History of the People of The United Methodist Church - From 1951 to Present
1951-75: Uniting and United
In 1951, The Methodist Church helped form the World Methodist Council. Ties established with the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches allowed for greater cooperation in mission and other ministries. The Methodist Church was increasingly concerned with the issue of racism in the church and United States. While earlier General Conferences considered proposals to eliminate the Central Jurisdiction, it continued until its abolition became part of the proposed union with the Evangelical United Brethren. Full clergy rights for women were also part of the plan of union. The Methodist Church agreed to full clergy rights for women in 1956, but it took more than a decade for the number of women in seminaries to increase. In 1968, General Conference approved the proposal to create The United Methodist Church. Merging and reorganizing structures followed. Many of today’s general agencies had their beginning at this time. Meanwhile, congregations flourished in Taiwan and Zambia. The European Methodist Council, the Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches of Latin America and the Burundi Conference were established.
1976-2000: Years of Progress
As an increasing number of women were admitted to ordained ministry, Marjorie Matthews was elected the first female United Methodist bishop in 1980, and Leontine T.C. Kelly became the first female African American bishop in 1984. Having become the first African bishop in 1968, Abel T. Muzorewa became prime minister of Zimbabwe in 1979. Hartzell’s dream of African youth running to school took a step toward reality when the 1988 General Conference approved establishing Africa University in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe. Opened in 1992, it continues to draw a diverse body of students from throughout Africa. New churches emerged in Colombia, El Salvador and Vietnam. Central and Southern Europe Bishop Heinrich Bolleter and the United Methodist Committee on Relief aided Kosovo.
2001-2019: Into The future
The church continues to experience change and increasingly knows itself as a worldwide church with members and conferences in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States. While membership in Europe and the United States has declined, it has grown significantly in Asia and Africa. The church endeavors to become a community in which all people, regardless of racial or ethnic background, can participate in every level of its connectional life and ministry (The Book of Discipline, Historical Statement, p. 22). The Protestant Methodist Church of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) joined The United Methodist Church in 2004. In 2008, General Conference entered into full communion with The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. United Methodists responded to devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Japan and to other disasters. In 2012, the General Conference participated in “An Act of Repentance toward Healing Relationships with Indigenous Peoples.” The church also entered into communion with several historically African American pan-Methodist denominations, made United Methodist Women an autonomous organization, and created a national ministry plan for Pacific Islanders in the United States.
In 2016, General Conference approved five new bishops for Africa and in 2020 added provisional central conferences in Southeast Asia and Mongolia and a provisional annual conference in Rwanda. For the first time, a member from outside the United States, N. Oswald Tweh Sr., a layman from Liberia, became president of the Judicial Council, the denomination’s “supreme court”. He held the office until 2020. Views on human sexuality continued to be divisive in the worldwide church. General Conference also accepted a Council of Bishops’ proposal to defer debate on these issues until after a period of study and discussion by a special commission. A special General Conference dedicated to these issues happened in February 2019.
2019-present: Update (by Rev. Ryan Dunn)
This 2019 General Conference approved, by a slim margin, the denomination’s previous stance on homosexuality being incompatible with Christian teaching, that self-avowed practicing homosexuals would not be ordained or appointed to serve UMC churches, and added mandatory penalties for clergy who performed same-sex weddings. With such restrictive laws and language in place, many United Methodists felt “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” sounded nice, but rang hollow for a denomination that limited full participation for some people.
The 2019 General Conference also added a church law allowing for congregations to exit the denomination for “reasons of conscience” related to homosexuality. Over the next several years, more than 7,600 churches left the denomination–many of them left not because of the church’s existing policies on same-sex marriages and gay clergy, but because they felt that such policies were likely to be repealed in the near future. The Global Methodist Church was established on May 1, 2022. Some churches that left the UMC joined this newly formed denomination.
After a delay, the General Conference met again in 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. With 93% approval of present delegates, the General Conference lifted the denomination’s ban on the ordination of homosexual clergy. They also removed penalties for clergy officiating and churches hosting same-sex weddings.
In the heart of opening minds, the General Conference also voted to remove the phrases decrying homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching” and removed the bans on the church providing funds to LGBTQ-aligned organizations.
Additional significant actions came out of the General Conference. Much of the debate around homosexuality over the past 40 years relates to the worldwide reach of the United Methodist denomination. While many congregants in the United States felt ready to open doors to full LGBTQ participation and leadership, voices from other parts of the world feared repercussions in their countries. The General Conference approved plans leading towards denominational regionalization. This will provide room for contextualized policy and doctrine.
While the open hearts and minds lead to the opening of doors for future involvement by LGBTQ+ individuals, the exit door for departing congregations closed. The General Conference voted not to extend the law allowing for an easy disaffiliation for dissenting congregations.
The changes regarding church policy on LGBTQ+ inclusion may lead to more congregations departing the denomination, though the exit door is somewhat blocked with the repeal of disaffiliation measures.
As indicated by the tagline, The United Methodist Church has sought to be an inclusive and welcoming body. The actions of the General Conference broaden that commitment to inclusivity, and, in the eyes of many finally lend authenticity to the denominational claim of openness.
In 1951, The Methodist Church helped form the World Methodist Council. Ties established with the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches allowed for greater cooperation in mission and other ministries. The Methodist Church was increasingly concerned with the issue of racism in the church and United States. While earlier General Conferences considered proposals to eliminate the Central Jurisdiction, it continued until its abolition became part of the proposed union with the Evangelical United Brethren. Full clergy rights for women were also part of the plan of union. The Methodist Church agreed to full clergy rights for women in 1956, but it took more than a decade for the number of women in seminaries to increase. In 1968, General Conference approved the proposal to create The United Methodist Church. Merging and reorganizing structures followed. Many of today’s general agencies had their beginning at this time. Meanwhile, congregations flourished in Taiwan and Zambia. The European Methodist Council, the Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches of Latin America and the Burundi Conference were established.
1976-2000: Years of Progress
As an increasing number of women were admitted to ordained ministry, Marjorie Matthews was elected the first female United Methodist bishop in 1980, and Leontine T.C. Kelly became the first female African American bishop in 1984. Having become the first African bishop in 1968, Abel T. Muzorewa became prime minister of Zimbabwe in 1979. Hartzell’s dream of African youth running to school took a step toward reality when the 1988 General Conference approved establishing Africa University in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe. Opened in 1992, it continues to draw a diverse body of students from throughout Africa. New churches emerged in Colombia, El Salvador and Vietnam. Central and Southern Europe Bishop Heinrich Bolleter and the United Methodist Committee on Relief aided Kosovo.
2001-2019: Into The future
The church continues to experience change and increasingly knows itself as a worldwide church with members and conferences in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States. While membership in Europe and the United States has declined, it has grown significantly in Asia and Africa. The church endeavors to become a community in which all people, regardless of racial or ethnic background, can participate in every level of its connectional life and ministry (The Book of Discipline, Historical Statement, p. 22). The Protestant Methodist Church of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) joined The United Methodist Church in 2004. In 2008, General Conference entered into full communion with The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. United Methodists responded to devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Japan and to other disasters. In 2012, the General Conference participated in “An Act of Repentance toward Healing Relationships with Indigenous Peoples.” The church also entered into communion with several historically African American pan-Methodist denominations, made United Methodist Women an autonomous organization, and created a national ministry plan for Pacific Islanders in the United States.
In 2016, General Conference approved five new bishops for Africa and in 2020 added provisional central conferences in Southeast Asia and Mongolia and a provisional annual conference in Rwanda. For the first time, a member from outside the United States, N. Oswald Tweh Sr., a layman from Liberia, became president of the Judicial Council, the denomination’s “supreme court”. He held the office until 2020. Views on human sexuality continued to be divisive in the worldwide church. General Conference also accepted a Council of Bishops’ proposal to defer debate on these issues until after a period of study and discussion by a special commission. A special General Conference dedicated to these issues happened in February 2019.
2019-present: Update (by Rev. Ryan Dunn)
This 2019 General Conference approved, by a slim margin, the denomination’s previous stance on homosexuality being incompatible with Christian teaching, that self-avowed practicing homosexuals would not be ordained or appointed to serve UMC churches, and added mandatory penalties for clergy who performed same-sex weddings. With such restrictive laws and language in place, many United Methodists felt “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” sounded nice, but rang hollow for a denomination that limited full participation for some people.
The 2019 General Conference also added a church law allowing for congregations to exit the denomination for “reasons of conscience” related to homosexuality. Over the next several years, more than 7,600 churches left the denomination–many of them left not because of the church’s existing policies on same-sex marriages and gay clergy, but because they felt that such policies were likely to be repealed in the near future. The Global Methodist Church was established on May 1, 2022. Some churches that left the UMC joined this newly formed denomination.
After a delay, the General Conference met again in 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. With 93% approval of present delegates, the General Conference lifted the denomination’s ban on the ordination of homosexual clergy. They also removed penalties for clergy officiating and churches hosting same-sex weddings.
In the heart of opening minds, the General Conference also voted to remove the phrases decrying homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching” and removed the bans on the church providing funds to LGBTQ-aligned organizations.
Additional significant actions came out of the General Conference. Much of the debate around homosexuality over the past 40 years relates to the worldwide reach of the United Methodist denomination. While many congregants in the United States felt ready to open doors to full LGBTQ participation and leadership, voices from other parts of the world feared repercussions in their countries. The General Conference approved plans leading towards denominational regionalization. This will provide room for contextualized policy and doctrine.
While the open hearts and minds lead to the opening of doors for future involvement by LGBTQ+ individuals, the exit door for departing congregations closed. The General Conference voted not to extend the law allowing for an easy disaffiliation for dissenting congregations.
The changes regarding church policy on LGBTQ+ inclusion may lead to more congregations departing the denomination, though the exit door is somewhat blocked with the repeal of disaffiliation measures.
As indicated by the tagline, The United Methodist Church has sought to be an inclusive and welcoming body. The actions of the General Conference broaden that commitment to inclusivity, and, in the eyes of many finally lend authenticity to the denominational claim of openness.