Annual Conferences Marked by Joy, Discontent, Apology and Hope

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As annual conference season rolls on in the United States, United Methodists' 2024 sessions are marked by joy, discontent, apology and doses of hope.

A sampling of annual conference reports showed that many sessions moved forward hopefully, if a bit uncertainly, following the momentous decisions of the historic 2020/2024 General Conference held April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, NC. Delegates' votes to remove anti-LGBTQ language and punishments from the Book of Discipline were a major topic in some sessions, while others moved on to issues of regionalization, a vastly decreased denominational budget, and a church-wide apology to victims of clergy sexual abuse.

Here are excerpts from some most recent annual conference reports to give an overview of U.S. United Methodists' concerns.

Kentucky Annual Conference, historically a theologically conservative group, spent much time debating whether and how traditionalist churches who feel "stuck" by the removal of LGBTQ bans could still disaffiliate. Conference communicator Alan Wild reported that Kentucky Bishop Leonard Fairley tried to bring "a pastoral word" to the hours-long disaffiliation debate. Wild wrote:

“It is my desire that no one will leave The United Methodist Church,” Fairley said. He said that General Conference delegates feel the same way and that “we do value a big table.” The sentiment to leave “breaks my heart,” Fairley said. He offered a word of encouragement, knowing it was challenging work for local pastors to hold their congregations in the denomination and wait for the results from General Conference.

Bishop Fairley also told the conference that he, his wife Dawn Sparks Fairley, and the conference's district superintendents are still dealing with the emotional and spiritual impact of last year's often-acrimonious disaffiliations.

“Friends, that’s not a pleasant place to be when you call yourselves Christian disciples,” Fairley said. “But we’re human. We’re all human.”

Ultimately on June 12, the conference's last day, conference members approved by a split vote 227-205 (52.5%-47.5%) for Kentucky leadership to explore Paragraph 2549 of the Book of Discipline “for facilitating a fair and just pathway” for churches to leave.

Wild's report continued: "Coming back from a break after the vote on the Nelson motion, Bishop Leonard Fairley admonished people against spreading misinformation. He said a false rumor was circulating that the Jurisdictional Council wouldn’t meet for another four years.

 “Please, people. Stop the rumors. Someone just got up and spoke about trust. And it just got broke,” Fairley told the hushed meeting hall at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

Iowa Annual Conference focused on a different General Conference action, an apology to victims of clergy sexual abuse proposed by the General Commission on Status and Role of Women. A report on the conference website read:

"Millie Kehrli, a member of COSROW and a survivor of clergy domestic violence, recounted her harrowing experience. Her testimony underscored the need for tangible action beyond mere apologies and policies. Kehrli's story and acknowledgment of systemic failures by conference leadership emphasized the importance of creating a safe space for survivors to come forward and seek support without fear of stigma or disbelief.

"... Following Kehrli's testimony, Melody Edwards Williams, Chair of COSROW, urged attendees to confront the uncomfortable truth about abuse and misconduct within the church. Drawing parallels to biblical narratives, Melody emphasized holding perpetrators accountable and providing unwavering support to survivors. She challenged conference members to become advocates for change, rejecting complacency in the face of injustice.

"... Central to the session was a heartfelt apology, read aloud by members of the Iowa delegation representing various church bodies. This apology acknowledged the church's complicity in perpetuating harm and pledged to take concrete steps toward prevention and response to misconduct. It signaled a commitment to prioritize the well-being of survivors and foster a culture of accountability and healing."

Overall, Iowa Conference members stressed unity amid financial challenges and their ongoing commitment to remain faithful to the United Methodist Church.

North Texas Annual Conference, in its final session as a separate regional unit, voted overwhelmingly to merge with the Central Texas and Northwest Texas conferences (see photo at top). Subject to approval by the South Central Jurisdiction during its July 10-12 meeting in Rogers, Arkansas, the new regional unit will be known as the Horizon Texas Annual Conference. A uniting conference is scheduled for Sept. 28 in Abilene, Texas.

North Texas communicator Pam Hughes quoted presiding Bishop Ruben Saenz about the three conferences' overwhelming support of the plan:

“When we began this work of unification, we had a goal of 80 percent approval at each vote. We wanted to make sure that unifying was truly the will of our annual conferences and the will of God,” said Bishop Rubén Sáenz Jr. “To see all three annual conferences support this plan with such overwhelming strength and enthusiasm, we can be confident in our next steps. Now we can boldly, with one voice, proclaim that we are Jesus followers, seeking the loving, just and free world that God imagines for all people, across our entire geographic region.”

The three conferences assigned representatives to a unification team that worked to adapt their respective operations into a single unit. The result of those months of work was The Unification Plan for the Central, North and Northwest Texas Annual Conferences. that was approved by the three conferences.

Louisiana Annual Conference was "a downsized affair" compared to last year's session, wrote communicator Mark Lambert. Nonetheless, the conference's theme, "Moving Forward with HOPE," was borne out in members' deliberations.

“Last year, going into Annual Conference, it felt like a sense of, ‘Are we going to be?’” said Britney Winn Lee, a member of the Annual Conference design team. “The question I’m experiencing this year is, ‘Who are we going to become?’”

Bishop Deloris Williamston, noted for her "fiery" episcopal address in 2023, was no less challenging in Louisiana's 2024 session, delivering what Lambert termed "a double dose of instruction and inspiration."

“Do we want to get well?” she asked several times in this year’s morning sermon and Episcopal Address. Her prescription is “a working vision to build, connect, and equip in the Louisiana Conference so we can get well,” she said.

During the morning sermon, Lambert wrote, the bishop outlined some specifics of her “build, connect, and equip” vision:

  • "Building a Louisiana Conference organizational structure “that is nimble and flexible to our current needs,” a “culture of invitation, hospitality, and empowerment” for local churches, and a “strong Wesleyan witness in the hard places as we continue to strategically equip our churches.”
  • "Connecting to each other to ensure “there is a place for everyone,” to learn from each other, and connecting to our neighbors “and those who may be culturally or ethnically different.”
  • "Equipping “ourselves for the journey ahead by training laity and clergy and offering opportunities to train trainers in our own house.”

Bishop Williamston's Episcopal Address also highlighted some of the major events of the 2020/2024 General Conference including regionalization, the Revised Social Principles, removal of "harmful" anti-LGBTQ language and rules and removing Paragraph 2553's disaffiliation process and crafting a reaffiliation process.

Minnesota Annual Conference members heard Bishop Lanette Plambeck urge them to "mind the gap" in future endeavors. She referred to a common British expression that warns passengers on trains and subways to be careful of the gap between the car and the platform when boarding public transportation.

Conference communicator Christa Meland quoted the bishop:

“I believe God has uniquely positioned The United Methodist Church in Minnesota to be trailblazers as we mind the gaps of society,” she told Minnesota United Methodists in her 2024 Episcopal Address. We can mind the gap of justice and reconciliation work. We can mind the gap of the least of these so that people will have their basic human needs met.

“You and I, laity and clergy all across the Minnesota Conference, can be engaged in the work of closing the gap, minding the gap, that separates the kingdom of heaven from what we are experiencing here on earth,” Bishop Plambeck said.

Meland's report continued:

"A Missional Report on May 29 highlighted three key initiatives that were the Minnesota Conference’s focus over the past year:

  • The creation of dozens of fresh expressions, from a dinner church-type “Blessing Bistro” to a “Hair and Prayer” ministry in a remote town to “Wild Church” outdoors (watch video).
  • The work of the Bishop’s Leadership Team, which has partnered with Bishop Lanette Plambeck on an organizational redesign.
  • The completion of a racial audit, which revealed that we have room to grow in the demographics of our congregations matching that of their communities—and we have blocks to full participation that make it challenging for those not in the dominant culture to navigate our systems and/or feel a sense of belonging when our culture, worship and practices are so rooted in whiteness."

More annual conference reports are available through UM News. As of June 13, 10 reports have been filed.

Cynthia B. Astle serves as editor of United Methodist Insight, an online news-and-views journal she founded in 2011 as a media channel to amplify voices of marginalized and under-served United Methodists.