General Conference Update: May 17, 2016

Day Six: May 17, 2016

Council of Bishops Issues Statement About Unity

Bishop Bruce R. Ough, president of the Council of Bishops and leader of the Minnesota Conference, addressed the General Conference today, asking for a point of privilege to discuss rumors of a plan for schism. Bishop Ough confirmed that the council of bishop is in talks with a number of groups across the denomination, but that the Council believes we are called to maintain unity.
“We belong to God and one another,” he said. As the afternoon progressed, the voting body approved a motion to ask the Council of Bishops to meet in the evening and return with a report outlining a way forward. Click here to read transcript of statement. Photo by Luke Lucas, AWF.

Bishop Abrahams Urges Wesleyan Commitment to the Marginalized

(UMNS) - The concept of “empire” has become a reality of the 21st century, says Bishop Ivan M. Abrahams, top executive of the World Methodist Council, and Christians need to be wary of pledging an allegiance to something other than Jesus. In his May 17 sermon to General Conference 2016 on Matthew 18:10-14, Abrahams, a member of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, used the sub-theme, “Go in the name of Jesus of Palestine rather than Jesus of Constantine.” He invited the conference to talk about what type of church we want to be: the church of “the least of these” or the church of the status quo. Full story here.

Wilson Presents Legislation to General Conference

Rev. Robin Wilson, AWF delegate and chair of the General Conference Discipleship Committee, presented petition number 60939 to the floor in this morning's plenary session. Under her leadership, the committee recommend to refer to this petition to the General Board of Discipleship. The recommendation to refer was passed with a vote of 722-60. Photo by Luke Lucas, AWF.

Sacramental Authority of Deacons Petition Passes

Today the General Conference passed a petition that allows deacons to contact their resident bishop directly to ask for permission to administer sacraments. Previously, the pastor-in-charge or district superintendent had to make the request on the deacon’s behalf. Rev. Emily Kincaid, executive minister at Orange Beach UMC and deacon said, "The sacraments are chief among John Wesley's 'Means of Grace.' To take seriously our sacramental theology as Wesleyan Christians means that we want as many people to experience God's grace through Baptism and Holy Communion as possible! Deacons are on the front lines of extending the witness of Christ into the world in settings such as hospitals, camp and retreat centers, the Walk to Emmaus, and Wesley foundations. Today's General Conference decision regarding the language of sacramental privilege for deacons opens doors for more people, especially those outside the church, to be drawn into God's presence through the sacraments."

Term Limits for Bishops Fails at GC2016

(UMSN) - Term limits for United Methodist bishops got strong support in a vote at General Conference 2016, but fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to change the church constitution. The vote on May 17 was 482 in favor of term limits and 332 opposed. The Association of Annual Conference Lay leaders introduced the petition, arguing that lifetime tenure for bishops in the United States “inevitably invites abuse of power and creates a mistrust with the local churches.” More here.

GC2016 Proposal Calls for New Panel on Growth

(UMNS) - Should $20 million be removed from general church ministries and reallocated to a new committee on U.S. church growth? General Conference delegates on March 17 referred a proposal that does just that to the Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court, for a ruling on whether the plan is in line with the denomination’s constitution and whether it constitutes a conflict of interest. Delegates voted 614-197 to refer. More here.

Green Light for New Hymnal Project

(UMNS) - The United Methodist Church is on track to get its first new hymnal since 1989, and this one will be Internet-cloud based and print-on-demand — the first high-tech hymnal for a mainline denomination. General Conference 2016 approved on a consent calendar Tuesday, May 17, a petition authorizing the creation of a 15-member Hymnal Revision Committee. More here.

AWF Delegate Prayer & Profile

"Lord of the Church, we give thanks for your guidance in our lives and for the opportunity to serve you. We ask for the power of your Spirit as we seek to bear witness to your name and share your love with all of the world. Strengthen us where we are weak, embolden us where we are afraid, rid us of complacency, and kindle in us a passion for all to know Christ and to make him known. Raise up leaders that will inspire your people to live as faithful disciples and may we, together, see the fullness of your gospel revealed, even in our own time. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen."
-Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon

Dr. Pridgeon serves as the AWF Assistant to the Bishop and Director of Ministerial Services and previously served as the Pensacola District Superintendent. He served on the 2012 jurisdictional delegation and has attended the past five delegations.

AWF Photo Galleries from General Conference

Luke Lucas, AWF Communications Specialist, is covering general conference through photography. He is capturing our delegation and friends at work. Click here to see galleries.

Tomorrow's Highlights

Streaming Schedule (Reminder: All times are Pacific Standard, UTC-7)

8:00 AM: Worship (10:00 AM CDT)
9:00 AM: Reports/Calendar Items & Conference Business (11:00 AM CDT)
9:48 AM: Imagine No Malaria (11:48 AM CDT)
10:20 AM: Calendar Items & Conference Business (12:20 PM CDT)
12:18 PM Global AIDS Report (2:18 PM CDT)
12:25 PM Vital Congregations Moments (2:25 PM CDT)
2:00 PM: Calendar Items & Conference Business (4:00 PM CDT)
3:51 PM: General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits Report (5:51 PM CDT)
3:58 PM: 30th Anniversary: Disciple Bible Study (5:58 PM CDT)
4:20 PM: Calendar Items & Conference Business (6:20 PM CDT)
5:40 PM: Report on the Sand Creek Massacre (7:40 PM CDT)
6:10 PM: Closing Devotion (8:10 PM CDT)

General Conference 2016: Live Stream Archives

On-demand and downloadable versions of the daily General Conference plenary sessions, worship, and addresses are now available. View here.

Stay Connected

Live stream: Follow the action with live streaming video. Don’t miss a minute of the big event.

Social Media: The GC Twitter account will show a real-time conversation. Follow @UMCGC to get the 4-1-1 and join the global conversation using the hashtag #UMCGC. For AWF tweets, use #AWFGC. Follow General Conference on Facebook to stay well informed.

Digital Lounge: Stay clued in by visiting the digital lounge to watch interviews with notables and newsmakers, as well as folks who are out of the spotlight but critical to the event’s success.

Mobile App: The General Conference mobile app has everything you need in the palm of your hand.

United Methodist News Service: United Methodist News Service will be posting breaking news stories all day, every day, as well as in-depth coverage and analysis. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter or, subscribe to the UMNS daily digest and get the news in your inbox; then click to learn more.

GC Website: Find everything in one place at the General Conference website for an easy, user-friendly experience.

Miss One?

If you were unable to catch the action of General Conference, click on the daily archive below for Alabama-West Florida Conference daily updates.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Friday, May 13, 2016
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Monday, May 16, 2016