Boayue elected to legislative leadership role at General Conference

  The Rev. Dr. Charles Boayue, senior pastor at Detroit: Second Grace UMC, has been elected to serve in the leadership of the General Administration legislative committee at the 2012 General Conference session. The 13 legislative committees met today for the first time to elect officers and will begin considering and perfecting petitions on Thursday (April 26).   The General Administration committee is the primary legislative committee dealing with the petitions related to the...

COMMENTARY: Making Good on Our Promises to Indigenous Peoples

  Editor's note: Delegates to the 2012 General Conference session will participate in “An Act of Repentance toward Healing Relationships with Indigenous People.” The service is intended to begin the process of spiritual healing between The United Methodist Church and indigenous peoples. It will take place on Friday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m.   The act of repentance and plans for continued healing in the months following General Conference stem from atrocities and...

Plymouth: First UMC choir to sing at 2012 General Conference

  The choir from Plymouth: First United Methodist Church has been selected to sing during the 2012 General Conference session, which will take place April 24-May 4 in Tampa, Fla. The choir will sing on Tuesday, May 1, performing a 30-minute concert during the lunch break and then singing during the evening worship service.   The choir was one of 55 musical groups that applied to perform at General Conference, and one of 19 selected to participate in the nine worship services that...

Delegation readies for 2012 General Conference Session

  The Detroit Conference delegation will travel to Tampa, Fla., next week to participate in the 2012 General Conference session, which will take place from April 24-May 4 at the Tampa Convention Center. The conference will be sending four clergy and four laypersons to serve as delegates to the top legislative body in The United Methodist Church.   Among the Detroit Conference delegation includes five members that will be serving as a delegate for the first time in 2012, while two...

Detroit Conference petitions to General Conference not included in ADCA

  The five General Conference petitions that were supported by the Detroit Conference during the 2011 annual session have not been included in the advance edition of the Daily Christian Advocate due to a submission error.   The Rev. Tracy Huffman, conference secretary, expressed her deep apologies and explained that the petitions were mistakenly sent to an alternate e-mail used during the submission process, causing them to not be considered. She indicated that she has been in...

Commentary: 2012 Act of Repentance of The United Methodist Church

  Note: During the 2012 General Conference session in Tampa, Fla., an "Act of Repentance and Healing for Indigenous Persons" will take place. This commentary is a series of articles developed by the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, which is the general agency responsible for the act of repentance. For more information, please visit the GCCUIC's website.    Those of us who come from Native American communities in the United States...

Commentary: Pursuing a New History Between United Methodists and Indigenous Peoples

  Note: During the 2012 General Conference session in Tampa, Fla., an "Act of Repentance and Healing for Indigenous Persons" will take place. This commentary is a series of articles developed by the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, which is the general agency responsible for the act of repentance. For more information, please visit the GCCUIC's website.    John Wesley understood quite clearly the atrocities carried out by Europeans...

Michigan Area delegations meet prior to General Conference

  The delegates to the 2012 General and North Central Jurisdictional Conferences from the Michigan Area met on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Mason: First UMC for a time of getting acquainted and discussing some of the issues that will be addressed during the quadrennial sessions.   After receiving greetings from Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton, the delegates heard a report from the Rev. Laurie Haller, chair of the delegation from West Michigan, and Jackie Euper, chair of the...

Clergy sexual ethics training scheduled for March 19-21 across Michigan Area

  The office of Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton announced today (Dec. 13) that mandatory sexual ethics training for all clergy in the Michigan Area will take place at three sites from March 19-21. All clergy currently under appointment or anticipating an appointment are required to attend one of the single-day sessions.   The dates and sites available for clergy in the Michigan Area are as follows: March 19 - Birmingham: First UMC March 20 - Gaylord: First UMC ...

General Conference Rule Changes Proposed

The Rules Committee of the Commission on the General Conference has announced their recommendations for changes to the Plan of Organization and Rules of Order which provides the governance structure for the 2012 General Conference. The changes will be presented to delegates for consideration at the opening session.   "Our goal was to create a hospitable environment and an efficient structure for all delegates," said Judi Kenaston, committee chair. "Some of the significant...

Letter from Council of Bishops vows to uphold church law

Editor's note: The following letter was issued by the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church following their fall meeting. To read the United Methodist News Service story on this letter, please click here.    Click here to download a PDF version of this letter.   November 10, 2011   Dear United Methodist Sisters and Brothers in Christ:   Grace and peace to you from Jesus Christ who calls us to faithfulness during a time of great and unsettling change...

Bishop Linda Lee Announces Intent to Retire

  The North Central Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy announced today (Wed., Oct. 5) that Bishop Linda Lee has indicated her intent to retire effective September 1, 2012. Lee is currently serving the Wisconsin Area, where she has presided as bishop since 2004. Lee, a former clergy member of the Detroit Conference, served the Michigan Area from 2001-04.   According to Dr. Maggie Jackson, chairperson of the committee, Lee informed the Wisconsin Annual Conference staff on Monday,...

Delegation Meets, Makes Legislative Section Assignments

  The delegation to the 2012 General and North Central Jurisdictional conferences met for the first time on Wednesday, May 10, for an orientation session at the Detroit Conference Center. As part of the day-long meeting, the eight delegates to General Conference selected their legislative committee assignments.   The bulk of General Conference business is conducted in legislative committees. Each committee receives petitions and proposals, debates them, and determines whether to...

Fifty-Five People Nominated for General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegations

  A total of 55 individuals - 29 clergy and 26 laity - have been nominated to represent the Detroit Conference at the 2012 General and North Central Jurisdictional Conferences, it was announced recently by Mike Clark, the conference’s lay leader. Nominations were received over a two-month period that ended on January 15, 2011.   At the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference session, which is scheduled for Thursday-Sunday, May 19-22, members of the conference will elect four clergy...

Details Announced for 2011 Annual Conference Session

  "When Did We See You, Lord?" will be the theme of the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference session, which will take place on Thursday-Sunday, May 19-22.    The theme is based upon "engaging in ministry with the poor," one of The United Methodist Church's Four Areas of Focus. As part of this focus area, The United Methodist Church seeks to "promote awareness of poverty and advocacy for change, support adequate funding for antipoverty initiatives at all...

Submissions for Conference Resolutions and General Conference Petitions Now Being Accepted

  The Detroit Conference Committee on Reference and Daily Procedure is now accepting submissions for conference resolutions and General Conference petitions for the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference session. The deadline to submit resolutions and petitions for consideration by the conference is February 15, 2011.   The committee is accepting two forms of action requests: 1)  resolutions for action by the Detroit Annual Conference; and 2) petitions that request the Annual...

Council of Bishops Announces Constitutional Amendments Voting Results

The United Methodist Council of Bishops announced today that only 6 of 32 amendments to the church’s constitution passed by the 2008 General Conference have been ratified by the annual conferences. The ratified amendments will become effective immediately.   The process for amending the Constitution of The United Methodist Church requires a two-thirds majority vote of General Conference delegates. Annual conferences must then ratify the amendments by a two-thirds affirmative vote....

Portland to Host 2016 United Methodist General Conference

From United Methodist Communications The Commission on the General Conference has announced that Portland, Ore. has been selected as the site for the 2016 General Conference. The United Methodist Church’s top legislative body will meet at the Oregon Convention Center, the largest convention center in the Pacific Northwest, tentatively scheduled from May 10-20, 2016.  “I believe the Portland area will afford the General Conference a fine experience in West Coast...