Denomination News

Our mission has been and will continue to be transforming lives through Jesus Christ as we connect, heal, and bring hope to the world. Our core values continue to be Genuine Relationship, Inspired Discipleship, and Transformed Communities. We will also strive to live into our Focus 2030 vision for the future, which emphasizes loving God and loving others through worship, discipleship, community presence, and missional service.

Nothing passed by General Conference would force churches to receive a gay pastor. It’s important to know the process set in place for when a pastor is appointed to a church. When a pastoral transition occurs in the UMC, the District Superintendent meets with Ebenezer’s Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC). These church members are aware of the missional needs and concerns of the church and have a clear pulse of the congregation and community. Each church has a profile updated annually that describes various aspects of the church including context, history, makeup, size, financial condition, convictional stance, and theology, among other things. The SPRC discusses the missional needs and characteristics that would best fit the church at the time of the transition and shares this with the District Superintendent. The Bishop and District Superintendents want to have a good missional match for Ebenezer and do not want to send a pastor who would not be welcomed or wanted. Appointing a pastor to a church that is not a good fit is not healthy for the pastor or the church.

No. Legislation passed at General Conference explicitly protects the right of clergy and churches not to officiate at or host same-sex weddings. Churches and clergy will also not incur penalties if they choose to allow same-sex weddings on site. Decisions on these matters are to be made by the Board of Trustees at Ebenezer who hold the responsibility for setting policies regarding church usage. They are given the discretion and authority by General Conference to make these decisions on a case-by-case basis. According to Ebenezer’s Governing Board Charter, the Governing Board has the authority to approve any policy the Trustees choose to write. We will of course seek input from the congregation and have yet to determine the best way to do that. Because more information is to come from the Judicial Council regarding clarity in decision making around this question, the Virginia Conference advises that churches not rush to make policies at this point. The Judicial Council has also said that no pastor or other committee can supersede the decision of Trustees on this matter.

Please note: Our FAQ section is under construction as we unpack the results of General Conference and make necessary updates. We appreciate your patience as we gather information about decisions that were made and what they may mean for Ebenezer.

Ebenezer is part of the United Methodist denomination, and as such, we are bound by the doctrine and policies of the larger denomination. When those policies change, that impacts the local church.

Please note: Our FAQ section is under construction as we unpack the results of General Conference and make necessary updates. We appreciate your patience as we gather information about decisions that were made and what they may mean for Ebenezer.

The Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church currently has 875 churches and 261,484 members. Between October 2022 and October 2023, a total of about 75 clergy and 227 churches disaffiliated. The combined membership of these 227 churches represents 10.58% of the total membership of the United Methodist churches in Virginia.

Within the United States, estimates are that 23,500 churches remain United Methodist; roughly 7,286 chose to leave the denomination. Of those, 3,000 left to join the Global Methodist Church, and about 3,200 left to become independent or join another denomination. The full data is not yet complete. For more information on the status of all churches within the Virginia Conference, please visit the conference website at vaumc.org.

No. These foundational Christian beliefs are cemented in the doctrine of the United Methodist Church as stated in the Articles of Religion and the Confession of Faith. Both are found in Part III of the Book of Discipline. These are essential to the teachings at Ebenezer Church.

General Conference did not pass legislation providing a way for local churches to disaffiliate. General Conference removed Paragraph 2553 from the Book of Discipline, ending the disaffiliation policy that was added by the 2019 General Conference. They did, however, require annual conferences affected by disaffiliation to develop grace-filled policies for reaffiliation of churches that want to rejoin the denomination.

The Governing Board is exploring options for taking the current pulse of the congregation regarding same-sex weddings and clergy.

The Committee on Lay Leadership (CLL) at Ebenezer prayerfully puts together the slate of nominated leaders. Each year, CLL members determine where the openings and needs will be on existing committees. Openings are due to the end of a set term of service, PCS, illnesses, and other causes.  CLL receives nominations every year of potential candidates from the staff, pastors, and others. CLL prays over this list and asks persons to complete a Leader Interest Form and Spiritual Gifts survey. After forms are completed, members of CLL have conversations with these persons to prayerfully discern what might be the optimal missional match for these potential leaders. CLL balances needs, spiritual gifts, and more through an intentional, Spirit-filled process of discernment to find the best fit. The entire process takes several months. CLL is responsible for finding leaders for Trustees, Staff-Parish Relations Committee, Finance Committee, CLL, and the Governing Board.

Click the button below to see a recap of major decisions made at General Conference.

Legislative Recap

Click the button below to access the United Methodist News page with information about major developments at General Conference.

General Conference News

Virginia Annual Conference Resident Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson addresses disinformation about the United Methodist Church ahead of General Conference, which begins April 23 in Charlotte, NC. Please click the button below to access her letter.

Disinformation in the UMC

Click the button below to access the General Conference official website, which includes a comprehensive guide to the General Conference background, schedule, pending legislation, press releases, and more.

General Conference Official Website

The Virginia Annual Conference of the UMC has also created an informative General Conference 2024 page on its website. Click the button below to connect to the page and access the following:

• Links to the General Conference official website, United Methodist News Service, and Virginia Conference Delegation
• Infographics that explain the purpose of General Conference
• Videos and podcasts about issues facing delegates at the General Conference
• General Conference news and information from United Methodist News
• General Conference FAQ’s

VAUMC General Conference 2024

Other helpful links:

• Guide to General Conference
• Guide to Prayer for General Conference
• Major Legislative Topics
• United Methodist News
• General Conference Infographic
• General Conference Livestream

Looking for a brief explanation of how General Conference makes the decisions it does? Ask The UMC has produced a primer on the legislative process. Click the button below to access the document.

How Does the General Conference Work?

A newly published section of the Advance Daily Christian Advocate contains additional petitions and updated reports for United Methodist delegates to consider as they prepare for General Conference. Ask the UMC has prepared a series of articles entitled What’s New for General Conference 2024? to provide an overview of the changes.

Part 1 explores the proposed general church budget.

Part 2 looks at the various petitions that seek to re-start a process of disaffiliation and expand it across the worldwide church.

Part 3 addresses newly submitted legislation regarding higher education and ordained ministry from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry and the Alabama-West Florida Conference.

Exploring General Conference is a free online course that explains the historical roots, legislative processes, and happenings that make General Conference an important function of The United Methodist Church. Click the button below to access the course curriculum.

Exploring General Conference

Kim Johnson, General Conference delegate and Northern Virginia District Director of Communications, has created a helpful infographic to explain the purpose of General Conference and more. Click the button below to view the entire four-page document.

The Road to General Conference