General Agencies

Jessica Vittorio, a Wespath board member and North Texas Conference delegate, urges passage of a new retirement plan for United Methodist clergy in the U.S. during a plenary session May 1 at the United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. Photo by Larry McCormack, UM News.

New clergy retirement plan approved

General Conference delegates have supported the request by Wespath, The United Methodist Church’s pension and benefits agency, to move to a defined contribution retirement plan for U.S. clergy.

Worship

Norma Villagrana of the Western North Carolina Conference prays at an altar in the General Conference prayer room in Charlotte, N.C. The “Cultivating the Garden of the Heart” prayer room is sponsored by The Upper Room and includes prompts and Scriptures in Portuguese, Korean, French, Spanish and Kiswahili. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Prayer room available to General Conference attendees

Open to all, “Cultivating the Garden of the Heart” includes prompts and Scriptures in Portuguese, Korean, French, Spanish and Kiswahili.

General Conference

United Women in Faith volunteers from the Western North Carolina Conference help to sort and organize crafts brought by central conference delegates to the postponed 2020 United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. The goods are for sale at the Worldwide Craft Market, which is open at the Hilton Garden Inn, a block from the Charlotte Convention Center, daily except Sunday. Photo by Patrick Scriven, Pacific Northwest Conference for the Western Jurisdiction.

Global craft market supports delegates, ministries

All profits from the sale of wares from Africa, the Philippines and Palestine go back into the pockets of the individuals selling their goods to support various ministries.

General Conference

The Rev. Moses Kumar, the top executive of the General Council on Finance and Administration, speaks April 24 during the United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

Delegates urged to ‘restart’ church with less

Leaders presented a sober picture of United Methodist finances, including the need to reduce bishops. At the same time, delegates heard hope for the denomination to pivot from church exits to revitalization.

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