On May 1, 2024, General Conference delegates from around the world voted to adopt 22 pieces of legislation via Consent Calendar A05 with 93% in favor (692-51). The petition for “Building a Fully Inclusive Church” was among the legislation that was passed. This petition lifted the UMC’s 40-year ban on ordaining “self-avowed practicing homosexuals.”

Also, with the adoption of Consent Calendar A05, superintendents will no longer penalize or refrain clergy or churches from holding same-gender weddings.

Specifically, the change will include new language in ¶ 419.12 Book of Discipline that states:

13. The superintendent shall not penalize any clergy for performing, or refraining from performing, a same-sex marriage service.
    
14. The superintendent shall neither require any local church to hold or prohibit a local church from holding a same-sex marriage service on property owned by a local church.

The bishop, in consultation with the Cabinet, will continue to work with churches and clergy to ensure we have the best match possible when making appointments. Part of this work includes review of clergy and church profiles and working with District Superintendents to determine fruitful appointments.

Our goal is to have vital, thriving churches throughout the West Virginia Conference committed to mission in your local contexts and fully equipped to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

No, clergy will not be required nor prohibited from performing same gender weddings. Pastors have always decided who they will marry in The United Methodist Church, and this will not change.

Currently, The Book of Discipline provides for clergy to make the personal determination on the officiation of weddings. This is found in Chapter 340.3(a):

3. To perform the ecclesial acts of marriage and burial.

(a) To perform the marriage ceremony after due counsel with the parties involved and in accordance with the laws of the state and the rules of The United Methodist Church. The decision to perform the ceremony shall be the right and responsibility of the pastor.

Additionally, calendar items 465 and 476, passed at this General Conference further clarifies the singular decision by the pastor in the officiation of weddings. This item amends The Book of Discipline as follows:

New Paragraph after 340.2 to read: 3. No clergy at any time may be required or compelled to perform, or prohibited from performing, any marriage, union, or blessing of any couple, including same-sex couples. All clergy have the right to exercise and preserve their conscience when requested to perform any marriage, union, or blessing of any couple.

Paragraph 161C: No United Methodist clergy shall be required to officiate or bless a same-sex marriage.

Your church will decide what weddings are held on church property. Clergy should be in a consultive process with church leaders if hosting a same-gender wedding could bring division within the congregation.

Judicial Council Declaratory Decision 1503 ruled that nothing in ¶ 2533 of the 2016 Book of Discipline prevents the Board of Trustees of a local church from adopting policies prohibiting the conduct of worship services that include same-sex marriage ceremonies.

We acknowledge that our views differ regarding same-gender marriage and the ordination of openly gay persons. We believe that unity in the body of Christ, along with agreements on our essential beliefs in the Articles of Faith and Confession of Faith, we can disagree on these matters without further division.

We believe that our shared love of Christ and each other enables us to remain in community even when our practices vary regarding same-gender marriage and the acceptance of openly gay clergy.

All persons in our various contexts are to be respected and cared for in the West Virginia Conference.

On May 2, 2024, the General Conference delegates voted to remove language in the UMC’s Social Principles which states that “the practice of homosexuality…is incompatible with Christian teaching.” Delegates also affirmed “marriage as a sacred, lifelong covenant that brings two people of faith (adult man and adult woman of consenting age or two adult persons of consenting age) into a union of one another and into deeper relationship with God and the religious community.”

This vote removes what has been called the “incompatibility language” in our Social Principles, allowing for more inclusion. It is important to note that the Social Principles are not considered church law but instead provide a shared expression of the United Methodist social witness. The new Revised Social Principles will go into effect on January 1, 2025.

While the core of our doctrine – what makes us United Methodists – will remain the same, The Book of Discipline will be updated to reflect the changes in legislation voted on during General Conference including elimination of the language that prevents gay clergy from being ordained and elimination of the language that prohibits UMC clergy from performing same-gender weddings.

The Disciplinary paragraph that allowed for disaffiliation ended on December 31, 2023, and no new avenue for separating from the denomination was created. Please reach out to your District Superintendent if you have questions.

With a spirit of grace, the General Conference approved a process to welcome those churches which have disaffiliated or withdrawn to rejoin The United Methodist Church. Delegates amended the petition to require that returning churches affirm their commitment to the denomination’s trust clause.

It is not typical to have a special called General Session. This requires action by the Council of Bishops.

It is likely that the West Virginia Conference will take up the constitutional amendment related to regionalization at the 2025 Annual Conference. This is a global, aggregate vote. Meaning, all votes for and against from all annual conferences will be totaled together and at that time, if 2/3 of all votes support regionalization, it will be ratified.

Learn more about Regionalization in this document - CLICK HERE

Yes, regionalization does not effect end the need for General Conference.

Learn more about Regionalization in this document - CLICK HERE

The Trustees are given the authority to determine building use policies in the Book of Discipline – para 2533.  Wedding policies are part of building use policies. Our Book of Discipline and Journal are considered legal documents and as long as church leaders function within those bounds, they will be consistent with church practice. This protects the church from liability.

Yes, pastors are asked to respect the decisions made by their local church. District Superintendents are available to assist with working through these decisions and their implications.

General Conference approved significant legislative changes during its recent gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina, but not everything goes into effect at the same time. While most items will become effective on January 1, 2025 in the U.S. and a little later in the Central Conferences, other items went into effect immediately upon adoption, some need constitutional ratification, and still others are dependent upon other meetings. 

Below is an outline of the effective dates for some of the newly adopted legislation.

Typical Effective Date

In the United States, legislation adopted by the General Conference goes into effect January 1 of the year following the General Conference, January 1, 2025.

This includes:

• Revised Social Principles
• Budget
• Deacons and sacraments
• Removal of funding restrictions concerning LGBTQ+ ministries and advocacy
• Young People’s Ministries becoming Young People’s Connectional Network
• New Retirement plan for US clergy serving local churches – Legislation effective January 1, 2025. New plan goes into effect January 1, 2026

Constitutional Amendments in Need of Ratification

Amendments to the Constitution of The United Methodist Church must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the General Conference, and then must be ratified by a “two-thirds affirmative vote of the aggregate number of members of the several annual conferences present and voting.” The following were approved by General Conference and are awaiting ratification which is expected in the spring of 2026.

Effective now

Some approved legislation contains language that made it effective at the close of General Conference, or in one case immediately upon adoption.

Preparations for Worldwide Regionalization

• Creation of a US Regional Committee
• Enabling an interim US Legislative Committee

Human sexuality

• Removal of ban of same-sex weddings
• Changes to chargeable offenses: returning the wording of the first chargeable offense to its pre-2004 version
• Removal of ordination ban (came into effect immediately upon adoption)

Other effective dates

Some legislation is not able to go into effect until other meetings occur.

• The departure of 4 Eurasian conferences into an autonomous Methodist church is expected to occur on January 1, 2025, per a statement from Bishop Eduard Khegay.
• Full Communion with The Episcopal Church upon approval by The Episcopal Church which is not expected until 2027.
• Two additional bishops in Africa – One additional bishop will be elected at each of the upcoming sessions of the Africa and Congo Central Conferences.
• US Bishops to 32 – In 2024, no new elections will occur at Jurisdictional Conferences. Instead, current bishops will be assigned to cover two vacancies in the Western Jurisdiction and one vacancy in the Northeastern Jurisdiction, effective September 1, 2024.