Nearly a thousand delegates and an estimated 2,500 visitors (including Burt & Jane Yin) will gather at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida from April 24-May 4 for the 2012 United Methodist General Conference.As the top policymaking body of the worldwide United Methodist Church, the General Conference meets every 4 years to determine the denomination’s future direction. It is the only body that speaks officially for the more than 12.1 million-member church.
The theme of the 2012 conference is “Make Disciples of Jesus Christ to Transform the World.” During the 11-day session, 988 delegates of both clergy and lay will revise The Book of Discipline, which regulates the manner in which local churches, annual conferences and general agencies are organized. The book sets policies regarding church membership, ordination, administration, property and judicial procedures. While these may seem like issues that have little to do with us at the local church level, changes could have great impact.
Delegates also revise The Book of Resolutions, a volume declaring the church’s stance on a variety of social justice issues. The book contains more than 300 resolutions that are considered instructive and persuasive, but are not binding on members.
In addition, the assembly approves plans and budgets for churchwide programs for the next four years and elects members of the Judicial Council and the University Senate.
Worship, special addresses, celebrations, and other plenary sessions will be available on live video streaming at gc2012.umc.org. Also available at the website will be daily news and feature stories, photos, a “digital lounge” featuring short conversation segments with key persons, and other information.
California Nevada Annual Conference’s delegates are: our own Rev. Jeffrey Kuan, Rev. Odette Lockwood-Stewart, and Rev. Dale Weatherspoon, as well as Randall Miller, Emily Allen, and Yoshi Nakajima.
You are invited to hold our church in prayer during these 11 days, inviting God’s Spirit to work through the delegates in making wise, transformative decisions that are rooted in grace and love.