wfn.org | General Conference actions

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3323 notes).

Note 3319 by UMNS on Dec. 4, 1996 at 16:52 Eastern (2667 characters).

SEARCH: 1996, General Conference, Consultation on Church Union,
Black Church for the 21st Century, 
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT: Thomas S. McAnally             607(10-21-28-31-71B){3319}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470              Dec. 4, 1996

NOTE:  This may be used as sidebar to the year-end wrapup story
UMNS #606 {3318}

General Conference delegates
address wide range of topics

                 by United Methodist News Service

     Although social issues such as homosexuality captured the
headlines during the General Conference, delegates took action on
a wide range of topics and issues.  At the close of the 10-day
meeting, April 26, they had:
     * approved an initiative designed to increase and enhance the
involvement of youth and young people in the church;
     * adopted a quadrennial focus on "Strengthening the Black
Church for the 21st Century";
     * supported a commission to develop a possible plan of union
for the United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal, African
Methodist Episcopal Zion, and Christian Methodist Episcopal
churches;
     * approved by a 70 percent margin United Methodism becoming
the sixth denomination to adopt the covenanting proposal of the
Consultation on Church Union;
     * reordered the church's ministry, calling for permanent
orders of deacon and elder and eliminating the office of diaconal
minister;
     * approved a new core statement on baptism that upholds the
legitimacy of infant baptism, rejects any re-baptism, and explains
the relationship between baptism as an infant and confirmation;
     * authorized an independent, churchwide Commission on United
Methodist Men;
     * reduced the total number of lay and clergy directors of
churchwide agencies from about 950 to 650;
     * voted to delay any move of the General Board of Global
Ministries until the General Conference of 2000 so that any
restructuring of the churchwide boards and agencies can be
incorporated into the site relocation decision and a more
economical site can be determined;
     * established a Connectional Process Team to address, among
other things, organizational forms for the church beyond the year
2000;
     * adopted a budget of nearly $508.3 million to fund the
churchwide efforts of the United Methodist Church for the next
four years, reflecting increases of only one percent over the 1996
budget for 1997, no increase for 1998, and 2 percent limit on
increases for 1999 and 2000.
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