The 2024 General Conference passed several proposed amendments to United Methodist Constitution. These unique pieces of legislation only become official once they are ratified by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the aggregate of members to the annual conferences. We will vote on each of these four amendments during our 2025 Annual Conference Session. The amendment topics are:
- Worldwide Regionalization
- Gender and ability inclusion
- Racial Justice
- Educational requirements for clergy members
Learn more about each proposed amendment below:
ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS
Worldwide Regionalization
Worldwide Regionalization represents an organizational vision designed to enhance adaptive evangelism, emphasize our denomination’s global nature, and strengthen our connection by prioritizing our mission and ministry.
You can download a one-page informational document about regionalization at this link.
Paragraph 4, Article 4: Inclusion
The amended portion of the Constitution adds ability and gender to existing social categories that clergy in The United Methodist Church cannot use to discriminate against a potential member. Said another way, a pastor may not deny a person membership in the church because they have a disability, are female or male, married or single, young or old. You can learn more by reading:
Article V: Racial Justice
Article V of the Book of Discipline serves as a pivotal framework for the United Methodist Church’s commitment to addressing and eliminating racism in all its forms. Recent proposed changes to Article V, at the postponed 2020/2024 General Conference session in April/May 2024, have strengthened this commitment by explicitly recognizing the church’s role in combating racism, racial inequity, colonialism, white privilege, and white supremacy both within the denomination and in broader society. These changes reflect a critical shift in the church’s acknowledgment of and response to deeply entrenched racial injustice.
Educational requirements for clergy members
This amendment ensures that those voting for clergy delegates have met the denominational standards for theological education. It does not expand or restrict voting access for licensed local pastors (LLPs) in central or regional conferences. Instead, it clarifies the meaning of an M. Div. degree and specifies qualifying theological schools and their equivalents.
Local pastors retain the right to elect clergy delegates to the General Conference if they meet the following criteria:
- Educational Requirements: They must have either
a. Completed the Course of Study, or
b. Earned a Master of Divinity degree from a University Senate-approved theological school or its equivalent as recognized in a central or regional conference. - Service Requirement: They must have served a minimum of two consecutive years under appointment immediately before the election.
This amendment brings greater clarity and consistency to the voting process for clergy delegates while allowing for necessary contextualization within central and regional conferences.
WEBINAR RECORDING
More webinars are planned to provided additional education and clarification on these amendments, so check back soon!
Webinar: Ratification
