A Statement from the Alabama-West Florida Conference

The 2019 special-called session of General Conference has adjourned. Eight hundred and sixty-four delegates from around the world convened in St. Louis, MO, from February 23-26, 2019. The delegates examined paragraphs in the United Methodist Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and considered different various legislative pieces related to that topic.
 
In the legislative committee, several petitions passed, including the Traditional Plan. The One Church Plan did not pass. The Traditional Plan was passed in the plenary session but yesterday, several components of the Traditional Plan were ruled unconstitutional by the Judicial Council. The plan, as a whole, will be referred to Judicial Council again for review. Any components of The Traditional Plan deemed constitutional by The Judicial Council will take effect in January of 2020. We are, therefore, still under the guidance of the 2016 Book of Discipline.  
 
General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church and is the only voting body who can speak for the denomination. The next session will be held May 5-15, 2020. Ten delegates, half clergy and half laity, represented the Alabama-West Florida Conference at this gathering.

-The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church