Representatives of the plans and initiatives highlighted accomplishments and outlined plans to expand their ministries during a Jan. 26 breakfast during the church's Pre-General Conference News Briefing. The $642 million denominational budget proposed to the 2008 General Conference, the church's top legislative body, represents a 1.2 percent annual increase, for a total increase of 4.8 percent over four years. The $12.3 million requested by the Asian American Language Plan, the Korean American National Plan, the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry, Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century, the Native American Comprehensive Plan and the Pacific Islander Ministries would assist in developing new congregations and leadership, partnering with the poor and creating health initiatives. More>>

2008 General Conference to welcome online visitors
(UMNS) People unable to attend the 2008 United Methodist General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, still can watch the proceedings and gather related information online with Internet access. Since the 2004 assembly in Pittsburgh, United Methodist Communications has expanded and upgraded its Internet capability to meet users' needs and expectations, said the Rev. Larry Hollon, the agency's top executive. More>>