In the US, the delegates at the General Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment to allow for decisions to be decided “regionally” with a 586-164 vote.
This decision made by the legislative body of UMC is seen as a way to “defuse” debates over the role of LGBTQIA people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the church.
This plan eyes to create multiple regional conferences — one for the US, and others covering areas from the Philippines to Europe to Africa.
To date, regions outside US — known as “central conferences” — are already granted the flexibility to adapt church rules to their local contexts; only those in the US are not. This constitutional change would give the US church that same flexibility.
To become official, the constitutional amendment now has to be approved by two-thirds of UMC’s annual conferences, or local governing bodies.
