Good News is attending the 2024 General Conference of The United Methodist Church meeting in Charlotte, NC, from April 23 to May 3. Our efforts are focused on providing a disaffiliation pathway for annual conferences and local churches that have not had a fair opportunity to discern their future. This
In Regard to the Dakotas-Minnesota alteration April 19, 2024 It has come to our attention that an anonymous person went on the Dakotas UM Annual Conference website and changed an official document to contain alleged misinformation and divisive rhetoric. (Although we have made a request to Bishop Lanette Plambeck’s office
Africa Initiative’s Pre-General Conference Prayer Retreat The Africa Initiative, a biblically-committed and Christ-centered advocacy movement within the three Central Conferences of Africa, convened a prayer retreat for African delegates to the upcoming 2024 United Methodist General Conference. One hundred and fifty (150) African leaders and delegates participated in the
Is a New Disaffiliation Pathway Needed? By Thomas Lambrecht Recently, several articles have come out saying that there are already disaffiliation pathways for annual conferences and local churches, so new pathways do not need to be enacted by the 2024 General Conference. For example, Christine Schneider, a reserve delegate
Radiant Scars By Stephen Seamands The marks of death that God chose never to erase, The wounds of love’s eternal mark, When the kingdom comes, with its perfect sons, He will be known by the scars. –Michael Card As its cover story, the March 27, 2000, issue of Newsweek featured
The Both/And Solution By Thomas Lambrecht A recent article by Jefferson Knight, a Liberia General Conference delegate, crystalizes the “critical decision” (in his words) facing United Methodists in Africa. He sees disaffiliation in Africa as a threat to “disintegrate the UMC in Africa and erase [it’s] rich history and heritage.”
African Regionalization Support Not Unanimous By Forbes Matonga (This week, UM News ran two commentaries from United Methodists from Africa dealing with pivotal issues that will be before the upcoming General Conference in Charlotte. We encourage United Methodists to read both pieces. For this week’s Perspective, we are featuring the