The 2012 General Conference of The United Methodist Church has been slowly dealing with legislative issues under the watchful eye of silent protesters. As time is quickly slipping away, delegates are feeling the pressure to make the next several days really count since so many of the big-ticket issues have not been dealt with. (Photo: Gay and lesbian protesters encircled the delegates in silent protest as they worked.)

We have been hosting our Briefing Breakfasts every morning this week for the delegates, monitoring the legislation on the floor of the General Conference, and distributing our daily newsletter outside the convention center.

If you are watching the General Conference via live streaming and want to see a legislation tracking guide of issues of interest to the Renewal and Reform Coalition, click HERE.

(Photo: Dr. Maxie Dunnam delivers a devotional to the Briefing Breakfast.)

The big agenda today is supposed to be the new Restructure Proposal called PlanUMC. You can read it HERE

Some of the actions that warrant your attention:

• Delegates voted to end the guaranteed appointment of United Methodist elders. To learn more, click HERE.
• Delegates decided not to approve a petition that would have created a new full-time role for the president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. To learn more, click HERE.
• Delegates revised the Social Principles statement on abortion to say, “We mourn and are committed to the diminishment of high abortion rates.”
• Churches are encouraged to provide “age-appropriate sexuality education, advocacy in regard to contraception, and support of initiatives that enhance the quality of life for all women and girls around the globe.”
• Churches are also encouraged to support “crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately help women explore all options related to unplanned pregnancy.”
• Delegates opposed, 407 to 383, a longer preamble proposed for the Social Principles by a legislative committee. They agreed with a minority report that affirms “our unity in Jesus Christ while acknowledging differences in applying our faith in different cultural contexts as we live out the gospel.”
• Voting 532 to 414, delegates in a May 1 plenary session added a clause, “We stand united in declaring our faith that God’s grace is available to all — that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
• Delegates created an additional episcopal area in the Congo Central Conference, increasing the number of bishops in the area from three to four.
• Delegates celebrated an April 30 decision to enter into full communion with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Union Methodist Protestant Church and the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church. To learn more, click HERE.

We covet your prayers for our United Methodist Church.

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