The General Conference of the United Methodist Church will be meeting April 23 – May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The group has been unable to gather since 2019 due to the COVID pandemic.

What is the UMC General Conference? The General Conference of the UMC is the decision-making body of the United Methodist Church. It is made up of equal parts lay and clergy representatives from the worldwide UMC connection of congregations. They meet every four years for worship, conversation, discernment, and legislative work.

My friend, Rev. Magrey DeVega, lead pastor of Hyde Park UMC in Tampa, Florida, will be a delegate to this year’s conference. He explains the work of the conference this way.

“The delegates will engage in worship and holy conferencing, for the purpose of interpreting the work of the United Methodist Church for the present age. Delegates will consider hundreds of petitions and make a wide array of decisions, guiding the denomination in its allocation of resources, its position on major issues, and its priorities for ministry.

Among the many matters of discernment and consideration will be these four major issues:

• Revision of our Social Principles: to speak into contemporary issues in ways that are globally relevant and biblically based.
• Reduction of the Denomination’s Overall Budget: to maximize resources for local churches to do the work of making disciples.
• Regionalization of the Denomination’s Global Structure: to allow the United Methodist Church to minister in the most effective ways in different global contexts.
• Removal of Discriminatory Language and Policies: to reduce the harm done to LGBTQIA+ persons.

CLICK HERE for the General Conference website with more information, their schedule, and live stream.

Scroll through the following infographics for more information on the structure of the United Methodist Church, the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and the General Conference.

How can I get the prayer guide? Thank you for praying for the upcoming General Conference gathering. It’s a significant time of change and hope in our denomination and your prayers matter. These prayers were born out of my concerns and hopes.

You’re welcome to share my prayer guide with others as a free prayer resource, in print or digital form. I pray they are helpful to you, your congregation, our denomination, and all who follow Christ around the world. CLICK HERE to download the prayer guide.

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Nine Prayers for the 2024 UMC General Conference © 2024 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia. You’re welcome to share this prayer guide with others as a free prayer resource, in print or digital form. Please do not modify it, claim it, or publish it as your own.