The Michigan Annual Conference for the United Methodist Church will hold a special session to determine whether to forward to the denomination’s next General Conference a highly publicized plan to separate the UMC over LGBT issues.
Last month, UMC leaders and activists of diverse theological views announced their support for a measure called the “Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation,” which among other things would allocate $25 million for theologically conservative Methodists who adhere to biblical standards of marriage and sexuality to vote to leave the UMC and create their own denomination.
Bishop David Bard of the Michigan Conference announced Wednesday that his regional body will hold a special session on March 7 to consider the protocol legislation.
According to a conference statement, the special session will not amend the proposed legislation, but will simply vote either in favor or against the protocol.
If passed, the protocol legislation will then go to the denomination-wide General Conference, scheduled to be held May 5-15 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“Michigan United Methodists gathered for this special session of annual conference will decide if we want to serve the wider church by forwarding this legislation. Delegates to General Conference will decide what to do with the legislation,” said Bard in a blog entry on Tuesday.
“I am calling our annual conference into special session because I believe in this liminal season, the delegates to General Conference need the opportunity to consider every good option for the future of our church.”
SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Gryboski
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