ishop Lanette L. Playback, Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area, presides over the 2024 United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. Tuesday April 30, 2024. Photo by Larry McCormack, UM News.

On the second full day of General Conference voting, delegates fast-tracked a large number of items via consent calendar. Items passed include petitions eliminating some of the language regarding the LGBTQ community, approving full communion with the Episcopal Church and revising large sections of the United Methodist Social Principles. Joey Butler reports on the day’s happenings.

General Conference reduces requested giving: Delegates voted to reduce a key component of calculating apportionments — the portion of church giving requested to fund the general-church budget. U.S. annual conferences will be asked to pay lower apportionments compared to what delegates passed at the 2016 General Conference.

Full Communion with the Episcopal Church was approved by delegates via consent calendar duringthe morning plenary session. The session, during General Conference’s ecumenical day, was halted briefly to acknowledge its passage.

Inclusive language: Some of the items passed during the morning plenary eliminate parts of the Traditional Plan passed at the 2019 General Conference. That package aimed at strengthening the denomination’s longtime restrictions.

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Dakotas Conference connections

Bishop Lanette Plambeck, resident bishop for the Dakotas-Minnesota Area, presided at the morning plenary session and was part of the presiding team in the late afternoon plenary session.

Rev. Sara Nelson and Beata Ferris continue their work with the Interjurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy.

Bishops that retired in 2020 and 2022 were recognized including Bishop Bruce Ough, who served the Dakotas-Minnesota Area in 2012-2020; and Bishop Laurie Haller, who served as interim bishop for the Dakotas Conference January 2020 through March 2021.

Today's schedule*
*EDT—Eastern Daylight Time
View entire agenda here.  Watch the livestream.
8:00 – 9:30 A.M. – Worship
9:30 – 10:00 A.M. – Plenary Session
     Monitoring Report
     Methodist Family Day
     Administrative Committee Reports
     Consent Calendars
10:20 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. – Plenary Session
     Calendar Items & Conference Business
1:30 – 3:40 P.M. – Plenary Session
     100th Anniversary of United Methodist Building
     Calendar Items & Conference Business
4:00 – 6:10 P.M. – Plenary Session
     Calendar Items & Conference Business 

General Conference Resources:
Dakotas Conference articles
Dakotas Conference videos
Dakotas Conference wrap-up videos: April 23, April 24, April 25, April 26
United Methodist News Service photos
Livestream archive
United Methodist Communications wrap-up videos: April 23, April 24, April 25, April 26, April 27 & 28, April 29
General Conference website