Commission on the General Conference
The United Methodist Church
For Immediate Release
April 18, 2024
Commission on the General Conference issues visa update
Nashville, Tenn. – The Commission on the General Conference has issued an update on the anticipated onsite delegate presence during the postponed 2020 General Conference being held April 23-May 3, 2024, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ensuring representation of the 862 delegates has been an ongoing priority. The pandemic-driven visa and passport application backlog resulted in further postponement of the 2020 General Conference. Anticipating delays, the Commission staff started the visa process further in advance of General Conference than they have for past events, and included additional safeguards to avoid issues faced in 2019. Leading up to this month’s meeting, the team has continued to navigate visa-related obstacles to get 370 voting delegates from Africa, the Philippines and Europe to the gathering.
73% of General Conference delegates from outside the U.S. are confirmed. This percentage could be as high as 89% if the delegates in process or unknown are eventually seated. Travel arrangement coordination will continue as visas are approved to accommodate as many delegates as possible so long as their travel allows them to participate in the General Conference.
The Central Conference delegate visa and travel process numbers currently stand at:
- 269 delegates are confirmed to be seated (73% of all General Conference delegates from Africa, the Philippines and Europe)
- 39 delegates are not attending and no replacement is available (11% of all General Conference delegates from Africa, the Philippines and Europe)
- 18 delegates had their visas denied
- 9 delegates were unable to get passports or visa interviews
- 4 delegates have died or are too ill to travel
- 4 delegates have left the denomination
- 2 seats are from an Annual Conference that could not hold elections
- 2 seats are from an Annual Conference that was dissolved by the Central Conference
- 62 delegates could potentially be seated (17% of all General Conference delegates from Africa, the Philippines and Europe)
- 14 delegates are in process but not yet confirmed
- 46 delegates have not communicated their status
- 2 unfilled seats are awaiting possible replacement information from the Annual Conference’s secretary
“I believe that while there have been significant struggles, the effort to have full participation of all Central Conference delegates at General Conference by the Commission staff has been thorough,” shared Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, President of the Council of Bishops and its representative to the Commission on the General Conference. “I have been given frequent reports on activities to secure visas for Central Conference delegates at all points. The level of complexity that the Commission is dealing with is greater than any of us would have imagined.”
“The process can be frustrating and confusing as it is incredibly intricate. We’re helping as much as we can, but some of it is beyond our control,” said Kim Simpson, Chair of the Commission on General Conference. “The staff have gone to great extents to get visas, including sending delegates to other countries for their interviews.”
“It’s important to recognize that there are multiple factors that have made it difficult to fully understand the many issues at hand in obtaining visas,” noted Bishop Bickerton. “Unlike the influence that African church leadership can have in dealing with their local governments, the U.S. State Department does not operate in that way. Their decisions and processes are outside of the control of the church.”
“The process has simply been harder than anticipated,” added Simpson. “Despite numerous attempts to reach people and convey needs, we often did not receive correct and legal information for duly elected delegates to obtain the necessary documentation for them.”
“I’d like to thank the Commission and staff for their diligence at every step of implementing the processes approved by the Commission on the General Conference to maintain the safety of individuals and the integrity of the work,” said Secretary of the General Conference Gary Graves. “Though we understand that the results may not please every member, I hope members can find peace knowing that many have worked faithfully and prayerfully to offer hospitality and facilitate a successful event at every level on behalf of The United Methodist Church.”
For updates, visit the postponed 2020 General Conference’s landing page at UMCGC.org and view the plenary livestream via the UMCGC.org/live.
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About General Conference
General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church, which meets once every four years. The conference can revise church law, as well as adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy and economic issues. It also approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs.
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