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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2009
Portland to Host 2016 General Conference
Tampa, Fla.:The Commission on the General Conference has announced that Portland, Ore. has been selected as the site for the 2016 General Conference. The United Methodist Church's top legislative body will meet at the Oregon Convention Center, the largest convention center in the Pacific Northwest, tentatively scheduled from May 10-20, 2016.
"I believe the Portland area will afford the General Conference a fine experience in West Coast hospitality," said Bishop Robert Hoshibata of the Portland Episcopal Area. "We will do all we can to make it a warm and welcoming place where we can do the work of the church in an atmosphere of grace, as well as sharing the gifts of the Portland area with the wider United Methodist community." He added that it would also be a great experience for United Methodists in the area to be able to see and participate in the event.
The site of the General Conference has traditionally rotated among the church's five geographic U.S. jurisdictions, with the 2016 event to be held in the Western jurisdiction. The last General Conference in the Western Jurisdiction was in Denver in 1996.
A request for proposals was submitted to 16 potential sites in the Western jurisdiction. Portland was one of five finalists considered by the site selection team. Other cities were San Jose, Calif., Los Angeles, Calif., Seattle, Wash., and Long Beach, Calif.
A number of factors were considered in the selection of a meeting site, including suitability of facilities, availability of adequate space, proximity of hotel rooms, cost of lodging, meals, airfare, meeting space, and sales and room taxes.
Dr. Randall Miller, Chair of the Commission on the General Conference, said that Portland's hospitality and its "greenness" added to the city's appeal. Portland was named the "Greenest City in America" by Popular Science in 2008.
"Portland not only has a commitment to recycling, but also to green energy," said Dr. Miller. "A lot of the buildings have been designed to take advantage of green energy sources, and the way the city is structured in terms of transportation minimizes the use of cars. In many ways, Portland conforms with the values we have in The United Methodist Church about being wise stewards of God's resources."
Delegates from the U.S., Africa, Europe and Asia will attend the gathering, which is expected to attract up to 6,000 visitors. The economic impact of the event on the Portland area is roughly estimated to be about $7 million.
Portland is a part of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, which has more than 32,000 members and 213 local churches.
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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