With the postponement of the 2020 General Conference to 2024 and the announcement by the Wesleyan Covenant Association that it will launch the Global Methodist Church on May 1, 2022, we at Ask The UMC are receiving many more questions about disaffiliation.

Wespath has been planning for various potential scenarios that might affect the future structure of The United Methodist Church (UMC), with emphasis on assuring that clergy benefits remain as secure as possible. Wespath strives to be a bridge-building, non-anxious presence in the midst of change. We seek to maintain the continuity of benefits for those who serve and investment management services for Methodist-related entities.

The decision by the Commission on General Conference to postpone the 2020 General Conference to 2024 has generated new questions from across the denomination regarding how pension obligations will be handled by Wespath if local churches or annual conferences separate from the UMC before the next General Conference. The following new Q&As provide Wespath’s responses to these questions. UPDATED March 21, 2022

A proposal to restructure the United Methodist Church by separation as the best means to resolve our differences. This agreement will allow each part of the Church to remain true to its theological understanding, while recognizing the dignity, equality, integrity, and respect of every person.

A set of legislative and constitutional amendments submitted to the United Methodist Church’s (UMC) General Conference with the goal of establishing regional equity in the structures of the church for missional effectiveness while sustaining connectional unity.

Proposal from the UMC Connectional Table. If passed, the U.S. Regional Conference would comprise the current U.S. jurisdictional conferences and the geographical boundaries congruent with the territory of U.S. annual conferences.

The changes to the 2016 Book of Discipline resulting from the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference appear in the Addendum to the Book of Discipline. The same document also contains the most recent version of the Errata, with other updates and corrections to the Book of Discipline made during the 2017-2020 Quadrennium.