{"id":2652,"date":"2024-07-10T18:12:52","date_gmt":"2024-07-10T22:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/?p=2652"},"modified":"2024-07-10T18:14:17","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T22:14:17","slug":"whats-next-for-2-year-old-global-methodist-denomination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/2024\/07\/10\/whats-next-for-2-year-old-global-methodist-denomination\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Next for 2-Year-Old Global Methodist Denomination?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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First United Methodist Church, Marysville, OH. Image courtesy of\u00a0 Wiki Historian N OH of English Wikipedia<\/a>, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Church Rejects Annual Appointments, Plans 1st General Conference<\/h2>\n

Leaders of the new Global Methodist Church<\/a> have made numerous decisions about organization and leadership since the United Methodist Church split in 2022 and a new denomination was born. Now, the fledgling GM Church is preparing for its first General Conference. It’s a crucial step that may provide hints about what\u2019s next for the two-year-old Global Methodist denomination.<\/p>\n

Scrapping Annual Appointments<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One important decision that Global Methodists have made is to scrap the annual pastor appointment system. The process for appointing Methodist pastors dates to early Methodism in the U.S., when circuit riders were sent to serve multiple churches in large regions.<\/p>\n

Today, UMC bishops and cabinets evaluate churches and pastors in their jurisdictions each year, and the bishop appoints pastors accordingly, UMC said.<\/p>\n

Global Methodists face a unique situation regarding pastors. They say they need a more fluid process that allows them to fill pastoral positions when the need arises rather than abiding by annual evaluations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really a difficult thing to start a new denomination,\u201d said the Rev. Terry Bentley, a presiding elder. He noted that one of the most difficult tasks a new denomination faces is ensuring that all churches have a pastor.<\/p>\n

Bentley said that many \u2013 but not all \u2013 churches that left the UMC took their pastors with them. Consequently, some Global Methodist churches were left without a pastor, at least initially, and the conference and churches decided to solve the problem by using an interview system.<\/p>\n

The system works this way: Global Methodist churches that need a pastor will interview three candidates. If none of the candidates meets their needs, the church may look to other conferences for a leader. An individual church makes the initial decision about a pastor\u2019s selection, but the bishop and conference cabinet must give final approval of the appointment.<\/p>\n

The GM Church also has made a change regarding bishops. The UMC appoints bishops for life, but Global Methodists have decided to consecrate their bishops for a set term.<\/p>\n

Planning Its 1st<\/sup> General Conference <\/strong><\/h3>\n

The GM Church will hold its first General Conference<\/a> this September. The General Conference is extremely important to Methodists under normal circumstances because \u2013 as the church\u2019s highest legislative body \u2013 it sets policies and speaks for the denomination. But this isn’t normal circumstances.<\/p>\n

The upcoming General Conference will consider an extensive legislative package when it meets Sept. 20-26 in San Jose, Costa Rica. Clergy and laity from around the world are expected to attend and work toward several broad goals that include:<\/p>\n