The regionalization proposal aims to address what many United Methodists see as a longstanding problem limiting the denomination’s missional effectiveness — namely that the church in the U.S. and the central conferences have unequal standing in decision-making.
Under the proposed plan, there will be eight regional conferences — the existing seven central conferences in Africa, Europe and the Philippines plus the U.S. — all possessing the same duties and powers to pass legislation for greater missional impact in their respective regions.
The goal is to empower each region to act more nimbly in reaching people for Christ — without waiting for General Conference, which typically meets every four years.
The legislation was approved by the postponed 2020 United Methodist General Conference and must be voted on by all annual conferences to be ratified.
